How To Raise A Dinosaur by Natasha Wing and Pablo Bernasconi
| How To Raise A Dinosaur by Natasha Wing and Pablo Bernasconi | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A bright, energetic and light-hearted dinosaur romp. The illustrations are particularly smart, but the flaps to lift leave a little to be desired. Worth a look. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 24 | Date: [[:Category:September 2010link title|September 2010link title]] |
| Publisher: Running Press | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0762433421 | |
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[[Category:September 2010link title]]
Every young dino fan needs guidance, should they choose to have a dinosaur as a pet. Taking in such vital advice as the best chew toys (cars, usually) and the best way to administer a tummy rub, How To Raise A Dinosaur is a a light-hearted and silly look at the perils one would face if dinosaurs were around today.
I really enjoyed How To Raise A Dinosaur. It offers something different to the heavily factual books that most dinosaur devotees devour, but it's a welcome change. It embraces the ludicrous and is lots of fun in the process. There's nothing remotely serious about it, just plenty of laughs and lots of sparking of the imagination. The text is punchy, engaging and never dry. The vocabulary is perfectly pitched at its young audience - it would be suitable either for sharing with the very youngest book fans, or for reluctant readers to explore for themselves.
Pablo Bernasconi's illustrations have a zesty and modern cartoony style, which brings the core idea to life. The dinosaurs aren't that true to life - very few are of recognisable species - but that doesn't matter a jot. It's all about the light-hearted fun and there's plenty of that. Every page is a delight to look at. There are plenty of flaps to lift, and the odd dinosaur bite out of the edge of some pages. Whilst flaps always go down well with kids, I wasn't that impressed by them - there's nothing especially creative, surprising or funny about most of them. The large eye poking out of the vet did amuse me, but I was left craving something some more intriguing paper engineering.
How To Raise A Dinosaur is still a fun addition to any bookshelf, and will make any young reader giggle. Those children who stick rigidly to non-fiction might find the dinosaur theme helps draw them towards fiction, without dragging them kicking and screaming out of their comfort zone. And, of course, dinosaur fans will just love it because of all the growling and stomping and chomping. Worth a look.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
The Littlest Dinosaur and the Naughty Rock by Camilla Reid and Michael Foreman, Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson and The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord are super for kids lapping up all things prehistoric. If it's non-fiction you want, Dinosaurs (Henry's House) by Philip Ardagh and Mike Gordon is excellent.
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You can read more book reviews or buy How To Raise A Dinosaur by Natasha Wing and Pablo Bernasconi at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy How To Raise A Dinosaur by Natasha Wing and Pablo Bernasconi at Amazon.com.
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