Archives

Dinosaur Juniors (2) – Give Peas a Chance

Apr1
Dinosaur Juniors (2) - Give Peas a Chance

Dinosaur Juniors (2) – Give Peas a Chance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaur Juniors (2) – Give Peas a Chance

Rob Biddulph

HarperCollins, 2019

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

9780008280635

The baby dinosaurs are having lots of fun together, but then Nancy is called in for dinner.  She’s reluctant to go because she is having so much fun but her dad insists, telling her she can play again when she shows him her clean plate.  But alongside the Dino Bites and fluffy rice, which she likes,  are peas! And Nancy doesn’t like peas – or anything green for that matter. 

But then she hatches a clever plan and it’s not too long before she is able to show her dad an empty plate.  But has she outsmarted him?

This is the second in this joyful series for preschoolers that will appeal to them because of the bright pictures, the clever rhyme and Nancy’s clever plan.  Many of them will relate to not liking green vegetables and enjoy Nancy’s subterfuge but the ending may well surprise them. 

Perfect for little ones who love dinosaurs and for encouraging the belief that reading is lots of fun. 

 

 

Dinosaur Day Out

Oct14
Dinosaur Day Out

Dinosaur Day Out

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaur Day Out

Sara Acton

Walker Books, 2018

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760650049

When Sally and Max go to the museum with their dad and discover their favourite dinosaur exhibition is closed for the day, they head into the city for a day out instead.  There are lots of things to see and do, but it’s amazing what a little knowledge and a lot of imagination can conjure up and their day is filled with dinosaurs.  

This is a charming story to share with young readers and even those not-so-young who are dinosaur fans.  As each dinosaur is encountered they will be able to add to the information that Dad  shares from the new book about dinosaurs he bought at the museum, and those who live in Sydney may well recognise some of the more familiar landmarks. 

Dinosaur books are always popular so to have one that entertains as well as educates and which is aimed at our youngest readers is a gift. 

Ideas for extending the story are available.

Dinosaur Juniors (1) – Happy Hatchday

Mar20
Dinosaur Juniors (1) - Happy Hatchday

Dinosaur Juniors (1) – Happy Hatchday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaur Juniors (1) – Happy Hatchday

Rob Biddulph

HarperCollins, 2018

32pp., hbk., RRP $A19.99

9780008286385

Once upon a time a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time ago there was a batch of nine perfect eggs.  One by one, eight of them hatched and out came Otto, Winnie, Hector, Sue, Nancy, Martin, Wilf and Boo Dinosaur.  And then, finally Greg (short for gregosaurus) popped out.  But Greg was a week later than his brothers and sisters and when he went to join them, they had paired up and were really busy – Otto and Winnie were painting and gluing; Sue and Hector were baking; Nancy and Martin were making music; and Wilf and Boo were blowing balloons.  There seemed to be no room for Greg anywhere. He was very despondent.  But then his little friend Ziggy the dragonfly tells him to cheer up…

This is a charming story, the first in the series, that will delight younger readers with its clever rhyme and bright pictures. They will empathise with Greg as he tries to find a friend and have fun trying to spot Ziggy in each spread.  

We all know that dinosaurs are the preschooler’s best friend so Biddulph has the content covered, and the rhyme and rhythm and colour will really entice the very young to want to read it for themselves. Perfect for preschoolers.

Dino Diggers: Crane Calamity

Feb3
Dino Diggers: Crane Calamity

Dino Diggers: Crane Calamity

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dino Diggers: Crane Calamity

Rose Impey

Chris Chatterton

Bloomsbury, 2018

24pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

9781408872468

The Dino Diggers have a new project – this time they are building a new house for Mr and Mrs Triceratops and all the little ceratops. But not not all of them are working hard – Ricky Raptor the apprentice is day-dreaming about being a proper Dino Digger driver and he very nearly lands in all sorts of trouble because he is not concentrating.  Is he going to end up in the barrel of the cement mixer???

With its bright pictures and a cardboard model crane and brachiosaurus to build this will appeal to young readers who like big machines and dinosaurs.  Each dinosaur has its own personality so this series is great for encouraging young readers to recall what they already know and ponder on how the new story will evolve.

 

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures

Nov9
Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures

Matt Sewell

Pavilion, 2017

96pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781843653509

If there is one section of the library that can never have too many items, it is 567.9 – the home of the dinosaurs.  There seems to be an eternal fascination with these long-ago creatures that has been the door into reading for so many children, particularly young boys who like to get the biggest and thickest books and pore over them with their mates.

So this new addition by Matt Sewell that introduces favourites and familiars and also some first-read-abouts will be welcome as it is targeted at those who want to know something but not so much that it is overwhelming. Who knew there were so many – but then they were on the planet for 170 million years! Each creature has a one or two page spread dominated by the illustration, an illustration that is somewhat different from the norm as they have been inspired by new ideas from palaeontologists that the creatures were not only colourful but some may have had feathers rather than the traditional scales and hide.

