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From Horn Book

July 1, 2015
In their third outing, the Dinotrux hit the beach for a day of surf and sun. Crabs, seagulls, and sharks threaten to ruin the fun until the Dinotrux do what they do best: dig, move, lift, and dump. Together they work to build the biggest, best sandcastle. Graphite-pencil and digitally colored illustrations capture these animated beasts enjoying their seaside adventure.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

May 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 2-Although Revenge of the Dinotrux (Little, Brown, 2012) was set in the present, the third installment in the series places the truck/dinosaur combo characters back in prehistoric times with the "cave people" who populated the first book. Summer in the jungle is hot, and the Dinotrux are grumpy, so they decide to take a beach vacation. The story line is not as innovative as the earlier books, but children will love seeing their own seaside activities (fishing, surfing, building a sand castle, toasting marshmallows, etc.) carried out by the Dinotrux. Some drama occurs when little Scoopasaurus is threatened by sharks, but tough Tyrannosaurus Trux quickly saves the day. Gall's graphite pencil-drawn, digitally colored illustrations give the book a great deal of humorous appeal. The artist cleverly combines elements of dinosaurs and trucks into individually distinct creatures with specific abilities and characteristics. For example, the surfing spread shows Tyrannosaurus Trux in a confident stance, Dumploducus nervously teetering, and Garbageadon playfully doing a handstand. The illustrations provide fun details, such as the story beginning and ending on the endpapers, and the Dinotrux arriving at the beach loaded with buckets, shovels, beach balls, and a picnic basket. VERDICT Fans of the earlier books will want to accompany the Dinotrux on this beach adventure.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

March 15, 2015
The third in Gall's crashing, smashing series takes the hot and grumpy Dinotrux on a vacation to the beach. What mayhem will ensue? Anyone who has experienced the cooling relief of water in the hot summer will know exactly how these trucks feel cannonballing into the water, sinking beneath the waves, and squirting water out in a stream-the delight is plain in their headlights and grilles. And that's not all that will be familiar: among other things, Digasaurus buries himself in the sand, Dumploducus unfortunately finds a nest of crabs, the Deliveradons have forgotten their sunscreen, and incontinent Cementosaurus gets bombed by sea gulls. The second half is taken up with the Dinotrux's attempt at building a sand castle, a dismal failure until Tyrannosaurus Trux takes charge and gets everyone cooperating, each Dinotruck doing the job for which it was made (born?). In the process, the group saves tiny Scoopasaurus from a menacing threat and gives a cave couple some new digs. Gall's penciled, digitally colored illustrations are sure to draw readers in, the Dinotrucks a masterful combination of childish enthusiasm and rough, tough machines. Pair this with Molly Idle's Sea Rex for a prehistoric storytime sure to have listeners in stitches and looking for more dino fun. Readers won't want to wait to find out where the Dinotrux will go next. (Picture book. 6-8)

From Horn Book

July 1, 2012
In this [cf2]Dinotrux[cf1] sequel, the Dinotrux are sick of being confined in a museum, so they break through the wall and ravage the town--eating cars, moving houses, and drinking from swimming pools. They're ordered to attend school to "learn new ways," and reading calms the savage prehistoric truck-beasts. Boisterous crosshatched illustrations artfully depict the monters' rage, then their playful tenderness.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from May 28, 2012
The Dinotrux's boisterous second adventure takes them from prehistory into the present day. Fed up with being stuck in a museum, they escape and unleash their vengeance: Dumplodocus carries off houses, Septisaurus drinks an entire swimming pool, and Cementosaurus dumps a gushing, gray "present" in the town square. After a reprimanding from the mayor, the Dinotrux are sent to school and learn how to put their energy to better use. Gall's
dinosaur/machine mash-ups are, once again, the star of the show, commanding attention (and generating laughs) in every action-filled, rust-toned scene. Ages 3—6. Agent: George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literistic.

From School Library Journal

April 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-The monster vehicles, cleverly imagined ancestors of modern trucks and construction vehicles from Gall's Dinotrux (Little, Brown, 2009), return for another romp. The first installment left off with them being placed "into a great museum." Now, having been poked, prodded, and otherwise abused by the museum's young visitors, they have grown resentful. After another rough Kindergarten Day, Tyrannosaurus Trux loses his temper and breaks out, leading the Dinotrux to wreak havoc throughout the city. To quell further rampages and civilize the prehistoric machines, the mayor orders the miscreants to attend school. Despite some additional shenanigans, the Dinotrux are eventually tamed through the power of literacy. They discover "some books they just couldn't put down" and learn to get along with children in the mildly contrived but altogether satisfactory turn of events. Dramatic, full-page illustrations brim with the energy of these fierce machines. Humorous details abound as well-some subtle, like a display case labeled "immature male" with a small Dinotrux inside, and some more obvious, like the Cementosaurus leaving "a present in the town square." A fun follow-up, appealing to old and new fans alike.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Kirkus

