View source for Robert Crowther's Pop up Dinosaur Alphabet by Robert Crowther

{{infobox2
|title=Robert Crowther's Pop up Dinosaur Alphabet
|author=Robert Crowther
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781406348644
|pages=10
|publisher=Walker Books
|date=November 2014
|aznuk=1406348643
|aznus=1406348643
|cover=1406348643
|website=http://www.robertcrowtherpopsup.co.uk/
|video=
|summary=A, B, C, D, Blah, Blah, Blah.  What is that?  V stands for Velociraptor and the book has pop-up?  Now that is an ABC book that we can all enjoy. 
}}
ABC books could stand for A Boring Concept, but you might want to wait until you find out what the D is before making a decision.  In this case D stands for Dinosaurs and there is nothing boring about them.  There is also nothing boring about pop-ups.  The two together may just join up to make something pretty special.  Use this book to learn your basic alphabet and gain the some pretty intellectual knowledge on dinosaurs; from Allosaurus to Zapalasaurus.

The idea of an ABC book is inherently simple as they all have the same basic concept.  However, new alphabet books are always being created because they prove to be a useful education tool and kids love them.  Another element that kids love is pop-up, so combine this with some dinosaurs and great illustrations you are really onto a winner.

Although Dinosaurs rock, it is very easy to be complacent in a kid’s book, stick some of the big names on the cover and you are away.  ‘Pop-up Dinosaur Alphabet’ does anything but this; there is room for T is Tyrannosaurus, but the majority of the dinosaurs on offer are a little less known.  To combat this, Robert Crowther accompanies each pop up dinosaurs with some information; perhaps they lived under the sea, or ate both plants and meat?

The correlation between the simple ABC and the, at times, high concept information may seem a little strange at first.  However, for the dinosaur mad 3-6 year old, it is perfect.  They have seen the alphabet enough, but getting to know some fun details on dinosaurs is new. To aid them in learning their dinosaurs, each is spelt out correctly and then phonetically.  Suddenly you will find yourself pronouncing certain dinosaurs correctly for the first time.

With the education element working it is important that the book is also fun, thankfully as Crowther holds the twin roles as author and illustrator, the standard remains high.  The layout is wonderful; the book is a slightly longer than standard size, this allows for 4 or 5 letters per page.  Each letter is in a bright colour and there are several ways in which to pop-up the dinosaurs.  Crowther has managed to get some pretty large dinosaurs behind some relatively small letters; at times it can be pretty ingenious.

‘Pop-up Dinosaur Alphabet’ is a highly accomplished ABC book that looks great and has a surprisingly amount of information on dinosaurs.  It is slightly hamstrung by the limitations of the format, but for the dinosaur-mad youth, this is a fabulous book.

If you after another ABC book for a slightly younger crowd [[ABC and Do by Lee Singh and Karen Wall]] is worth checking out.  For the dinosaurs hunter in your life, then try [[Dylan's Amazing Dinosaurs - the Tyrannosaurus Rex by E T Harper and Dan Taylor]], you even get a free paper T-Rex to play with.

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