Frankie and the Fossil

Frankie and the Fossil by Jess McGeachin (Puffin Books) HB RRP ISBN 9781760898847

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

A cheese sandwich is crucial to this story. It is what Frankie has for lunch the day she’s in the museum of natural science and what she feeds – despite the ‘don’t feed the fossil’ sign --- to a dinosaur skeleton which she sees on display. Frankie knows ‘everything’ about dinosaurs: she ‘could tell you the height of a Hadrosaurus, the length of a Leptoceratops and how to spot a Stegosaurus.’ What she doesn’t know is that the dinosaur she’s fed follows her and her mother home from the museum.

That night, unable to sleep, Frankie tries naming dinosaurs alphabetically. When she comes to a Diplodocus, she sees a giant head on a long neck peering at her through her bedroom window. Frankie thinks it’s a dream, but in the morning, she finds the same dinosaur outside her house snoozing in the sunlight. She makes her new friend some toast, of which it eats ‘every last crumb.’ The two play together, but next day a palaeontologist from the museum turns up to take the dinosaur to its rightful place.

Of course, life is lonely without her friend, but Frankie thinks of a brilliant idea – and she follows through with it, which is how this engaging picture book story ends.

No doubt any small child who loves dinosaurs will love this book, which is filled with full-sized illustrations, many of which are set inside the museum. The last double-page spread is particularly worth examining – one feels as though one is literally inside the museum, looking at the exhibits, which include a woolly mammoth and Frankie’s Diplodocus. To further interest the young reader there is a double page spread of over 20 dinosaurs in, what the label says, is ‘Frankie’s Prehistoric Sandwich Guide’ and which are arranged alphabetically.

This book is sure to win many fans.

Pink

Pink by Margaret Wild and Judith Rossell, (Harper Collins), July 2020, HB RRP $24.99 ISBN: 9781460757499

Reviewed by Karen Hendriks

 

Pink is an adorable and endearing dinosaur that you can’t help but fall in love with. She is pink and pretty and sweet. But this doesn’t help Pink in her favourite game, Hide and Seek. Being pink means she’s always the first one to be found. Pink would much rather be brave and smart and not stand out from the crowd. Accepting who you are is hard when all you want to do is fit in.

But this changes when Pink follows the other dinosaurs as they play hide-and-seek and they all get terribly lost. Darkness is closing in and time is running out so Pink scrambles to the top of a hill. There she can easily be spotted and find help for her friends. Two of her wishes have come true. Will Pink’s wish to be able to play hide-and-seek without being found come true too?

Margaret Wild’s writing voice shines and she uses the power of three to great effect. Her word choices and dialogue are in all the right places. The page turns are delightful, and the pace and flow of the story allow the reader to fully enjoy and engage with the story. 

Judith Russell is a perfect choice as the illustrator. Her bright, lush green illustrations and splashes of yellow are paired with pink to great effect. The illustrations cleverly draw the eye to all the right places at all the right times. The double page spreads bring the world of the dinosaurs to life with the juicy green jungle as their playground. The expressions upon the dinosaur faces speak to the reader and light up their imagination.

Pink the picture book is created by an award-winning author and an award-winning illustrator. It is a winning combination. This gorgeous book is perfect for the 2-5 years age group.

Gusto & Gecko Travel to New Orleans

Gusto & Gecko Travel to New Orleans by Longy Han, illustrated by Elinor Hägg HB RRP $22.95

ISBN: 978-0-9943413-1-0 

Reviewed by Stephanie Mantello 

On an ordinary Sunday afternoon, Gusto and Gecko jump into their time machine and head off for an adventure. They land the wonderful city of New Orleans, Louisiana and are immersed in the culture of this one-of-a-kind American city. It's all fun and games until Gusto gets caught up in the action and ends up in a swamp filled with alligators. Will they ever get home? 

Gusto and Gecko are two dinosaurs with a time machine. And they are ready to travel the world! In the second book of The Curious Travels of Gusto & Gecko Series, the best friends find themselves marching in a Mardi Gras parade, eating wonderful local foods and cheering at a good old American football game. Readers experience the lively jazz music in the French Quarter and smell of freshly cooked beignets at Cafe du Monde right along with these two visitors. In what turns out to be anything but an ordinary Sunday afternoon, the two friends find themselves in the marshlands and must escape the jaws of a hungry alligator before returning home with, of course, a few beignets. 

