HOW TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR DINOSAUR

A how-to guide on caring for a pet dinosaur.

An unnamed child who already has a dog receives a dinosaur egg in the mail. Along with reading the instructions, which make up the whole of the second-person text, readers witness the fun that comes with a pet baby dinosaur. They meet the adorable, green dinosaur when it hatches. First things first, readers learn, you have to feed your dinosaur—maybe eggs, bananas, cereal, and bread. Next, it’s time for a walk in the park. The baby theropod is depicted leaving a huge pile of poop in the grass, a total laugh-out-loud moment for any young reader (and a bummer moment for the dino’s child caregiver, who is ready with shovel and wheelbarrow). After a splash in the park’s fountain with his friends close by and a lesson in sharing, it’s time for lunch and the most adorable picture in the book, when the dinosaur takes a nap on top of his young human caregiver. After a long day in the park, it’s time to head home and get ready for bed, which gives readers a posterlike closing image of child, dog, and dino. A natural for fans of Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees’ Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner (2015), this outing is notable for its capable black protagonist.

With a little time, love, and patience, even a huge, green reptile can make a great pet.