Archibald and the Furry Dinosaurs

For this entertaining picture book, married collaborators the Langs (Grumpy Monkey) dream up a thoroughly goofy prehistoric world populated by dinosaurs that sport luxurious hair and fur: “Fluffy, curly, bearded, dreadlocked, and shaggy.” As the terrifically tressed terrible lizards spend their days “shampooing, combing, picking, brushing, and preening,” they also offer somewhat patronizing consolation to Archibald—a googly-eyed dino who is “as bald as a boulder.” Wondering what happened to the fluff he sported as a hatchling, Archibald embarks on a quest to find it. Digital illustrations, resembling watercolor and ink sketches, deftly move the endearing protagonist through scenes that range from touching to mildly menacing as Archibald discovers that what he lacks in hair he has in bravery and more. And when Archibald finally encounters his dust-mop-like ’do, he finds that it’s both sentient and self-actualizing, and a font of follicular wisdom, to boot. Archibald’s newfound confidence inspires the other dinosaurs to shed their locks, too, and the rest is history—and a not-so-bald-faced lesson in getting comfortable in one’s scales. Ages 4–8. (Sept.)