What do you think?
Rate this book
Max Spaniel
Max Spaniel: Dinosaur Hunt
Bestselling illustrator David Catrow has written and illustrated an easy-to-read story about a hilarious hound dog!
Max Spaniel is a daffy hound dog who one day decides to go on a dinosaur dig. But what Max thinks are dinosaur parts is just a lot of junk--or is it? As Max puts his fossils together, readers will see how the random objects Max finds--including a football, a hockey stick, and an old boot--transform into a living dino!
New readers will laugh out loud as they follow the fantastical thoughts of this wacky hound. The ingenious story, by David Catrow, is easy to read with lots of visual humor.
Max Spaniel is a daffy hound dog who one day decides to go on a dinosaur dig. But what Max thinks are dinosaur parts is just a lot of junk--or is it? As Max puts his fossils together, readers will see how the random objects Max finds--including a football, a hockey stick, and an old boot--transform into a living dino!
New readers will laugh out loud as they follow the fantastical thoughts of this wacky hound. The ingenious story, by David Catrow, is easy to read with lots of visual humor.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
David Catrow
86 books74 followersDavid Catrow's favorite subject in school was math. Why? Well, Mr. Hirsch's class was where Catrow did some of his best drawings! Catrow's zany illustrations have illuminated over 30 books for kids, and his editorial cartoons are syndicated in more than 900 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Not bad for someone who started out as a pre-med major at Kent State and later worked as a paramedic for ten years. During this time Catrow also worked as a freelance artist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Akron Beacon-Journal. Art finally emerged as his definitive career, and he's never stopped since.
This amusing illustrator and his wife, Deborah, live in Ohio and have two children. When asked what would be the one thing he would like to learn to do, Catrow replied that he'd like to learn to catch a Frisbee with his teeth! It's this same offbeat sense of humor that truly colors his art. There's no doubt that Catrow's work has brought chuckles, smiles and even smirks to the young and old.
(Scholastic authors)
This amusing illustrator and his wife, Deborah, live in Ohio and have two children. When asked what would be the one thing he would like to learn to do, Catrow replied that he'd like to learn to catch a Frisbee with his teeth! It's this same offbeat sense of humor that truly colors his art. There's no doubt that Catrow's work has brought chuckles, smiles and even smirks to the young and old.
(Scholastic authors)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
November 2, 2018
It really is told just like you can imagine a dog thinking. He finds ordinary things in the yard that he imagines as dinosaur parts. It is a simple read, but unlike other easy-read books, I like it as an adult.
February 14, 2018
Max the Spaniel says he isn't a dog, he's a dinosaur hunter - with a vivid imagination.
Fabulous illustrations.
Fabulous illustrations.
February 25, 2010
Dinosaur Hunt is a cute story about a dog named Max (who doesn’t think he’s a dog!) searching for dinosaurs in his backyard. More importantly, it’s about the power of imagination, creativity, and ingenuity. My 6 year-old son who loves dinosaurs, liked seeing the dinosaur made of inanimate objects come to life. He asked me to read it to him twice.
The book is both written and illustrated by the author, whose illustrations are funny and vivid, capturing Max’s enthusiasm, determination and fun. In this day of TV and computer games, this simple story well depicts the enjoyment of imaginative play. The ending of the story is lacking, though. The last sentence doesn’t seem to fit, and I would have preferred it to end better.
This book will easily appeal to young children who are beginning to read and who love dogs, dinosaurs, and playing outdoors.
The book is both written and illustrated by the author, whose illustrations are funny and vivid, capturing Max’s enthusiasm, determination and fun. In this day of TV and computer games, this simple story well depicts the enjoyment of imaginative play. The ending of the story is lacking, though. The last sentence doesn’t seem to fit, and I would have preferred it to end better.
This book will easily appeal to young children who are beginning to read and who love dogs, dinosaurs, and playing outdoors.
May 9, 2009
This is a cute story that embraces the power of imagination. Max is an intrepid dog who declares on the first page that he is not a dog, but a great dinosaur hunter. The house and yard are his hunting grounds and, much to the cat's surprise, he does find a dinosaur.
This would be a fun book to teach prediction and imagination: have children try to figure out how Max is going to create the dinosaur before they see it.
The illustrations are fun! The are in bright colors with a lot of comic details. Max is so cute you will want him for a pet.
This would be a fun book to teach prediction and imagination: have children try to figure out how Max is going to create the dinosaur before they see it.
The illustrations are fun! The are in bright colors with a lot of comic details. Max is so cute you will want him for a pet.
July 21, 2017
I pulled this as part of our unit on dinosaurs. I read it through and wasn't overly impressed. It's creative, yes, but it didn't speak to me. And then I read it to the kids. Oh. My. Word. They LOVED it! They wanted me to read it again, which pretty much never happens. And then they wanted to sit and read it to themselves., which REALLY never happens. So while I'm still not sure what is so enthralling about building a dinosaur out of random household items, it certainly works for the target age group, so I'm giving serious kudos to the author!
