The Planet of the Dinosaurs

Crude, cartoonish illustrations do little to enhance this limp tale of a trio of astronauts who rescue a planet of beleaguered dinosaurs from a tyrannosaurus witch. The highly credentialed Carr, a first-grade teacher involved in early childhood education programs in North Carolina, has the purest of motives (a brief afterword explains the concept of ``whole language'' and shares tips on reading to children), but stumbles in the execution. The text is plodding and stilted, the plot silly. The high point of the story is the final line: ``Could a dinosaur come visit you?''--a question sure to spark a lively debate amongst the picture book set. Ages 4-8. (Nov.)