With adventure, humour, and a generous dose of local flavour, talented author Longy Han brings the wonders of New Orleans and Creole culture to young readers through her endearing characters Gusto and Gecko.  Visiting historic landmarks, modern attractions, and everything in between, the two friends are fantastic tour guides in this darling book for preschool-aged children.

The colourful illustrations by Elinor Hägg perfectly compliment the story and create a friendly, playful tone. Plus, thoughtful extras are included at the end of the book. Instructions for a simple origami alligator craft and a glossary of New Orleans foods offer parents, carers and teachers opportunities to further expand upon the topics in the book. 

Overall, this is an entertaining picture book that would be a wonderful addition to any school library or child's bookshelf.

Gusto & Gecko Travel to New Orleans

Gusto & Gecko Travel to New Orleans by Longy Han, illustrated by Elinor Hägg HB RRP $22.95

ISBN: 978-0-9943413-1-0 

Reviewed by Stephanie Mantello 

On an ordinary Sunday afternoon, Gusto and Gecko jump into their time machine and head off for an adventure. They land the wonderful city of New Orleans, Louisiana and are immersed in the culture of this one-of-a-kind American city. It's all fun and games until Gusto gets caught up in the action and ends up in a swamp filled with alligators. Will they ever get home? 

Gusto and Gecko are two dinosaurs with a time machine. And they are ready to travel the world! In the second book of The Curious Travels of Gusto & Gecko Series, the best friends find themselves marching in a Mardi Gras parade, eating wonderful local foods and cheering at a good old American football game. Readers experience the lively jazz music in the French Quarter and smell of freshly cooked beignets at Cafe du Monde right along with these two visitors. In what turns out to be anything but an ordinary Sunday afternoon, the two friends find themselves in the marshlands and must escape the jaws of a hungry alligator before returning home with, of course, a few beignets. 

With adventure, humour, and a generous dose of local flavour, talented author Longy Han brings the wonders of New Orleans and Creole culture to young readers through her endearing characters Gusto and Gecko.  Visiting historic landmarks, modern attractions, and everything in between, the two friends are fantastic tour guides in this darling book for preschool-aged children.

The colourful illustrations by Elinor Hägg perfectly compliment the story and create a friendly, playful tone. Plus, thoughtful extras are included at the end of the book. Instructions for a simple origami alligator craft and a glossary of New Orleans foods offer parents, carers and teachers opportunities to further expand upon the topics in the book. 

Overall, this is an entertaining picture book that would be a wonderful addition to any school library or child's bookshelf.

Gigantosaurus

Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle (Koala Books)

PB RRP $14.99

ISBN 978-1-74276-101-5

Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

When young dinosaurs go out to play they need to keep an eye out for danger, especially the hungry Gigantosaurus.

     His feet go STOMP!

      His jaws go CRUNCH!

      In the blink of an eye

     you'd be his lunch!

But what happens when the dinosaur on lookout, a mischievous Bonehead, decides to play a prehistoric version of the boy who cried wolf?

This is a noisy book in the best of ways. It has a rollicking rhythm, beautiful rhyme and is full of thuds, stomps, burps and other fabulously loud sounds. It exudes energy and humour and has the feel of The Three Little Pigs about it. From the first page it just begs to be read aloud.

When Bonehead calls out that the predator is on its way the young dinosaurs run to hide.

     They ran!

     They hid!

     They shook with fear!

     The Gigantosaurus was coming near!

And when, after many false sightings, Gigantosaurus really does appear, the page folds upwards to become double the height to accommodate the truly huge and awe inspiring meat eater.

Some of the dialogue is in speech bubbles (which still carry the wonderful rhythm and rhyme) and these bubbles become part of the playful illustrations. The picture on the front cover conveys the characters of the dinosaurs and hints at the role each one will play in the story. These characteristics remain consistent throughout the illustrations.

At the end of the book are two pages with pictures and factual explanations of the dinosaurs throughout the story. This is written in the same tone as the story and will keep dinosaur mad pre-schoolers who want to learn a little about these prehistoric animals happy.