May 30, 2017
I almost didn't read this book. I almost became the listener. Almost.
March 12, 2018
I really liked this book. A lot of imagination went into this and you have to have some imagination when reading this because the things the dog says isn't what the actual item is. If he says this is a head of a dinosaur, but he's holding a football, you would need to imagine that it's the head of a dinosaur. I liked the concept, but I'm not sure how well children would pick it up. They might be confused when they know what a certain item is, but the dog calls it something different. I'm not really sure since I read this to myself and not to children. It's pretty fast read though, not a lot of text. The illustrations are wonderful and really fun.
June 15, 2020
My Review: This was such a great book for young readers, about level 1 step up/leveled reader books. It is perfect for little dinosaur fans, and a great way to jump start some creativity and imaginative play. Max Spaniel is a fun character and I wish I had known about this series when Munchkin was little. The sentences were short with a lot of sight words and repetition. The print was also bold and easy to read. The illustrations were bright and colorful, so it works great for young readers to read to younger siblings and friends. It was very cute and fun, and a lot of young readers will really enjoy it.
November 18, 2019
In the Dinosaur Hunt a dog is on the hunt for a dinosaur. He searches all throughout town to find evidence of dinosaurs and once he has all his pieces, he begins to put them together. At first, others laughed at him for believing that what he found was from a dinosaur, but once all the parts are put together it comes to life! This book is a cute way to demonstrate to kids how to think outside the box, and let your imagination run wild. I imagine any kids that like dogs or dinosaurs or a good laugh will love this easy and enjoyable read.
December 5, 2019
In this story Max who doesn't consider himself to be a dog but a great hunter. He loves to hunt for dinosaurs. This book can help teach children about their senses, and different things that you would take on a trip. Max realizes in the story that he packed way too much stuff should only take what he needs, That's a valuable lesson. Lets face it most people over pack when we are going somewhere. It is easy to read and follow along with. The illustrations go along with the story well. The children will enjoy learning about the different things he finds on his adventure.
February 19, 2021
The book aims at new readers, and it hits its spot. The sentences are simple, but combined with the illustrations they are well worth the effort. The final results of the dinosaur hunt are charming, and kids will enjoy the sense of power both from knowing more than Max and from successfully completing the story.
January 12, 2024
Delightfully funny storyline starts on the first page ("I am not a dog.", though Max the spaniel obviously is a dog) and continues with Max's delusions of grandeur and hilarious mistaken identities as he gathers dinosaur bones from his yard. A garden spade is identified as a dino-toenail, a hockey stick is a jaw, the rake's "teeth" are dino-teeth, lincoln logs are ribs, and tulips are two lips!
February 16, 2018
I have always loved David Catrow’s illustrations, and I am really glad someone lent him a pen to write his own story. Max is not a dog, rather a dinosaur hunter. His dinosaur is amazing, and so is Catrow’s first complete easy reader book.
August 24, 2021
This series of books is pretty weakly written. They are fun enough, but it almost seems like they wrote the book and then removed every other sentence. Some of the sentences don't connect with previous or following thoughts that well.
June 22, 2018
Very creative. I really like this book and I'm sure kids will too.
May 16, 2019
Not a favorite of mine. The illustrations were fun and it was imaginative. The dinosaur is just a jumble at the end.
August 19, 2020
This book was adorable and fun to read to my class!
May 20, 2021
Creative and imaginative. Perfect for kids.
March 11, 2022
Max Spaniel assembles a dinosaur with things he hunts up outdoors.
For beginning readers.
For beginning readers.
Read
May 12, 2023Read this with my little nephew. He really enjoyed it
October 7, 2024
2024 Dino Days storytime
July 14, 2015
Categories/Genres: Early Reader
Estimate of Age Level of Interest: K-2
Estimate of Reading Level: 1.0, Lexile 70
Brief Description:
Max Spaniel goes on a dinosaur hunt. He finds all kinds of parts in his yard that he can use to build himself a dinosaur of his own—including a hose, a hockey stick and a football.
Two Characteristics of the Genre and How They Appear in the Book:
The most important characteristics of early readers are leveled text and appealing content. 1) Clues in the whimsical illustrations support the early reader with the simple text pattern. 2) Humor and a lovable spaniel provide appeal for young readers. (And remind me fondly of our late springer spaniel!)
How the Book Serves its Intended Audience: This book has dinosaurs and invention, both well loved by kindergarten and first grade boys and girls alike.
