The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek

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Summary: Why do the best ones go out of print???
Review: By Christie Schultz I'm currently looking for titles by an author that I remember with fondness from my own childhood. I am a teacher, and have been trying to find them for my students, and my own son. E.S. Lampman wrote not only about Native Americans, but about fantasy worlds which put science fiction effectively into the hands of young people. The first two are the "Shy Stegosaurus" books. I found one of them listed and it is "hard to find"; the first is "The Shy Stegosaurus of Indian Springs". It's about a stegosaurus which not unreasonably has a weird liking for bananas (the more ripe, the better), and at some point it is labled as an Indian spirit by the local Native American Shaman. You're right, it's a great story! The second book is "The Shy Stegosaurous of Cricket Creek", the story line of which I forget other than a brother and sister find the last living dinosaur, and it can talk to them. The children are out riding horses in the canyon, and suddenly they see the rock face move...the dinosaur has to live near a mineral spring to survive.... Lampman effectively uses biological concepts like natural camoflage of animals as plot devices, makes reasonable guesses about their dietary needs, and as well she shows an effective grasp of Native American cultural issues. One of her later sci-fi books, "Rusty's Spaceship", was pure fantasy with the weird visits to various planets in the solar system, but it is such a ripping good story that questionable science facts become immaterial! (Jules Verne wasn't accurate either, but he's still in print!). In fact, reading it as an adult, I see it for what it is, the book is a child's dream of what might really be on Jupiter (creatures made of gas bags) or on Mars (armies of flying ants) or how it might be to take your homemade spaceship into space. Another title by this author is "City Under the Back Steps", and it's a precursor to "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and a semi-steal from L.F Baum's "Policeman Bluejay" (another rarity from 1910 or so). Storyline: two children are bitten by the Queen ant and shrink down to ant size....and learn a good deal about the life of a hive of ants.Lampman had a very pithy sense of humor I thought at the time, and I enjoyed these books, and others by her, very much as a child. I wish they were around for youngsters today.

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Summary: Joan & Joey first meet George while hunting for a fossil
Review: George is strong, loyal and shy. He's also a Stegosaurus dinosaur. When Joan and Joey Brown first meet George while hunting around in the dessert for a fossil, they meet George and life is never the same again! George tries his best to help the twins make money to finance their mother's dry little ranch on Cricket Creek. Their adventures include George taking on an airplane (he thinks it is a Pteranodon), and going after a bank robber! With black-and-white illustrations by Hubert Buel, Evelyn Lampman's The Shy Stegosaurus Of Cricket Creek is wonderful reading, and ideal for young readers ages 8 to 12. Also highly recommended are Lampman's other children's books, The Shy Stegosaurus Of Indian Springs; The City Under The Back Steps; and Rusty's Space Ship.

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Summary: endearing fun story of children who help a friendly dinosaur
Review: I found this book in the old Electchester branch of the Queensborough Public Libary in NYC, back when I was a child. It had enormous charm, and sense of place and character, and probably was one of the things that spurred my later interest in science fiction and paleontology. I've thought about it often in the years since (there was a style that was also reminiscent of the best of Robert Lawson's books like Ben and Me).

Rating:
Summary: How a shy stegosaurus enriched my life
Review: I found this book in the old Electchester branch of the Queensborough Public Libary in NYC, back when I was a child. It had enormous charm, and sense of place and character, and probably was one of the things that spurred my later interest in science fiction and paleontology. I've thought about it often in the years since (there was a style that was also reminiscent of the best of Robert Lawson's books like Ben and Me).

Rating:
Summary: endearing fun story of children who help a friendly dinosaur
Review: I have owned this book since 1955. It has been a favorite of my sister and myself, our children as well as grandchildren. I don't know why Disney hasn't made it into a film. Evelyn Lampman did a wonderful job with the story as did Hubert Buel in illustrations.

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Summary: i agree - should be back in print
Review: I read this book back in my childhood. Enjoyed it so much I wrote the author. I still have the letter I received in return. Imaginative and mind stumulating reading for children.

Rating:
Summary: i agree - should be back in print
Review: I read this book back in my childhood. Enjoyed it so much I wrote the author. I still have the letter I received in return. Imaginative and mind stumulating reading for children.

Rating:
Summary: Shy Steosaurus of Cricket Creek
Review: I read this book years ago, about 1964. It has been an all-time favorite. Beautifully written. Anyone who reads this book is going to love George the Stegosaurus and his two friends, Joey and Joan, the children who found him. This is a wonderful book to read to your older children, age 10 more or less. I suggest we all read this book again for old-times sake!! Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: Back in print at last!
Review: I understand THE SHY STEGOSAURUS OF CRICKET CREEK will be back in a new edition no later than June 2001 -- a facsimile of the 50s hard cover, complete with reproduced dust jacket. This deserves to be read again; it is among the classic juvenile fantasies of the 50s, along with the Seuss books, and two others: THE ENORMOUS EGG, and DAVID AND THE PHOENIX. All are equally classic juvenile fiction, and fondly remembered, along with Otis Spofford and the gang, by people of baby boomer age - like me. Lampman wrote at least one sequel, by the way -- THE SHY STEGOSAURUS OF INDIAN SPRINGS.

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Summary: SHY STEGOSAURUS is coming back!
Review: I understand THE SHY STEGOSAURUS OF CRICKET CREEK will be back in a new edition no later than June 2001 -- a facsimile of the 50s hard cover, complete with reproduced dust jacket. This deserves to be read again; it is among the classic juvenile fantasies of the 50s, along with the Seuss books, and two others: THE ENORMOUS EGG, and DAVID AND THE PHOENIX. All are equally classic juvenile fiction, and fondly remembered, along with Otis Spofford and the gang, by people of baby boomer age - like me. Lampman wrote at least one sequel, by the way -- THE SHY STEGOSAURUS OF INDIAN SPRINGS.