The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord
| The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: Hal saves his mum, dad and dog Billy from a dirty great dinosaur. This jolly romp round the garden is lots of fun. Recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: March 2009 |
| Publisher: Orchard | |
| ISBN: 978-1846160455 | |
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Hal and his dog Billy are playing in their garden. When a dinosaur charges in and demands to eat Hal, his mum, dad or Billy, someone has to do something. Hal has a plan, but can a little boy really stop a dirty great dinosaur from munching him?
The Dirty Great Dinosaur is a lot of fun. Any story that has a semi-cute, semi-scary dinosaur romping through its pages is on to a winner. To that you can add Hal with his polite request not to be eaten, sweet explanation that he loves his mum and dad, and inspirational stand to protect his dog. It's a fine adventure, and all young children will enjoy going on the ride.
Leonie Lord's illustrations have a different style to most other picture books out there. They give the impression that they've been drawn with crayons or pastels, mixing a fun, cartoony style, with a softness that eases any potential scariness. I liked the freshness of the illustrations, but to nitpick slightly, a sideways glance at one or two of the pages made the dappled softness on the dinosaur almost seem blurred. Maybe I just need better glasses! It doesn't take away from the overall high quality of the illustrations though.
It's a picture book to share with slightly older book fans, as there's a developing plot, a real hero, and a good sense of right and wrong. There's a lovely core message, but mostly it's just a fun tale to share. Recommended.
Thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
For another family dealing with a fierce creature, you can't go wrong with The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. If dirty great dinosaurs are a bit too... well, dirty and great, then check out The Littlest Dinosaur by Michael Foreman.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord 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 The Dirty Great Dinosaur by Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord at Amazon.com.
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