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Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Aug4
Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pick a Story: A Dinosaur Unicorn Robot Adventure

Sarah Coyle

Adam Walker-Parker

Farshore, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781405299053

Gwen was very excited about having a fancy-dress birthday party,  the decorations are up and the food set out.  But suddenly the birthday cake that Dad has made disappears!  Who has taken it?

Well, that depends on what the reader decides because depending on whether they choose the unicorn, robot or dinosaur they are taken on a different adventure, each time being able to choose the next chapter in their story.

While choose-your-own adventures have been in novel format for years and been immensely popular because of all the possibilities they open up, a picture book format is unusual. Young readers will love the interactivity that takes them beyond the more familiar lift-the-flap and gives them the power to decide the direction of the story.  And when one is told, they can return to the beginning and start another…  The power of choice.

There are three in this series now – a pirate/alien/jungle/adventure already available and a dragon/mermaid/superhero adventure to be released in time for Christmas – so all those characters that young readers love are covered and they can follow all sorts of paths and trails through the stories. Putting the reader in the writer’s seat is empowering and they might even be able to suggest a new combination or adventure, teaching them that they can not only be readers but writers too.  

 

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A Very Dinosaur Birthday

Jul31
A Very Dinosaur Birthday

A Very Dinosaur Birthday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Very Dinosaur Birthday

Adam Wallace

Christopher Nielsen

Thomas Nelson, 2023

40pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781400242054

Dinosaurs are big, and strong, and scary, and farty,

So do you really want them coming to your birthday party

So many little people are fascinated by dinosaurs and can think of nothing better than having them come to their birthday party.  But even though it might be the most amazing party in the neighbourhood that year, there could well be unexpected consequences. Using colourful, cartoon-like illustrations of actual species (which the informed will have delight in identifying) this is an hilarious romp of what-if that will amuse young readers from start to finish.

Some light-hearted fun to inspire the imagination.

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur’s Big Race

Jul12
Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur's Big Race

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur’s Big Race

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur’s Big Race

Rhiannon Fielding

Chris Chatterton

Ladybird, 2023

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9780241545638

Midsummer’s Eve in the Land of Nod, and one of the biggest nights of the year for the dinosaurs for tonight is the night they hold their competition to discover who has the best all-round team.  With just ten minutes to complete the course, will Rumble and his remarkable team come in first or ???

With its rhyme which flows naturally, stunning illustrations and the countdown, this is perfect to share to settle even the most un-sleep-ready child as they learn that even the creatures they love to dream about have to sleep sometime. For those who are already familiar with the series, they will be delighted to see all the characters coming together in one story to help Rumble, while for those for whom it is new, it will be an introduction to a charming set of stories that help them not only understand the continuity of characters so it’s easy to apply their existing knowledge, but they will also enjoy exploring The Land of Nod as they compare and contrast the day and night time maps on the endpages.  

If you have a little one or know one, this is an excellent series to start them on their reading journeys.

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

Dec13

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Twelve Dinosaurs of Christmas

Evie Day

Liam Darcy

Orchard Books, 2022

32pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781408367919

On the first day of Christmas, my grandpa gave to me . . .
A Santasaurus and her dino baby!

Can there be anything better than a grandpa who understands your love of dinosaurs and instead of drummers drumming, lords a-leaping, golden rings and a partridge in a pear tree,  gives you dinosaurs for the Christmas countdown? 

Young dinosaur lovers will delight in this hilarious, colourful, action-packed twist on the traditional song as more and more dinosaurs – some familiar, some not-so, are added to the little girl’s collection.  And with this week’s news that Queensland Museum Network palaeontologists have excavated Australia’s first head and associated body of a 100-million-year-old long-necked marine reptile in what has been described as the Rosetta Stone of marine reptile palaeontology, the continuing fascination with these ancient creatures is going to peak again, making this book such a fun read for the enthusiasts – perhaps even offering them some new species to investigate or imagining the problems such gifts might cause…  It’s amazing what something that starts as just a bit of light entertainment can lead to.  

A Dinosaur A Day

Oct21
A Dinosaur A Day

A Dinosaur A Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Dinosaur A Day

Miranda Smith

Jenny Wren et al

Farshore, 2022

234pp., hbk., RRP $A29.99

9780755501793

Triceratops, brontosaurus, stegosaurus and of course, tyrannosaurus rex – all names that the youngest child will tell you if you ask them to name some dinosaurs.  But what if they could explore a new dinosaur for every day of the year, and still just be touching on the diversity of these fascinating creatures that roamed the planet for more than 160 million years?

This new collection about these creatures that continue to build wonder and wonderment, is more than your usual anthology because it offers the young reader an introduction to a new dinosaur every day of the year, including important information about the time period it existed, where it lived, who its relatives were, what it ate and the usual weight and length.  With each month organised by categories such as size, diet, speed, weaponry and so on, it offers many new names to spruik and readers will have fun discovering which one is featured on their own birthday – I share mine with Qantassaurus (named after the airline) a speedy, two metre biped of the early Cretaceous period that dined on the plants of the Flat Rocks fossil site near Inverloch (Strzelecki Ranges) on the southern Victorian coast about 150 km south-east of Melbourne (co-incidentally one of my favourite spots in Australia!). And just like the readers of this book will be, I was inspired to find out more , increasing both my knowledge and my reading skills.  My husband, on the other hand, is associated with the masiakasaurus of Africa… 

So as well as expanding the child’s knowledge of these creatures which includes explanations of how they came to be and why they disappeared, it is easy to see how this is one of those books that will lead to further and deeper reading making it a most valuable addition to the section of the collection that never loses its appeal.  

