3 out of 4 stars
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Dynomike: Come at Me, Bro by Frankie B. Rabbit is a children’s picture book with an anti-bullying message. It is the third installment in the Dynomike series featuring a young dinosaur. Dynomike and his friends are fearful of a bully on the school playground. A bull named Bully Bob Horn harasses them on a regular basis and takes their money and snacks. Tired of Bully Bob’s taunts, Dynomike decides that he and his buddies should stand up to the hateful bully. Will his plan work?
I enjoyed this creatively written book with overall themes of bullying, friendship, and problem-solving. The plot focuses on ways to work together toward a common goal, sometimes in humorous ways. At one point, the main character distracts Bully Bob by dancing in a quirky way and hopping around like a bunny. Aside from being funny, it’s heartwarming that Dynomike does this so that his friends can get away.
The story is told completely in rhyme. The lines on each page are fairly short and the plot is easy for young children to understand. There are a few words that would be fairly advanced for children, such as domain, taunting, squirms, and deuce. A parent or teacher could certainly explain what the words mean. Still, I think young children build up confidence when they can easily understand the words in a picture book on their own. This is especially important when a child begins to learn to read independently.
Dynomike is a likable character who would be a good role model for children. Bully Bob is well developed as the bully. The secondary characters function in the story as a group of Dynomike’s friends rather than as individuals in their own right. With one exception (Spunky), they don’t have names and the only thing distinguishing them is their appearance as different animals. Children would be entertained by the pictures of the minor characters. However, it’s difficult to relate to each of the animals without being given names or individual roles in the plot.
The cute and colorful illustrations are a nice complement for the narrative, for the most part. I particularly liked the different ways Bully Bob was depicted as the plot moved forward. There are one or two pages where there are “anonymous” dialogue bubbles. While it can be assumed that Dynomike and his friends are talking, no characters are shown. This might be confusing to kids, as there are no sight cues and it isn’t apparent who is speaking.
This book has earned a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It is an enjoyable read with universal lessons about bullying, friendship, and working together in the face of adversity. The story is suitable for ages 3-8 and would be a welcome addition to a child’s bookshelf or teacher’s classroom library.
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Dynomike
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