A diplodocus trampled my teepee by Nick Falk

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Ill. by Tony Flowers. Saurus Street 6. Random House, 2013. ISBN 9780857981844.
(Age: 6-8) Recommended. Dinosaurs. Adventures. Pirates. Camping.
'He who finds my eye and says my name three times will bring my bones back to life' - Captain Saurus pirate dinosaur
Dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures rapidly take over this sixth novel in the Saurus Street series. Jack's Dad and his scary sixteen year old sister Saffi take the boys camping in a giant teepee at Camp Saurus. Jack finds some great beach treasures but unfortunately one of them is legendary Captain Saurus's magic eyeball that brings fossils to life! When Saffi accidentally unleashes the scary pirate's curse their wild ride begins.
The fun starts with an extremely humorous event, a ferocious feathered chicken-lizard microraptor causing havoc, eating sleeping bags, Saffi's clothes and swallowing socks. Everyone's reactions to the intruder are drawn with great comic style that compliments the text and the fun font styles and sizes.
Next Captain Saurus's diplodocus causes chaos, leaving poor Dad unconscious and the three campers cowering in a cave. With Toby wearing the magic eyeball attached by Saffi's elastic hair band, they search for the pirate captain's secret hiding place. Encountering snarling deinonychuses, riding on the comfy back of an ankylosaurus, falling into a chasm under the earth and coming face to face with One-Eyed Rex are all part of the fun.
This is a great addition to the Saurus Street series as Nick Falk packs this younger reader's novel full of humour, exploits and crazy dinosaur antics. This is just the right formula for 6-8 year old boys from who love these fast-paced adventures. Tony Flowers grey and black pen and ink cartoon illustrations bring the characters to life and add to the fun and pace of this novel.
Rhyllis Bignell

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