Not much to sink one’s teeth into but toddler dino lovers won’t mind.
It’s a hunt to find the T. rex among the other prehistoric reptiles in this book, which combines descriptive clues, peekaboo cutouts, and felt flaps.
As readers search for the fearsome theropod, this colorful board book also introduces a pterodactyl, a diplodocus, a triceratops, and a stegosaurus. Readers lift flaps and take hints until at last they discover their quarry beneath a yellow, egg-shaped piece of felt. The felt flaps are well suited to eager little hands; while a determined-enough toddler may be able to tear a flap from the book as, say, a T. rex tears into its prey, they are certainly sturdier than paper flaps. Each cutout incorporates glimpses of the felt flap on the next page. A flash of pale-green felt viewed through a tail-shaped die cut accompanies the question “Could this be T-rex in the trees?” A page turn reveals the full, bush-shaped flap, behind which sits a smiling triceratops. Each dinosaur’s full image appears with its name and a phonetic spelling—with, oddly, the exception of “Tyrannosaurus rex.” Willmore’s illustrations are bright and inviting with pops of lime green, deep orange, fuchsia, and turquoise. Though the T. rex features described may be fanciful rather than scientific (“spiky back,” “scaly head”) in this playful context, it seems fair game. Companion title Let’s Find the Mermaid follows the same format, though the clues are clearer, making for more successful guesses.
Not much to sink one’s teeth into but toddler dino lovers won’t mind. (Board book. 1-3)Pub Date: March 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68010-599-5
Page Count: 12
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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