Marlo and the Dinosaurs

In his second adventure, Marlo—a liver-colored dog based on Browne’s own pit bull—wakes from a nap (curled up with a toy dinosaur) to find a pterodactyl with a pink crest in his family’s living room. The adventurous Marlo follows the visitor into a prehistoric landscape filled with other cartoonlike dinosaurs. Wearing a shirt, carrying a red backpack, and walking on two legs, Marlo calmly takes in the sights. In predominantly wordless spreads, Browne depicts jewel-toned dinosaurs of different sizes and species as they lumber along, lift their long necks to munch leaves, and flee a T-rex. Finally, Marlo forges an escape by building a wooden rocket ship, returning home just as his owner announces that it’s time for a walk. Browne creates an enjoyable sense of commotion in his jungle scenes without making them overly cluttered. Marlo’s escapades may leave readers fantasizing about what their own pets might get up to when no one is looking. Ages 4–8. Agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Mar.)