Dinosaurs are for babies,” says 10-year-old Charlie to his little brother, Lucas. Neither of the brothers wants to move away from their house in the city, but five-year-old Lucas is excited about the prospect of seeing dinosaurs near their new home in Drumheller, Alberta.

Dinosaurs in the Attic, by Edmonton area author Colleen Heffernan, succeeds because of its crafted language, realistic dialogue, and well-developed characters. Lucas has a wild imagination and behaves in the typically silly manner of a young child by, for example, hiding dinosaur fruit snacks in his armpit. Minor characters like Madge, a.k.a. “the purple lady,” are described evocatively, but within the constraints of the simple language and short sentences imposed by first-reader stories. A pronunciation guide to the names of dinosaurs like “Diplodocus” and “Ankylosaurus” would have been helpful for new readers.

The cover art and inside line illustrations by Dan Clark are serviceable, but unrefined. The line art often fails to embellish the text and seems like an afterthought. In addition, the design of the cover isn’t particularly compelling. The title and author/illustrator names are boldly set in yellow and red type, but the overall look is more like a textbook than a friendly chapter book.

In spite of an unexceptional look and standard plot, this compact book stands out on the strength of Heffernan’s perceptive writing. Her first-person narrative captures the earnest spirit of a young dinosaur enthusiast beautifully.