My son loves all things dinosaurs. When I was offered the chance to spotlight this book as well as write a review about it, I didn't hesitate at the offer.
 |
| Book Cover: How to Tame a Triceratops by Will Dare from the Series: Dino Riders - Book # 1 |
Welcome
to The Lost Plains!
A
wild west frontier where dinosaurs never went extinct.
Josh Sanders wants to be
the next great dinosaur cowboy! Ropin’ raptors and ridin’ bucking
brontosauruses just like his hero Terrordactyl Bill.
Too bad he’s stuck working
on his family’s Iguanodon ranch, riding his ancient dino, Plodder. The closest
Josh has ever been to a T-Rex is reading about them in his Dino Cowboy
Handbook.
To prove he has what it
takes, Josh is determined to win the annual Settlement Race. But he’s gonna
need one fast dino to stand a chance. With the help of his friends Sam and Abi,
Josh will need to tame a wild Triceratops!
This wildly entertaining new chapter book series for
ages 7 and up features exciting illustrations and real dino facts! A great way
to get kids reading. And don’t miss the next book in the series: How to Rope a
Giganotosaurus.
GIVEAWAY
Two bundles of the first two Dino Riders books – How to Tame Your Triceratops & How to Rope a Giganotosaurus
EXCERPT
It was 8:00 a.m., and Josh Sanders was
sitting on a dinosaur.
This wasn’t unusual. He sat on a
dinosaur almost every morning. In fact, most people in Lost Plains did. But
Josh had been in his saddle for a while now, and his butt was beginning to
ache.
“Plodder,” Josh moaned as he wriggled
in his seat. “You’re about as comfy as a cactus!”
Plodder kicked his feet and snorted
into the air. A gooey trail of dino snot splattered onto the ground.
“Ew!” Josh laughed. “And you’re
gross!” He gave the gallimimus a friendly pat on the side. “C’mon, buddy. We’ve
got iguanodons to find. We can’t sit around here all day!”
Josh made a clicking noise with his
mouth and nudged the dinosaur with the heel of his boot. Slowly, he began to
move forward. In the distance, Josh could see the huge fence that kept the
predators out. Well, most of them. No fence this side of the Lost Plains could
keep out a T. rex.
“Come on, Plod,” he urged, rocking in
the saddle. “Sometimes, I think it’d be quicker if I carried you!”
Plodder was a long-necked, reliable gallimimus,
used for herding iguanodons—but he was getting old now. Josh would do anything
for a faster dino. His hero, Terrordactyl Bill, rode around on a triceratops,
protecting the Lost Plains from fearsome dinosaurs and criminals. He was the
greatest dino rider ever. Legend had it he’d once knocked out a brontosaurus
with a single punch. Josh smiled at the thought of T-Bill in action. Now that
would be an exciting life.
Eventually, Josh spotted the group of
iguanodons he was after. They were wandering near the edge of the Sanders’
Ranch territory, right where the predators roamed. It was Josh’s job to herd
them back where they belonged. With their bulky bodies and lumbering walk,
iguanodons weren’t the fastest dinosaurs, but they sure could beat you up if
you didn’t treat them right.
“OK, Plodder,” he cried. “It’s time
for some action!”
Unclipping the rope from his belt,
Josh gave it a twirl above his head.
Ker-ack!
Josh snapped the lasso like a whip in
the air behind the iguanodons. At once, a deep roar went up from the herd, and
the beasts broke into a run.
“Now we’re talking. Let’s go!”
As Josh yanked on the reins, Plodder
hollered and set off in pursuit. Josh felt the ground shake as the heavy
iguanodon herd grunted and snorted, thundering across the plains and back
toward the ranch. As the sun rose above the Wandering Mountains in the
distance, he let out a whoop of joy.
“Woo-hoo!” he yelled, raising the rope
above his head once more. His hat flew backward, and he felt the wind whistling
through his sandy hair. Sometimes, riding Plodder wasn’t so bad after all!
He moved toward the iguanodons, gently
steering them in the right direction and dodg- ing in and out of their gigantic
legs and stinky bodies. However, as most of the iguanodons made their way back
toward their pen, Josh suddenly noticed one of the big brutes veering off from
the herd.
“Uh-oh,” he muttered. A knot of panic
tightened in his chest. This one dinosaur was running away from the others,
right in the direction of the Sanders’ farmhouse.
“Get back here, you oversize lizard!”
Josh called, but he knew words were no use. If the out-of-control dinosaur kept
going, the house would be smashed to pieces.
This called for action.
Josh squared his shoulders and
narrowed his eyes. What would
Terrordactyl Bill do? he thought.
Suddenly, he had it.
“Yah!” Josh cried, digging his boot
heels against Plodder’s ribs. The dino shot forward, and they thundered up a
slope in quick pursuit.
Dust clouds rose up from the
iguanodon’s heavy claws and clouded Josh’s vision. He pulled on the reins to
dodge from left to right.
Plodder grumbled as Josh flicked the
reins but managed an extra burst of speed. They caught up with the iguanodon
just as it crashed through a wooden fence, sending splinters flying through the
air.
“Not on my watch,” Josh growled, doing
his best T-Bill impression. He grabbed his lasso and raised it above his head.
He twisted his wrist, and the rope twirled through the air.
Josh let the lasso go. It flew through
the air and looped expertly around the iguanodon’s neck.
“Gotcha, big guy,” cried Josh, pulling
back on the guano. “Now, are you going to come quietly or—whoa!”
 |
| Book Photo: Josh Riding Plodder as They Wrangle Iguanodons |
REVIEW
How fun would it be to ride an actual dinosaur? Children will enjoy joining Josh as he spends time among these magnificent beasts. They'll like the real dinosaur facts sprinkled throughout this fictional chapter book. They'll also enjoy the silly, boy humor scattered among the pages. The book is simple enough for independent reading but is an entertaining story for parents and children to read together as well. Children and adults will enjoy the black and white illustrations that, along with the author's words, help paint vivid pictures throughout the story. Is Josh's determination strong enough to win the annual Settlement Race? Pick up your copy of How to Tame a Triceratops today to find out. You'll enjoy the adventure. You won't want to miss Book # 2 in the Dino Riders Series: How to Rope a Giganotosaurus and Book # 3 in the Dino Riders Series: How to Hog-Tie a T-Rex which will be released July 2017.
 |
| Dino Riders: How to Rope a Giganotosaurus by Will Dare Book #2 |
Book Available from the Publisher Sourcebooks
No comments:
Post a Comment