I’m a Dirty Dinosaur Hide and Seek

Aug8
I’m a Dirty Dinosaur Hide and Seek

I’m a Dirty Dinosaur Hide and Seek

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m a Dirty Dinosaur Hide and Seek

Janeen Brian

Ann James

Puffin, 2022 

10pp., board book, RRP $A16.99

9780143777427

The dirty dinosaur is back and this time he’s looking for his friends – Bird, feathery and flittery, tweety and twittery; Bee, busy and buzzy, stripy and fuzzy – and all the others.  But it seems like they’re hiding from him and the young reader is going to have to think about where they might be in the landscape and lift the flaps to discover them!

Rhyme, rhythm, repetition, dinosaurs and interactivity – the perfect combination to engage young readers in endless hours of fun as they tell themselves the story over and over again, and delight in their success as they uncover the hiding places!!!  Who can be hoppy, water ploppy like Frog? Or slippery, silver tail flippery like Fish?

Once again, links to research and memes about the importance of reading with the very young are doing the social media rounds, and it’s books like this one that are going to be the hook,  And, to me, even more powerful than reading a story (1825 if one a day in the first five years; 5475 if you share a familiar, a first-read and a favourite) is offering one that they can then read themselves! 

This one is a winner!!!

Leilong’s Too Long!

Jul19
Leilong's Too Long!

Leilong’s Too Long!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leilong’s Too Long!

Julia Liu

Bel Lynn

Gecko Press, 2022

28pp., hbk., RRP $A27.99

9781776574339

Leilong the brontosaurus is a very good school bus, and the children are all ready and waiting as he goes from building to building to collect them.  But being a brontosaurus in a modern city of cars and buses and trucks and people can have its drawbacks and Leilong finds himself banned and confined to the school gymnasium.  He is so upset that he cries and cries… and finds himself a new career!!

Young readers first met Leilong when he took them to  library storytime and they will be happy that he returns in another adventure. What if Leilong arrived at their school?  What uses could he have?  Have them write letters to the principal to persuade them that Leilong should stay… 

 

News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery

May19
News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery

News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery

Laura James

Charlie Alder

Bloomsbury, 2022

128pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

9781526620583

Gizmo is a city dog, so when he moves to the village of Puddle with his journalist human he doesn’t know what to expect but, luckily he had Jilly, the wolfhound next door, to show him around. Even though Gizmo might not know the difference between a cow and a tractor he’s got a nose for a story, and so he starts The Daily Bark, a newspaper for the dogs of Puddle. Gizmo is the editor, Jilly (who knows everyone) is the lead reporter, and Bunty is the weather reporter.  Lola is the sports reporter, Bruno is the fashion and beauty expert while Bob, who is the station master’s dog, writes the travel news.

In this, the second in this series for young, newly independent readers transitioning to novels, Bob helps Diamond, a seemingly aristocratic Afghan hound jump off the train as she arrives with her new master, Mr Marcus, owner of the Curiosity Shop, and reputedly a cat person.  But in his efforts to outdo the other dogs in trying to impress Diamond, he unwittingly digs up a dinosaur bone… So he not only has the scoop of the century for The Daily Bark but also having to keep it same from others who want it so much more!

An engaging read for all those young readers who love dogs, who know they do more than snooze in the sun when their owners are absent and who are looking for a fast-paced story that is just right for them. 

 

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life

Mar14
Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Life

Prof. Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan

Angela Rizza & Daniel Long

DK, 2021

224pp., hbk., RRP $A39.99

9780241491621

Usually, when you flick through a book about dinosaurs you see familiar names like triceratops, stegosaurus, diplodocus and of course, tyrannosaurus rex.  So imagine how excited your dinosaur fans will be when they see names like araucarioxylon, plioplatecarpus and pachycephalosaurus and the fun they will have not only getting their tongues around the names and showing them off to friends, but finding out what these creatures were!

Starting at the beginning of life on earth, the reader is taken on a journey through the development of life starting with the forms that developed in water and then moving on to the plants and animals that moved onto land. Whether they’re scary fish, gigantic insects or the largest dinosaur or their descendants, this is a fascinating expedition that culminates in the emergence of the earliest humans.

For decades DK have had the best reputation for delivering quality non fiction for young readers and this is no exception.  As well as building on the interest that might have been sparked through studies of how the Earth began, it also moves the reader on to a bit more detail than your usual texts for this age group with each topic having a double-paged spread with lifelike illustrations with photos and then a thorough set of support pages including a diagram of the Tree of Life so it’s easy to see where everything fits in, a pronunciation guide, a glossary, and a visual index.

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

This is one that will be treasured by those with an interest in life on this planet, particularly if they also have access to the new children’s version of  On The Origin of Species so they can see how it all fits together. (It will also be loved by those who want to borrow the heaviest book in the library…) 

 

Some Dinosaurs Are Small

Mar6
Some Dinosaurs Are Small

Some Dinosaurs Are Small

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some Dinosaurs Are Small

Charlotte Voake

Walker, 2022

32pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781406394207

Some dinosaurs are small with tiny teeth for munching leaves, and some dinosaurs are BIG with  pointy teeth for munching  OTHER dinosaurs!  Some dinosaurs need to RUN! But some dinosaurs have a secret weapon…

In pure pantomime spirit, children will want to cry out, “He’s behind you!” and they will hold their breath until the outcome is revealed – and then they will LOL!  This is a joyous story for little ones who like dinosaurs and who can no doubt, tell you the names of those featured in it.  But as well as being entertaining with its delightful twist, it also explores opposites like  big and small, fast and slow, carnivore and herbivore that will add to the child’s knowledge. There is also the need to look closely at the pictures to understand its ending, reinforcing the integration between text and picture in a subtle way.

Sheer delight that reinforces the value of a simple story told well, and, being in print, one that can be revisited time and again, even reading it for yourself.