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MEET DIZZY DINOSAUR!

Tailor-made for ticklers and ticklees alike.

From authorial pseudonym on, an invitation to interact with a jolly red dinosaur.

Resembling a stegosaurus in the bright, very simple cartoon pictures, Dizzy comes with a big, round tummy just right for tickling. But don’t overdo it, or he’ll fall into the pond! Oh well, too late….“Let’s shake the book up and down. That will dry him off.” Further interactive opportunities include shouting “BOO!” to cure hiccups, turning the book lengthwise to help the dismayed dino down from a tree, and for a sweet if not exactly sanitary close, giving him a kiss on his bandaged nose (“Awww!”) before waving bye-bye. Like Christie Matheson’s Tap the Magic Tree (2013), Salina Yoon’s Tap To Play (2014) and most other faux tablet print diversions, this doesn’t reach the level of inventiveness in Hervé Tullet’s Press Here (2011), not to mention the zillions of apps it mimics, but even tottery toddlers will be up to the simple actions that “Tickle”—a joint pseudonym for illustrators Jane Chapman and Tim Warnes—urges.

Tailor-made for ticklers and ticklees alike. (Picture book. 1-3)

Pub Date: March 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-58925-175-5

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Tiger Tales

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014

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PEEKABOO REX!

From the Boynton on Board series

Peek, and you’ll find a rollicking romp here.

The favorite game of toddlers gets a dino twist.

A large dinosaur tries to outsmart a smaller companion when the duo play peekaboo together. The big dino naïvely believes they won’t be noticed behind or under sundry hiding places, but the little pal always finds their playmate. Young listeners will giggle as the large dino attempts to outwit the little one, but in vain; in every instance, the diminutive, overalls-clad dino calls out a triumphant “Peekaboo!” How come? Is it because thin tree trunks and a potted plant can’t conceal the large dino’s frame? Do the big dino’s bold, flower-print shirts stick out a mile? Even when the large dinosaur attempts an aerial hiding place, they discover that ruse doesn’t, ahem, fly, nor does hiding in a crowd wearing a Where’s Waldo?–esque red-striped cap and T-shirt do any good. In a display of good sportsmanship, the big dino concedes at the end the game was fun. The youngest audiences, all of whom will have likely engaged in marathon peekaboo sessions themselves, will undoubtedly scramble to play again. Besides stimulating playtime, this adorable board book, expressed in lilting rhymes, boosts vocabulary development through the use of some common prepositions (behind, in) and adverbs (here, there, everywhere). The illustrations are sweetly engaging; the round cutout on the front cover invites youngsters to play peekaboo games with adult partners and others. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Peek, and you’ll find a rollicking romp here. (Board book. 1-3)

Pub Date: Jan. 3, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-66592-840-3

Page Count: 24

Publisher: Boynton Bookworks

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2022

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2022

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HOW DO DINOSAURS EAT COOKIES?

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

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