CHILDREN’S THEATER REVIEW : Max’s Colorful ‘Kid Dinosaur’ Has a Black-and-White View : The in-your-face musical--part of GroveShakespeare’s family series--with an environmental theme is a visual delight.

Recognizing that subtlety is not a big thing with kids (“Mommy! That man is sooo fat!”), the folks at L.A.’s Max’s Playhouse have given us “Kid Dinosaur,” an in-your-face children’s musical that wields its twin messages of environmentalism and self-esteem with the restraint of a toddler with a loaded paintbrush.

“Kid Dinosaur,” the second in the GroveShakespeare Family Theatre Series, continues Saturday mornings through Nov. 7 at the Gem Theatre.

It was written and designed by Jim Houle and seems to take its cue from the better Saturday morning cartoons: The message is stated simply and repeatedly, the music is punchy and the pacing ranges from fast to frenetic. Based on the response of last Saturday’s audience, it’s an approach that sits well with preschoolers through early grade-schoolers, though it may wear on adults and on older children looking for more content.

Here’s the deal: Having left her home in the pristine but shrinking Raincloud Forest, Kid Dinosaur (Dina Eiger) seeks new digs in the neighboring Dinosaur Kingdom. Unfortunately, the place has been trashed, literally, by its thoughtless residents, who have carpeted it with thousands of empty Fossil Pop cans.

Influenced by her shifty counselor Tyrell (Terry Ray), the kingdom’s spineless Queen Tyranna (Jennifer Echols) hasn’t lifted a claw to clean up the mess. In fact, as the “genius” behind the Fossil Pop phenomena, Tyrell would like Tyranna to expand his operation and use Raincloud Forest as the kingdom’s dump.

The Kid is dismayed, but c’mon--in the face of such a disaster what can one kid do? The message here: Plenty. Disguising herself as the evil Stupendousaurus (whose rainbow-colored cleaning-tools mask is a hoot), the Kid sets out first to scare the others into action, and then, with the help of visiting human Max (R.J. Wagner), ultimately goes face to face with the offenders.

As colorful as they are, Houle’s characters tend to look at things in black and white. Tyrell thinks it’s fine to nuke nature if there’s a profit to be made, and the queen is too bummed about her kidnaped daughter to care one way or another. Clearly, we’re told, it takes a kid to straighten things out, which, of course, she does handily.

Again, nuance is not this show’s strong suit.

But whatever its shortcomings, “Kid Dinosaur” is a visual kick in the pants. Its three dinosaurs are outfitted in high comic book chic: massive padded tails, monstrous clawed tootsies, spandex wings. And the cast, especially Ray, races through the hourlong show with energy to spare, prompting plenty of giggles with broad comic gestures and general looniness.

‘Kid Dinosaur’

A Max’s Playhouse production, presented as part of the GroveShakespeare Family Theatre Series. Written and designed by Jim Houle. Directed by Randy Haege. With Terry Ray, Jennifer Echols, Dina Eiger and R.J. Wagner. Saturdays at 11 a.m. through Nov. 7 at the Gem Theatre, 12852 Main St., Garden Grove. Running time: 1 hour. Tickets: $6. (714) 636-7213, Ext. 201.