This is such a fun book. It is fantastic to read and there is so much detail in the illustration to keep kids and their adult readers coming back again and again.

Rawr!

Rawr! by Todd H. Doodler (Scholastic Inc)
HB RRP $14.99
ISBN 978-0-545-51118-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Being a dinosaur is tough. Dinosaurs can be too big for the school bus, too big for hide-and-seek and are often scary without meaning to be. But there are advantages to being big. And Rawr! is really just a dinosaurs way of saying hello.

Rawr! is especially for the very young dinosaur lovers. Its thick strong pages will survive many a toddler and the soft dinosaur on the front of this hard cover book will be a hit with little fingers. The bright, eye-catching pictures are very cute and attractive for the young. They also reinforce simple concepts, such as a big dinosaur not being good at hide-and-seek.

This story is also about not quite fitting in, and scary stuff that isn’t perhaps quite so frightening after all. Good things for children to be learning, even from a young age.

Saurus Street

Saurus Street by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $12.95
Saurus Street 5: A Plesiosaur Broke My Bathtub
ISBN 9780857981820
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9780857980540

Saurus Street 6: A Diplodocus Trampled My Teepee
ISBN 9780857981844
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9780857981851
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness


After reviewing the first two Saurus Street books a short while ago, what fun it is to read the next set of adventures.

With a great opening sentence ‘There are three reasons I’m scared of Granny and Grandad’s outdoor loo …’, I was hooked. Suddenly, visions of dark nights, scary sounds and creepy crawlies brought back childhood memories. Some things never change.

In Book 5, A Plesiosaur Broke My Bathtub, we’re creeping around with 9 year-old Thomas as he gathers the courage to go to the outside loo in the middle of the night. Granny and Grandad’s ‘creaky old cabin’ is built over a sinkhole in a swamp that’s connected to Saurus Lake, so a bottomless outdoor toilet is a spooky place to go.

Thomas has a powerful imagination. One dismal, windy night he falls down the toilet into its ‘murky darkness below.’ The only thing Thomas can do is swim through the yuck, through a tunnel and into Lake Saurus. His rollicking adventure begins when he is hooked on a fishing line by a red-haired girl called Molly. She thinks he is ‘as mad as a box of frogs.’

Molly is fishing for squid to feed Ellie, the Loch Saurus Monster (a plesiosaur).

As readers of Nick Falk’s Saurus Street books handle a single plot, Falk weaves in a riotous sub-plot. The Reverend Parsnip and his wife, Priscilla, are planning on taking over the lake and building a hideous fishing lodge.

Thomas and Molly join forces and imaginations. They devise a plan to ‘pull the plug’ to save not only the lake, but also its shy inhabitant, Ellie the Plesiosaur.

Nick Falk is a whizz with words. He uses lots of vibrant verbs: twist, warble, squiggle, spike and each takes the font shape of its sound, which not only reads well, but adds a visual dimension and extra context to the sentences.

Chapter headings are fun as well. Who wouldn’t want to read Meet the Parsnips or Something Alive Down There …

There’s plenty of white space on each page and Tony Flowers’ hilarious illustrations reinforce key elements as you read. The facial expressions and body language connect you directly to the story.

And we’re left with the question, how do Granny’s VOLCANIC ginger snap biscuits save the day?


Book 6, A Diplodocus Trampled My Teepee, continues the high jinks in Saurus Street. This time, Toby and Jack are camping at Camp Saurus. They play ‘Imagineering’ and make up outrageous stories about the things they find.

They find a marble that is really the magic eyeball of Captain Saurus, a legendary pirate whose ship was made from dinosaur bones. The eyeball unleashes a curse that brings dinosaurs back to life.

While there’s curious scratching noises from their teepee a huge head rises over the treetops. It’s a diplodocus and pandemonium breaks out. The boys have to find a way to reverse the curse. Jack’s ‘scary sister’ Saffi joins them. The boys don’t know which is more fearsome, the dinosaurs or Saffi.

Toby places the magic eyeball over his own eye, like a pirate patch. Amazingly, he sees like a pirate. There’s a map tucked away in the eyeball. To reverse the curse, they have to find where X marks the spot!

