This is one of four Dino Detectives books for young readers.

“Dot [the Diplodocus]  is excited. It is her last day of swim lessons. She thinks she finally passed level one.” And the clues begin: mom baking, dad talking about balloons, brother mowing the lawn, and none of her friends are home. Dot writes down the clues before going to swim lessons. When Dot gets back there is no one around with which to share her big news. Then she spots and follows a trail of popcorn out to the back yard where a surprise party awaits for her swimming success.

Steve Harpster’s illustrations are cute, if not hilarious. Imagine a giant lavender diplodocus riding a small pink child’s bicycle. Or a diplodocus searching through her house for her family, where the house looks like a maze from an aerial view.