Awards: None
Links to Published Reviews from Professional Sources:
“Beginning readers will like the simple look of the text, with relatively few words on each double-page spread and most of them monosyllabic (with the notable but easy-to-remember exception of dinosaur). Plenty of pre-readers will enjoy the story and its comical illustrations as well.” Booklist, October 15, 2009
“With few words per page and comical, bright illustrations, this book will appeal to even the most reluctant of beginning readers. David Catrow’s funny illustrations include a chubby cat laughing hysterically at Max, and on the next page, the same cat is frantically escaping from Max’s dinosaur.” Library Media Connection, Jan/Feb 2010
Estimate of Age Level of Interest: K-2
Estimate of Reading Level: 1.0, Lexile 70
Brief Description:
Max Spaniel goes on a dinosaur hunt. He finds all kinds of parts in his yard that he can use to build himself a dinosaur of his own—including a hose, a hockey stick and a football.
Two Characteristics of the Genre and How They Appear in the Book:
The most important characteristics of early readers are leveled text and appealing content. 1) Clues in the whimsical illustrations support the early reader with the simple text pattern. 2) Humor and a lovable spaniel provide appeal for young readers. (And remind me fondly of our late springer spaniel!)
How the Book Serves its Intended Audience: This book has dinosaurs and invention, both well loved by kindergarten and first grade boys and girls alike.
Awards: None
Links to Published Reviews from Professional Sources:
“Beginning readers will like the simple look of the text, with relatively few words on each double-page spread and most of them monosyllabic (with the notable but easy-to-remember exception of dinosaur). Plenty of pre-readers will enjoy the story and its comical illustrations as well.” Booklist, October 15, 2009
“With few words per page and comical, bright illustrations, this book will appeal to even the most reluctant of beginning readers. David Catrow’s funny illustrations include a chubby cat laughing hysterically at Max, and on the next page, the same cat is frantically escaping from Max’s dinosaur.” Library Media Connection, Jan/Feb 2010
October 6, 2020
~ borrowed from the Library
MAX SPANIEL: DINOSAUR HUNT is a very funny and fun book at the Kindergarten reading level (end of Kindergarten).
What's amazing about DINOSAUR HUNT is that with just 160 words it manages to tell a great story. And you'll know that from the first page when Max declares: "My name is Max. I am not a dog."
Well, of course Max is a dog. But he's also a great hunter and in this case he's hunting dinosaurs! The story is about his search and his imagination, because Max sees dinosaur bones in every day things. A hockey stick is a jaw bone, for example.
The artwork in this book is colorful and runs from page edge to page edge. Max and the other animals are expressive and appealing. Honestly I'm going back to the library right away to check out more books by this author.
Because Max says that he is going to hunt with his ears, eyes, and nose you can tuck in a lesson about the Senses when sharing this book with younger readers. And because Max initially decides to take way too many items with him as he sets off, then changes his mind, you can use this book to try to get your child to not take everything and the kitchen sink with him/her when the two of you set off on an adventure.
This is just a kid-friendly, boy-pleasing practice reader.
**Teachers should note that there is an Accelerated Reader test available for this book.
MAX SPANIEL: DINOSAUR HUNT is a very funny and fun book at the Kindergarten reading level (end of Kindergarten).
What's amazing about DINOSAUR HUNT is that with just 160 words it manages to tell a great story. And you'll know that from the first page when Max declares: "My name is Max. I am not a dog."
Well, of course Max is a dog. But he's also a great hunter and in this case he's hunting dinosaurs! The story is about his search and his imagination, because Max sees dinosaur bones in every day things. A hockey stick is a jaw bone, for example.
The artwork in this book is colorful and runs from page edge to page edge. Max and the other animals are expressive and appealing. Honestly I'm going back to the library right away to check out more books by this author.
Because Max says that he is going to hunt with his ears, eyes, and nose you can tuck in a lesson about the Senses when sharing this book with younger readers. And because Max initially decides to take way too many items with him as he sets off, then changes his mind, you can use this book to try to get your child to not take everything and the kitchen sink with him/her when the two of you set off on an adventure.
This is just a kid-friendly, boy-pleasing practice reader.
**Teachers should note that there is an Accelerated Reader test available for this book.
September 18, 2012
Tags:
Paperback, Scholastic, Modern Fantasy, Fantasy, Picture Book
Summary:
Dinosaur Hunt tells the story of a dog, who believes that he, is not actually a dog, but that he is a great hunter. Max, the dog, hunts dinosaurs. The illustrations in Dinosaur Hunt tell a story within themselves, they show the parts of the dinosaur that Max finds and how he manages to put them together to create a dinosaur.
Response:
“Part by party,
Step by step
The dinosaur comes alive.”
I chose this excerpt from Dinosaur Hunt because it was very imaginative and I could picture all the parts that Max used to build the dinosaur moving and coming to live.
Classroom Connections:
You could link this book to the classroom in many different ways. I think a major way this could be linked to the classroom would be to do it with art to use the cross curriculum technique. The teacher could have the students use random objects around the room that the students could find, that they think resembles a dinosaur part, and build their own dinosaurs.
