Common Sense Media Review
Pet dino makes subtle humor in retro world.
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Why Age 5+?
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What's the Story?
DINOSAUR BOB AND HIS ADVENTURES WITH THE FAMILY LAZARDO begins with wealthy, free-thinking sophisticates Dr. and Mrs. Lazardo, their children, and Jumbu, their bodyguard-cum-manservant, on safari in Africa. Scotty, the son, returns to camp with a great green brontosaurus, who they name Bob. After first sailing him down the Nile, they take him home with them. In what looks like Roaring Twenties Pimlico Hills, Bob is a hit: He plays a swinging trumpet and has a hot glove on the baseball field. But he gets into a little trouble when he joins some neighborhood dogs chasing cars, and the chief of police orders him returned to Africa. The normally law-abiding Lazardos spring Bob that night, however, and hide him until he can redeem himself by knocking in the winning run for the hapless Pimlico Pirates. The Pirates get their first victory ever, and Bob gets to stay.
Is It Any Good?
It's fun to go to the Lazardos' retro world where anything is possible, curiosity is rewarded, and humorous things happen. In Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, nothing throws this family off balance—not even a dinosaur. Dr. and Mrs. Lazardo are smooth to a fault (William Joyce acknowledges that they are drawn from Dashiell Hammett's Nick and Nora Charles), which will likely fly right over most kids' heads.
They're also adventurers, though, and that's where older children may find a toehold. Joyce's artwork is sophisticated as well, a very handsome and richly evocative Art Deco style, but its broad humor is immediately accessible. Dinosaur Bob is a presence, vast and green, and a real sport. But, ultimately, the book is limited by its stereotypical portrayals of women and Indian people.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the silly premise in Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo. What would it be like to have a dinosaur as a pet? What else, besides baseball, would they be good at? What unusual pet would you like to have?
What kinds of people live in Pimlico Hills with the Lazardos? Does that look like the population where you live?
What kinds of activities do you like to do with your family? Would you prefer to stay at home or go on trips with them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : William Joyce
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Children's Books
- Publication date : January 1, 1995
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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