February 15, 2012
The prehistoric metal monsters dug up and introduced in Dinotrux! (2009) break out--twice!--in this smashing (crashing, roaring, grinding) sequel. Exploding through the dino-museum's wall in the wake of a particularly stressful Kindergarten Day, enraged Tyrannosaurus Trux rolls off to climb a skyscraper. Meanwhile, hungry Garbageadon chows down on local traffic, a pair of Velocitractors plow up Main Street and Cementosaurus dumps a heaping "present" in the town square. Enough! declares the mayor, firmly dispatching the miscreant mega vehicles to school to learn better behavior. Further chaos threatens when they burst out again, though, taking along the children who have introduced them to the wonders of (truck) books and other reading. Towering massively atop heavy-duty tires, with wide, headlight eyes and toothy maws agape, Gall's brawny beasts make modern construction vehicles look like jumped-up SmartCars. But even the most brutish dinotrux can find a place in today's world, as the final playground scene suggests. Young fans of all things big and noisy will make trax for this dynamic dino-diversion. (Picture book. 6-8)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2010
"Millions of years ago prehistoric trucks roamed the earth." These dinotrux (Craneosaurus, Dozeratops, Garbageadon, etc.) don't get along with anyone--until a storm forces the smarter ones to evolve into their more helpful modern counterparts. Illustrations feature strong lines and bold colors; plentiful text asides invite audience participation. Gall has combined two boyhood fixations--trucks and dinosaurs--into one double-the-fun book.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

September 1, 2009
"Millions of years ago prehistoric trucks roamed the earth." These dinotrux (which included Craneosaurus, Dozeratops, Dumploducus, Garbageadon, and Tyrannosaurus Trux, among others) are the forebears -- the much nastier forebears -- of modern trucks. They did not get along with each other, much less with people -- at least not until a blinding light and big storm forced the smarter ones to migrate and evolve into their more helpful modern counterparts. In fact, the penultimate spread depicts one truck extracting the "fossilized" remains of Tyrannosaurus Trux. With a final page turn T. Trux is housed in a museum; he towers over the janitor sweeping the floor, and his headlights blink on ominously. With a clever stroke of genius, Gall has combined two boyhood fixations -- trucks and dinosaurs -- in one double-the-fun book. These subjects, along with strong lines, bold colors, and plentiful asides that invite audience participation, recall the work of Jim and Kate McMullan (particularly I Stink!, rev. 5/02, and I'm Bad!, rev. 5/08), and fans of those books should embrace this one with equal zest.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

July 1, 2009
Preschool-G Millions of years ago prehistoric trucks roamed the earth. . . . But they werent helpful like they are today. In this raucous fantasy, transformer-like vehicles with distinct dino characteristics terrorize the prehistoric world. Each spread introduces a different species, from the fierce Craneosaurus (He was always sticking his nose where it didnt belong) to the bully of the jungle, Tyrannosaurus Trux. Gall stretches his clever premise a bit thin, and kids may lose interest during the long catalogue of ferocious machines. In addition, some of the puns behind the dinotrux names may elude younger kids. But giant trucks and dinosaurs seem like a cant-lose blend of preschooler passions, and many kids will delight in the comedy, including some potty jokes, and the explosive energy in Galls scenes, a few of which open out into gatefolds. Dont be surprised if little ones come up with their own amalgamations of rampaging beasts after finishing this wildly imagined tale. Combine this with Kate McMullans I Stink! (2002) and its sequels for more stories about trucks with serious attitude.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

Starred review from June 1, 2009
PreS-Gr 2-What if the prehistoric ancestors of today's mega-utility trucks and 18-wheelers were really dinosaurs? This zany and riotous ride spoofs the evolutionary roots of contemporary trucks. Gall's posterlike spreads, rendered in strong black line and fiery, bold colors, use every square inch of space to convey the energy and witty detail of a dangerous ancient world in which part truck, part dinosaur creatures ruled. Chomping, digging, honking, and rolling, such fearsome creatures as "Craneosaurus," "Dumploducus," and "Blacktopadon" were huge, hungry, and decidedly unhelpful, scaring every caveman and cavewoman in sight. A million years later, a terrible storm doomed these crossbreed vehicles to a slow, rusty decline, sending a few hardy survivors on their way south in search of better weather and a more cooperative way of life. Modern-day descendants of the ancient "dinotrux" are on the job in many helpful waysbut a visual joke on the last page underscores that those in museum displays might not be so extinct after all. Blending the endless appeal of dinosaurs and trucks in one hilarious volume, this title will be hard to keep on the shelves."Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

Starred review from May 11, 2009
Combine dinosaurs and trucks and what do you get? In Gall's (There's Nothing to Do on Mars
) case, a passel of grateful readers, especially those of the young male variety. With comically overheated narration and typography (think History Channel meets Ripley's Believe It or Not!), fire-roasted settings and hilariously imagined creatures that suggest the offspring of R. Crumb creations and the Transformers, Gall posits that today's trucks are really the descendants of hulking truck-dinosaur hybrids that “ruled the world” and struck fear into the hearts of cave people. Among the species: the fire truck–like Firesaurus (“SO hot tempered, he snacked on raw lava!”) and Rollodon (“he NEVER watches where he's going”), who leaves a trail of flattened reptiles in his wake (to the delight of a caveman who snacks on one, declaring it “Delicious!”). While a “flash of light and a terrible storm” wiped out many of these terrifying creatures, the survivors evolved to become the handy vehicles we all know. And now, thanks to Gall, there are even more reasons to love them. Ages 3–6.