Plot plays a minor role at best in this brightly illustrated tale of three cute, stubby-limbed dinos getting a taste of flight. Scratch, Sniff and Lofty--respectively a tyrannosaur, a ceratopsid and a brachiosaur--lumber energetically about their airy, open landscape, waving big leaves and even jumping off the top of a volcano in fruitless efforts to fly. Discouraged, they're about to give up when along comes Terry Dactyl to offer them a ride on his back. "We really are flying!" they cry, before being dropped off atop Mrs. Brachiosaurus' head and sliding down her back ("Whee!") to the ground. The three prehistoric preschoolers proceed to sit down with slices of pinecone pie to watch Terry and his buddies swoop and soar as the sun sinks, and then it's off to bed and further airborne dreams. Only carping critics will wonder how the playmates had missed spotting the Pterosaurs before. A cozy, briefly told wish-fulfillment tale, lit up by pictures whose clear colors and solid-looking figures are easy on the eyes. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-K-Scratch (Tyrannosaurus rex), Lofty (Brachiosaurus), and Sniff (Monoclonius) share a dream. They want to fly. Climbing to the top of the highest place they know, the volcano, the friends try to achieve liftoff like Mrs. Brachiosaurus's winged friend, Terry Dactyl. They flap their arms, just as they practiced earlier with some leaves, but they fall "head-over-heels" and land "in a crumbled heap. OUCH!" Their first attempt at flight fails, but they are able to soar through the air when they receive help from Terry. Homemade pinecone pie is served after the dinosaurs arrive home, but before they go to bed to dream about flying, they watch "Terry and his friends swoop and glide over the volcano." Fuge's brightly colored dinosaurs express their emotions with their whole being. The area they live in resembles an oasis, and because the story takes them to various heights, readers will be able to see their home from many different perspectives. Large, uncluttered pictures and brief text make this a good choice for group sharing.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Dinosaur friends Scratch, Lofty, and Sniff want to fly more than anything, so they climb a volcano to take to the air. After a tumble to the bottom, Terry Dactyl lifts their spirits with a soaring ride home. The weak text makes for a bland tale, but the finely detailed pictures featuring unintimidating prehistoric creatures will captivate preschool dinosaur enthusiasts. (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.