There are dinosaurs on the loose everywhere. Jack, Toby and Saffi end up riding a dinosaur, rodeo-style, to escape the stampede. They fall through a crack in the earth and end up at the bottom of a canyon guarded by ‘one-eyed Rex’, the most terrifying of Captain Saurus’ dinosaur crew.

They find where X marks the spot and have to work out how to reverse the dinosaur curse. There’s lots of frantic, clever puzzle solving done just in the nick of time as they’re about to become snacks for a raging tyrannosaurus rex.

These Saurus Street books are an imagination starter. That’s what I love about them. Not only are you romping around in such a creative stories, you’re using your imagination as you go. With the winning partnership of Falk and Flowers, readers 6+ will devour these books with dinosaur appetites.

The Mystery of Nida Valley

The Mystery of Nida Valley by EJ Ouston (Morris Publishing Australia)

PB RRP $19.99

Reviewed by Dianne Bates

As a child my imagination was so fired by reading Enid Blyton’s The Magic Faraway Tree that I spent many hours wandering the bush looking for the enchanted tree that promised to lead me into a magical world. It is likely that today’s young reader, engaging with Elaine Ouston’s fast-paced adventure set in the mysterious and mystical Nida Valley, might very well also go looking for a land filled with extraordinary fauna and flora.

The first of a series set in Queensland, The Mystery of Nida Valley starts with 15 year old Meg Sealy in search of her missing best friend. Accompanied by her older cousin Jaiden, Meg enters a cavern in the grounds of Millson Manor where they find Amanda. There they discover a natural pool from which all three children drink, an act which is later to give them mystical powers. Facing off a savage dog, they proceed to a homestead where they are made welcome and where they learn that the valley in which they find themselves is the home of Meg’s Aunt Charlotte, the Grand Leader of the Guardians of Nida. All Guardians have amazing powers, such as the ability to heal or read minds. And Meg is to assume her aunt’s role when she comes of age.

This story is the stuff of action and fantasy with children on a learning curve as they traverse a hidden land where dangerous creatures abound and where they must undertake perilous challenges that test their ingenuity, resourcefulness, and physical prowess.

At the heart of the valley is amazing megafauna -- creatures such as archaepteryx, muttaburrasaurus, ichthyosaurs and zygopmaturas that are ‘extinct’. Some are threatening, but the two-metre high winged featherless pterosauradon allow the children to move about the valley freely and joyfully. It is up to Meg and her friends to protect the existence of the Valley’s creatures. In doing this, they search for a special moss to keep alive the last of an animal species and try to determine who are the ‘moles’ trying to undermine the efforts of the Guardians. 

There is so much in this book – romance, political intrigue, stun guns, magical potions, mind control, not to mention non-stop action. In undertaking a series of quests, the teenagers display teamwork, co-operation, inventiveness, bravery, and loyalty. Nida Valley and all it contains has what many children want from a book – thrills, action, adventure, friendship, mythical and mystical animals, fantastical sights, and praise from adults who appreciate the teenagers’ roles in maintaining the status quo.

Call of the Wild and Dino Champions

Robert Irwin Dinosaur Hunter - series by Jack Wells, illustrated by Lachlan Creagh (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $9.95 each
Book 5 – Call of the Wild
ISBN 9781742750934 – pbk.
ISBN 9781742749594 - ebook
Book 6 – Dino Champions
ISBN 9781742750941 – pbk.
ISBN 9781742749600 - ebook

Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

After many adventures in his previous books, Robert Irwin is back with his best friend Riley. With the aid of his lucky claw, Robert and Riley continue their adventures as they time travel back to the era of the dinosaurs. This series of single-plot storylines continues to excite new readers and is a winner for six to nine year old boys who dream of dinosaurs, adventure and time travel. Along with lots of action, there’s a handy dinosaur fact file at the end of each book (where I learnt that dinosaurs probably didn’t roar, except in the movies!) as well as plenty of illustrations to further enliven the boys’ adventures.

Book 5 – Call of the Wild – Robert and Riley are camping with their families in outback Queensland. They’re in Muttaburrasaurus country, where the first fossils of this dinosaur were found.

It’s night and raining and the boys need to go to the loo. In the dark they get disorientated. Robert’s magic dino claw whisks them back 100 million years where a storm is also raging. Reptiles fly overhead and in a lightning flash the boys see an abandoned baby dinosaur, with ‘it’s legs stuck in a deep pool of mud.’ They nickname him Barry and try to push him out of the swamp. Pterosaurs flap their skinned wings overhead and chase Riley, intending to make a meal of him.

Finally the boys free Barry. They try to find his mother by ‘honking’ through the bushes. In a spike of lightning the boys see ‘the figure of the adult Muttaburrasaurus.’ It ‘rose up on its back legs, stretched out its neck, maybe seven metres high, and gave an enormous honk.’ Robert and Riley watch as ‘the two ancient Australians walk away to rejoin their pack.’

Book 6 – Dino Champions – Robert is training for his athletics carnival. He’s trying to run fast enough to catch up to the school champion, Lauren Johnson. Robert wonders which dinosaur would have run the fastest.

As Robert and Riley chase each other around Australia Zoo, Robert’s magic dinosaur claw jiggles around in his backpack. Before they know it, the boys are in Canada, 74 million years ago. They’re being chased by a dinosaur with ‘three claws on each foot to grip into the ground like running spikes.’ It’s a dromiceiomimus, meaning, ‘emu mimic.’ Robert makes notes of its running style to use in his athletics race.

The boys fall asleep and are transported to North Africa, where two spinosaurus are fighting; they’re even bigger than the T-rex, with spines as tall as an adult and a skull like a crocodile.

Robert’s magic claw transports them again to the lush forests of Argentina where ‘titanic sauropods’ with bodies like bridges and legs like supports, graze on the treetops.

But the boys need to head back to Australia and the present. They wade into the freezing water where the magic claw swirls them home. When it’s time for the athletics carnival, Robert races against Lauren. He imagines being chased by a terrifying spinosaurus. He comes second but looks forward to his next adventure with dinosaurs and wonders what else he is going to discover.

Saurus Street

Saurus Street by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $12.95

Saurus Street 1: Tyrannosaurus in the Veggie Patch
ISBN 9781742756554
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9781742749211

Saurus Street 2: A Pterodactyl Stole my Homework
ISBN 9781742756561
Also available as an ebook
ISBN 9781742749228

Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

There’s a new kid on the block. That should read; there’s a new dinosaur on the block. The block is Saurus Street and the dinosaur is a ginormous green tyrannosaurus, or is it a bright blue pterodactyl?

These are the first two books in the action-packed new series for 5 – 8 year olds, especially dinosaur-crazy boys. Once they start reading, they won’t want to put the books down, unless they’re whisked by mistake back to the Cretaceous Period.

In Book 1, Tyrannosaurus in the Veggie Patch, Jack wishes for his own Tyrannosaurus. When he goes searching for his dog Charlie, he finds a great, green T-rex straddled in the veggie patch. His ‘mum’s gonna boil’ when she sees what it’s done. The ‘cauliflowers are crushed, the tomatoes are toast and the cabbages are KAPUT.’

Jack convinces his best friend Toby to help build a time machine to send the T-rex back to the dinosaur era. They collect all the clocks they can find, including the ‘supercool glow-in-the-dark clock’ from his scary sister’s bedroom.

The only trouble is, Jack, Toby and Charlie get caught up with the T-rex and end up whizzing back to ‘dinosaur world’.

There’s a great dinosaur chase as the boys work out how to reverse the time machine. When all is back to normal, Jack sees a shooting star and makes a wish … Yep! For another dinosaur!

Book 2, A Pterodactyl Stole my Homework, continues the high jinks in Saurus Street. This time it’s with Jack’s neighbour, eight-year-old Sam and his older brother, Nathan. Together they’re known as ‘Team Dinosaur’ because they ‘build dinosaurs, draw dinosaurs and play dinosaurs.’

Sam’s homework keeps getting stolen and his teacher, Miss Potts with ‘twisted yellow teeth’ has given him an ultimatum. Tomorrow … or else! Trouble is, a pterodactyl has flown into his room and stolen it again. This time, Sam is going to follow the flying creature. With the help of his brother, they build a hot air balloon filled by the hot-air snores of their neighbour.

They fly high to the top of Saurus Hill. Everything is creepy, ‘the insects are gigantic’ and ‘there are spider webs everywhere.’ Sam falls into a giant nest made of children’s homework. The pterodactyl returns and feeds Sam a regurgitated lizard. He ends up with a giant pterodactyl egg and has to keep it safe from the oviraptor, the dinosaur egg thief. It’s all too funny!

These books are a breath of fresh air. What I also love is the spontaneity and interaction of each page. There is plenty of white space and there are oodles of illustrations. The font is reader-friendly and its shape changes for special words that connect to the emotions even more. Sometimes it’s hairy, twirly, ENORMOUS and even quivery.

The stories are told in first person, which connects young readers to the action. It makes it immediate. Made-up words make the sentences aural, like: THUNK! KER-SPLASH! WHAP! and FLOOMP! Suspense is often built by the font size increasing.

It’s laugh as you learn, as there are facts of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods interspersed with the action. Young minds will surely soak these up.

Nick Falk has been writing since he was seven and he so much remembers what excites young readers. Tony Flowers’ humour jumps out from his drawings. He’s also a master of 3-D chalk-art – imagine a dinosaur clawing its way out of the school playground! To me, this creative team works like Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake, the perfect humorous mix of the written and the visual.

Look out in April for the next two books in the Saurus Street series: The Very Naughty Velociraptor and An Allosaurus Ate my Uncle.

Millie’s Special Something

Millie’s Special Something by Tania Cox, illustrated by David Miller (Working Title Press)
HB RRP $24.95
ISBN 978-1-921504-38-9
Reviewed by Vicki Thornton

Everybody has something special that makes them feel brave when they are scared. Or that’s what Millie’s friends tell her. Don stomps, Gus roars and Lea flies and swoops. But Millie is too small to stomp and roar, and her feathers aren’t meant for flying. So what is Millie’s special something when big bad Reggie comes along?

Tania Cox has written a delightful story about a small dinosaur that discovers, with the help of her friends, what her special something is. The text is full of action and a lovely use of language and noises makes this a great book to be read out loud.

The vibrant paper sculptures by David Miller add an extra depth to the story. Intricate and detailed, they manage to create texture and movement on the page.  Tania Cox and David Miller also worked on Snap! Went Chester, shortlisted for the 2003 CBCA.

This picture book is ideal for pre-schoolers but as it also touches on the topics of self-esteem, fear and bullying, it would also be suitable for lower primary readers.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorist, illustrated by Lane Smith (Simon and Schuster)

PB RRP $16.99

ISBN 978-085707147-7

Reviewed by Peta Biggin

Lulu is an only child – and a pretty spoiled one at that. She decides that she wants a brontosaurus for her next birthday and won’t take no for an answer. Her parents however, despite Lulu’s ear-splitting tantrums, actually do say “No” and so she must set off into the forest to find one for herself. On her adventure she encounters several other animals before she finds what she is looking for. She tries to take the brontosaurus home as her pet only to discover that he has other ideas. In fact, he wants to have Lulu for his pet.  Her usual methods for getting what she wants simply don’t work. So now, Lulu needs to think of a plan that will get her home safely. If not, she will be spending the rest of her life doing cute tricks for a brontosaurus.

Lulu and the Brontosaurs is a fun new chapter book from best-selling author Judith Viorist.

The book starts out with Lulu as very unsympathetic character.  In fact, she is described in the first chapter as a “pain in the butt”. She learns a hard lesson at the hands (or should that be feet?) of a very polite brontosaurus: behaving like a spoilt brat does not always get you what you want.   

The story is delivered in a light and quirky way. I particularly enjoyed the way the reader is addressed directly with lots of little asides throughout the book. The message is clear – not demanding your own way all the time and treating others with respect. However, the unlikely way that Lulu gets her comeuppance makes for a highly enjoyable read.

The black-and-white illustrations are provided by award-winning illustrator Lane Smith. They have a Tim Burton quality to them that suit the quirky style of the story.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus is a great book that would suit younger readers – around 8 to 10 years old. Each page contains only a small passage of text and there are lots of illustrations to break things up.

Judith Viorist is the bestselling author of Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and several other works. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband. Lane Smith is the Caldecott Honour-winning illustrator of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales. He lives in rural Connecticut.