Despite the title, not a fact-based book but rather one catering to toddlers whose favorite T-shirts sport cheery, cartoon...
A board-book version of a hide-and-seek game is set in a fantasy world where dinosaurs live among us.
The first page answers the title's question with a vague assertion: “Some say they vanished long ago.” But Benton is willing to ignore the facts in favor of a playful “what if” scenario. Subsequent double-page spreads offer an invitation to find the dinosaurs hiding in the book as well as some clues to guide youngsters in the search. The next three spreads include dinosaurs hiding in plain view, wearing Western gear, walking through a city, driving cars, and playing ball. Confusingly, there are no dinosaurs in the penultimate spread, which follows the assurance that “dinosaurs won't bother you”—but the final image demonstrates that they might show up to eat your ice cream. That's probably OK, since these grinning, toothy creatures depicted in bright neon colors bear little resemblance to any ancient dinosaur.
Despite the title, not a fact-based book but rather one catering to toddlers whose favorite T-shirts sport cheery, cartoon dinos . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: May 31, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-545-64789-2
Page Count: 18
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Despite some glitches in the scansion and lack of originality, this outing goes down pretty easily.
This familiar dinosaur series takes a look at a favorite treat.
From the trip to the grocery store through consumption, these cookies present a satisfying crunch. There's male and female supervision (of both baking and the dinos themselves); one lady works in the kitchen in dress and pearls. Yolen's now-familiar rhythm loses some of its lightness in occasionally forced rhymes. “Does a dinosaur grab for a cookie that's hot? / No, that's something that he does decidedly NOT!” Scratch-and-sniff elements add sweet smells. For budding pastry chefs old enough to mix the ingredients, the addition of two recipes may provide inspiration (“Ask an adult to help you bake”). In the spirit of the series, there is a heavy focus on manners (and sweets in moderation) as the dinos devour their goodies; they drink milk daintily and hold the bag of chocolate chips in the supermarket instead of ripping it open.
Despite some glitches in the scansion and lack of originality, this outing goes down pretty easily. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-38253-3
Page Count: 14
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: June 12, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This will have readers putting on their dancing shoes to do the “cha cha cha” with their dino-babies
It's not the first time dinosaurs have been featured in a clever Boynton board book. It seems she—and we—can't get enough.
As her fans know, Boynton has a sly wit that respects the intelligence of her young fans and amuses the adults asked to “read it again.” In this book she introduces nine dinosaurs, each of which dances in a way that seems totally appropriate for that particular species. “The blue Stegosaurus goes SHIMMY SHIMMY SHAKE. / The red Brontosaurus goes QUIVERY QUAKE.” Drawing on her experience as a children’s musician, she writes a text that trips along like a song with rhymes that make sense but don't intrude. The illustrations, typical Boynton, reflect her greeting-card background. They are cartoonish but manage to capture the unique personality of each creature. The unnamed dinosaur narrator looks genuinely distraught at not being able to name the “tiny little dino” that “goes DEEDLY DEE.” Spoiler alert: the tiny little dinosaur is probably Compsognathus and would be about the size of a small chicken. Young dinophiles would be impressed if the dinosaurologists in their lives could supply that factoid, but alas, they will have to look it up.
This will have readers putting on their dancing shoes to do the “cha cha cha” with their dino-babies . (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-8099-4
Page Count: 16
Publisher: Little Simon/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2017
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BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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