Text Complexity:
Lexile: 70L
Guided Reading: I
Grade Level Equivalent: 2
Paperback, Scholastic, Modern Fantasy, Fantasy, Picture Book
Summary:
Dinosaur Hunt tells the story of a dog, who believes that he, is not actually a dog, but that he is a great hunter. Max, the dog, hunts dinosaurs. The illustrations in Dinosaur Hunt tell a story within themselves, they show the parts of the dinosaur that Max finds and how he manages to put them together to create a dinosaur.
Response:
“Part by party,
Step by step
The dinosaur comes alive.”
I chose this excerpt from Dinosaur Hunt because it was very imaginative and I could picture all the parts that Max used to build the dinosaur moving and coming to live.
Classroom Connections:
You could link this book to the classroom in many different ways. I think a major way this could be linked to the classroom would be to do it with art to use the cross curriculum technique. The teacher could have the students use random objects around the room that the students could find, that they think resembles a dinosaur part, and build their own dinosaurs.
Text Complexity:
Lexile: 70L
Guided Reading: I
Grade Level Equivalent: 2
October 24, 2012
Summary
Max is a dog that considers himself a hunter that hunts dinosaurs! Max finds items around the yard and wears them to look like a dinosaur! Max after finding the dinosaur parts will act like one and do things that dinosaurs would do. The pictures in the book compliment the text very nicely and even add to the story. They are in very cute detail and really did say a lot!
Response
I really enjoyed this book, I really really love dinosaurs and this book is a really cute way to write a story about them with a dog. I also liked that Max put on objects that portrayed a dinosaur very well. I also liked the wording of the book and of course the pictures to go along with it.
Classroom Connection
The students can do research on different dinosaurs and what each one looked like and if they were an herbivore or carnivore. The students can also talk about their favorite animals or reptiles and dress up as them.
Text Complexion
Lexile: 70L
Guided Reading: I
Grade Level Equivalent: 2
Max is a dog that considers himself a hunter that hunts dinosaurs! Max finds items around the yard and wears them to look like a dinosaur! Max after finding the dinosaur parts will act like one and do things that dinosaurs would do. The pictures in the book compliment the text very nicely and even add to the story. They are in very cute detail and really did say a lot!
Response
I really enjoyed this book, I really really love dinosaurs and this book is a really cute way to write a story about them with a dog. I also liked that Max put on objects that portrayed a dinosaur very well. I also liked the wording of the book and of course the pictures to go along with it.
Classroom Connection
The students can do research on different dinosaurs and what each one looked like and if they were an herbivore or carnivore. The students can also talk about their favorite animals or reptiles and dress up as them.
Text Complexion
Lexile: 70L
Guided Reading: I
Grade Level Equivalent: 2
January 5, 2011
I'm a little behind on reading my TX 2X2s ... but now I see why this one was added. I've loved David Catrow's illustrations since That's Good! That's Bad! and now here's another one to add to the ones I've enjoyed since that title.
PS My favorite part (even more than the dinosaur at the end, which was just priceless) was when Max was packing for his trip. I know that feeling. Looking around surrounded by STUFF ... and knowing you don't really need all of it.
I will be suggesting this book more often now. A few kids have already discovered it. Now to share it with more students who need/love easy readers!
PS My favorite part (even more than the dinosaur at the end, which was just priceless) was when Max was packing for his trip. I know that feeling. Looking around surrounded by STUFF ... and knowing you don't really need all of it.
I will be suggesting this book more often now. A few kids have already discovered it. Now to share it with more students who need/love easy readers!
June 10, 2012
This is the first book in the Max Spaniel series by David Catrow, but the third one we've read. The funny little dog becomes an intrepid dinosaur hunter in his backyard and the results are quite humorous.
The illustrations are riotous, as we've come to expect from David Catrow and the narrative is simple and fun. We enjoyed reading this story together.
The illustrations are riotous, as we've come to expect from David Catrow and the narrative is simple and fun. We enjoyed reading this story together.
July 1, 2012
Don't let his looks fool you -- Max Spaniel is not a dog. He is a great hunter. And his imagination is as great as his playfulness. Remember when you played outdoors in the summer, and the garden hose was a snake, and the climbing bars were a bridge over hot lava? That's how Max hunts -- with inventiveness and joy. Take your time with this book and flip the pages back and forth, and let your child explain to you what Max found, and how he fits each piece into a "dinosaur skeleton." Great fun for ages 3-8.
March 24, 2015
A great early reader! Who wouldn't love David Catrow's goofy pictures and his quirky story about the spaniel. It's good for beginners, only a few words per page, but it holds a high interest level, and even I loved poring over the funny illustrations, so more advanced readers probably won't mind this one either. We're so happy there are more books in the series, we'll definitely be checking them all out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews