Dinos That Drive

“Levinson double-dips, deftly combining vehicle obsession with dinosaur devotion . . . Clever, varied verses set a jaunty beat while offering colorful commentary on the action . . . The entertaining, Richard Scarry–inflected art is colorful and busy, with many small details repaying scrutiny — newspaper vending machines, volcanic explosions, and more — and driving youngsters to repeat reading. A delightful combo of fun and facts about reptiles on the road.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Big, busy cartoon illustrations put exhilarated-looking dinosaurs at the controls of race cars, motorcycles, trains, helicopters, and a great variety of other vehicles to reflect Levinson’s bouncy, free-spirited rhymes . . . A dino-delight.”

—Booklist

“Dinos That Drive is the most fun I’ve had with a book in ages! Levinson’s hilarious poems are pitch-perfect, and Harbin’s gleeful illustrations will have you poring over every detail again and again!”

—Kenn Nesbitt, former Children’s Poet Laureate, author of More Bears! and Revenge of the Lunch Ladies

“Think you know your dinos? Think again! Let this delightful array of facts, fun poetry, and cars cars cars show you what these vehicular-loving thunder lizards are all about . . . why is this one so good?!? It makes no sense, but this book somehow manages to have a lot going on while never feeling too busy. You have the poetry itself, rife with puns but exceedingly clever and fun. You have the art, where Mr. Harbin shows that he is just as good at doing cartoony dinos as he is realistic cars. And then you have these clever little dino facts read by our two narrators that accompany all the poems. And they’re legit GOOD facts . . . Much better and interesting and funny than it has any right to be.”

—Betsy Bird, School Library Journal/A Fuse #8 Production

“Dinosaurs and modern vehicles?! What’s impossible in real life, because – well, duh: extinction! – becomes an irresistible combination in Suzy Levinson’s latest collection of poetry. Her witty verses rife with wordplay reveal that these reptiles are just as fascinated by cars, trucks, trams, and planes as a lot of humans…Small dinosaur-and-car-enthusiasts will discover a myriad of entertaining details and witty asides and even learn some facts along the way.”

—The White Ravens/International Youth Library (CATALOGUE SELECTION!)

“This easy-to-read poetry book is full of fast-moving dinosaurs, driving, flying and racing, on land, in the sea and in space. Young readers will find the pages filled with their favourite dinosaurs. With vivid, detailed, and amusing illustrations, children will also find pronunciations and facts. A fun way to read, learn, and imagine our world if it were filled with these large and unique extinct creatures.”

—Calgary Herald

“Poems by Suzy Levinson will have youngsters ages 3-7 bouncing on their beds as they vroom and boom along with these zippy (and very modern) dinosaurs…”

—Winnipeg Free Press

“A crowd-pleasing book of clever poems full of dino facts and fun!”

—Diana Murray, author of Dinosaur Day from the best-selling Unicorn Day series

“Levinson is a master of rhyme, repetition, rhythm, alliteration, and wordplay – often combined in the same short and clever poem. If you took Shel Silverstein and Richard Scarry and had them create a book about dinosaurs, it would be Dinos That Drive!”

—Janet Wong, winner of the NCTE Excellence in Poetry for Children Award

“Let this delightful array of facts, fun poetry, and cars cars cars show you what these vehicular-loving thunder lizards are all about.”

—Evanston Public Library

“If you relish turbo-charged humor, well-oiled rhymes, fun facts and genius cartoons, steer your way right into Dinos That Drive by Suzy Levinson and Dustin Harbin . . . The concept of putting dinosaurs behind the wheel is brilliant: Dinos + Things That Go = Kid Heaven. Harbin’s imaginative, immersive Scarry-esque cartoons expand upon the captivating humor of Levinson’s rollicking poems via zany details and cool sight gags.”

—Jama Rattigan, Jama’s Alphabet Soup

“Dinosaurs that drive race cars? Who knew? And riverboats and rocket ships, too? Suzy Levinson brings us a roaring new collection of Jurassic rhymes that reveal the truth (at least according to Suzy) about how our dinosaur friends actually got around town!”

—D.J. Steinberg, best-selling author of the popular Here I Come! series

“Buckle up! Dinos That Drive is a bumper-to-bumper Jurassic joyride! Levinson’s delightful poetry begs to be read aloud, while Harbin’s masterful illustrations pack each page with the fun of a Richard Scarry classic. Forget ‘Are we there yet?!’ – readers will be roaring ‘Again!’”

—Brandon Reese, author of Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad Lad

“If your kiddo likes dinosaurs, or cars, or funny poetry, or all of the above, run, don’t walk to get this book. Each poem imagines a different dinosaur driving a different vehicle—you know, if dinos and cars ever existed together. From Brontosaurus on a motorcycle to the country blues singing of the Iguanodon who just had his truck stolen, this book entertains on so many levels. Plus, there are so many easter eggs (dino eggs?) in the illustration, you’ll have to read more than once. This book is genius.”

—Kelli Panique, Picture Book Summit

“When two evergreen topics (dinosaurs and vehicles) collide with poetry, what do you get? Hilarious poetry every kiddo is sure to love!”

—Jenna Benton, Simply 7

“Every once in a while, a poetry book comes along that feels like pure kinetic energy on the page. That’s exactly the experience I had reading Dinos That Drive by Suzy Levinson, illustrated by Dustin Harbin. From the very first pages, it’s clear this is not a quiet, contemplative collection. This is a loud, lively, engine-revving celebration of dinosaurs, vehicles, and wordplay. And really, what more do you need than that?. . .What I appreciate most is how well the poems balance humor with strong poetic craft. These are not just jokes stretched into lines. Levinson clearly understands rhythm, rhyme, and pacing. Many of the poems have a musical quality that makes them perfect for reading aloud, whether in a classroom or at bedtime.”

—Kenn Nesbitt, Poetry4kids

“In my humble opinion, the poetry in this poetry collection by Suzy Levinson is totally DINO-MITE!!”

—Writers’ Rumpus

“Bravo, Suzy & Dustin! This book combines so many things I look for as an educator: engaging poetry, genre crossovers, and humor. Dinosaurs, vehicles, jokes, and fun facts? What more could a kid ask for?!”

—Sass in the Class