Dino Poet
by Tom Angleberger; illus. by the author
Primary    Abrams Fanfare    96 pp.
3/25    9781419772801    $13.99
e-book ed.  9798887072456    $12.59

In this graphic novel for primary readers, a dinosaur is trying to shut out nearby roars and write a poem. A frog tries to help, or perhaps to provide distraction, since the dino’s first draft rhymes “eat” with “fine and froggy meat.” Further attempts and creature encounters unfold over short chapters. Humor and action are both plentiful, and the frog is full of good advice, both literary (“Rhymes are nice, but phony poems aren’t”) and general (when a larger dinosaur appears: “Run!!…Hide!!…Flee!…Don’t write it! Do it!”). The sense throughout is that poetry can be about what matters to the poet in the moment, whether that means a limerick about a very immediate pursuit through the forest or a stanza of “poo-etry.” The collage illustrations are set against a paper bag–brown background and use speech bubbles written on what resembles notebook paper, with different colors for each character aiding new readers. Some complex vocabulary, especially dinosaur names, makes this a good choice for those gaining independence in reading, with rhyme and repetition to help them along. Poetic edification with a side of adrenaline rushes—though some of the dangers, much like poetry, may not be as scary as they seem.

From the ">May/June 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.