This high-energy picture book written by Lois G. Grambling and illustrated by Judy Love, is engaging! The narrator, a young boy, arrives at school one morning while holding hands with a giant Pterodactyl. On the first page, he asks "Can I bring my Pterodactyl to school, Ms. Johnson? Can I? Please?" This phrase is repeated every couple of pages after the boy describes a scenario in which an everyday problem could be solved and life much improved if only his Pterodactyl were there with him. The first scenario describes a bully, Butch McGurgle (funny name!), threatening to beat him up if he doesn't give him dessert at lunchtime. The illustrations are absolutely great; the Pterodactyl's facial expressions show emotion that fits each situation. One of my favorite illustrations is one with Butch hanging from the Pterodactyl's beak high above the playground as children shade their eyes and look upward. My favorite scenario is when the narrator tries to persuade Ms. Johnson to allow the visit from the Pterodactyl because he'd flap his wings and act like a giant fan to combat the smell of the hot and stinky classroom before summer break. The author uses onomatopoeia with words like "kerplunk," which makes the story fun. I especially appreciate the circular nature of the story, from the first page request for the teacher to allow a Pterodactyl visit, to the last page in which the narrator asks "Can I bring my Woolly Mammoth to school, Ms. Johnson? Can I? PLEASE!?" Students will laugh and talk about what adventures might follow if a Woolly Mammoth were at school. I think most kids from kindergarten through fourth grade would appreciate this modern fantasy picture book. "Dinosaur fans will enjoy the wild scenarios that give the kid wings, power, and fun." (Booklist)

“Can I Bring My Pterodactyl to School, Ms. Johnson?” is a book written as a persuasive piece by a young boy wanting to convince his teacher to allow him to bring his pterodactyl to school. The young boy provides specific examples and scenarios of when the pterodactyl would be beneficial to have in the classroom. The boy asks if he could do this because he is under the impression that he has won a pterodactyl from a writing contest he entered; the letter said he would win a prehistoric animal. At the end of the passage, the young man says “Hey! Wait a sec… I read the letter wrong. I didn’t win second prize. I won FIRST!”; the little boy realizes he made a mistake in his reading of the letter, but not that it is because he won’t really receive a pterodactyl, but the he thinks he wo something bigger. This contributes to the big idea of the story- be careful when you read or you might not understand exactly what is being said. I personally enjoyed this book. I found it to be entertaining, well written, and accompanied by supportive illustration. In his efforts to persuade his teacher, the young boy in the book creates rather imaginative scenarios. These imaginative scenarios keep readers entertained and attentive to the text. An example of this creativity is “If I brought my Pterodactyl to school and our class won the state spelling championship this spring, which we could, maybe, we wouldn’t have to drive in the school bus all the way to Washington D.C., for the finals. ‘Cause my Pterodactyl could fly us there. (My Pterodactyl would make a terrific FIRST-EVER FLYING school bus!)” In addition to this imaginative plot is supportive illustrations. Throughout the book, the author includes illustrations that accurately depict the thought and actions conveyed in the reading. The accompanying illustration to the above excerpt is a large pterodactyl soaring above Washington D.C. with a back full of children, amazed and happy, about their experience. Lastly, the book is written in a repetitive, structured style. Following each scenario is the line “’Can I bring my Pterodactyl to school, Ms. Johnson? Can I? PLEASE?’” This reoccurring line would be ideal during a read aloud; students would become accustomed to the line and therefore would be able to participate in the read aloud by reading this line aloud as a class when it appeared. The repetitive structure also makes the book ideal for discussion because it is easier for students to follow along with and recall events from. Due to its simple plot and somewhat advanced vocabulary (pterodactyl, vacation, furnace, etc.) I would say this book is best fit for second or third graders. ( )