Dinosaur with an Attitude Book

Hilarious, mouthy, philosophical--that's Compsognathus, the existential dinosaur with an attitude. Winner of the 1993 Austrian Children's Book Prize, this story is about a royal pain, dog-sized Compsognathus who sleeps in the room of his young owner, Zawinul. The boy tries to tame the dinosaur by putting him on a leash and, ultimately, unloading him.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-6-In this Swiss import, a friend's gift of a magical name causes one of the narrator's Easter eggs to hatch into a small, talking dinosaur. Zawinul then has to identify his new pet and figure out how to take care of it. In turn, the Compsognathus wonders what he is and how he fits into the boy's world. Questions fly quickly and consistently between them and Zawinul is kept busy looking for answers. Too impatient to stay at home, the creature accompanies the child everywhere he goes, never giving him a moment to himself. When a blue rabbit hatches out of another Easter egg and Compsognathus chases it around the house, Zawinul is at his wits' end. Ultimately, he realizes, with mixed feelings, that he must give up his special name. A great deal of dino information is cleverly incorporated into the story. Readers will enjoy the narrator's independent spirit and the persistence of his pet. Few adults are mentioned, however, and Zawinul's parents are noticeably absent. Small linoleum-print illustrations add humor to the tale.-Mary Ann Bursk, Bucks County Free Library, Levittown, PA