 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

Each entry includes the length and weight which can always lead to some interesting maths activities and well as the time period (delve into history and create a chart) and their diet with ‘proper’ descriptors like ‘carnivorous’ to extend the vocabulary.  There are other basic facts written in a conversational tone that makes the language accessible to those early readers. Given that not every dinosaur is included, perhaps they could produce an extra page exploring and explaining their favourite dinosaur as an initial information literacy exercise.

Produced in conjunction with the Natural History Museum in the UK. this is a worthwhile addition to that critical section of the collection.

Why can’t I be a dinosaur?

Sep21
Why can't I be a dinosaur?

Why can’t I be a dinosaur?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why can’t I be a dinosaur?

Kylie Westaway

Tom Jellett

Allen & Unwin, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760294724

Nellie is all dressed up in her dinosaur costume because today is a Dinosaur Day.  But it is also her Aunt Daisy’s wedding and she is supposed to be the flower girl and wearing her special purple dress. While some parents might exert their parental power, Nellie’s try a more negotiated approach,  as stubborn as any preschooler, Nellie refuses to change and despite her parents’ pleading she stands her ground.  Can a compromise be reached with Aunt Daisy having the pretty flower girl at the wedding of her dreams?

This is a funny yet familiar story that will resonate with both parent and child – parents because we can all remember some of the monumental battles we have had with stubborn, determined little people, the child because the adult world does seem to have some weird rules and expectations and having to wear a purple dress to a wedding is just one of them.

It’s refreshing to see a girl in the lead role in a book about dinosaurs and Tom Jellett has captured Nellie’s obsession with them and her feelings at being told no perfectly.  You can feel the tension in the air as powerful wills meet even though voices are not raised (except as a dinosaur roar) and the parents remain calm.  Lots of discussion points about feelings, doing what others expect, negotiating and compromising and whether clothes really do “maketh the man”. 

 

 

Digger Disaster

Jul25
Digger Disaster

Digger Disaster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digger Disaster

Rose Impey

Chris Chatterton

Bloomsbury, 2017

24pp., pbk., RRP $A12.99

978140887244

Tyrone T. Rex and his Dino Diggers are building a new car factory for Mr Ali O’Saurus.  But Ali O’Saurus is impatient and wants things finished immediately.  Because the Dino Diggers’ motto is “We never let you down”. everyone starts working at a furious pace but disaster strikes when Tyrone ignores the plans and hits a water main flooding the worksite.  Will the Diggers be able to live up to their motto?

This is a book for those who love big machines and dinosaurs as both are combined in a story that moves along at a fast pace with lots of action on each page.  Clever use of dinosaur names that little ones always have their tongue around add a dimension to the characters and the bright detailed illustrations will appeal as young readers pore over them.  To top it off there is a digger to build from a cardboard cutout, complete with instructions to be followed, offering an opportunity to understand their purpose and the need for correct sequencing, as well as teaching about care and patience -something Tyrone T. Rex seems to lack!. 

Great for early childhood with others in the series to help carry what is known about characters from one story to another. 

How Many Dinosaurs Deep?

May20
How Many Dinosaurs Deep?

How Many Dinosaurs Deep?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Many Dinosaurs Deep?

Ben Kitchen

Vicky Fieldhouse

New Frontier, 2017

32pp., hbk., RRP $A22.99

9780995625556

Jim is learning how to swim but when it is time to move up from the baby pool to the middle-sized pool, he is not so sure that he is ready.   he’s concerned about its depth so his mother tells him that it would not even reach the knees of a stegosaurus.  This sparks a chain reaction of how deep would a … be and each time mum is able to explain it in terms of how many dinosaurs it would take to reach the surface.  And when she explains the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean would need 587 brachiosauruses standing on each other’s head, Jim finally feels he is ready to cope.

This is a unique story that combines the love of dinosaurs that so many little ones have with their natural apprehension of venturing into something they are unsure of.  Clearly Ben Kitchen has done his homework on  dinosaur dimensions and there are two pages explaining the key features of those that are mentioned, including some that young readers may not be familiar with.  While more or less anatomically correct, the illustrations are still whimsical and fun and readers will gain courage from them rather than fear.  

Something completely different for the younger reader. Perhaps even an opportunity to go outside and measure things to compare them with the dinosaurs to bring the imagination to reality.

 

Animasaurus Incredible Animals that Roamed the Earth

Nov29
Animasaurus

Animasaurus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Animasaurus Incredible Animals that Roamed the Earth 

Tracey Turner

Harriet Russell

Bloomsbury, 2016

96pp. hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781408884850

While we are all familiar with the incredible dinosaurs, icthyosaurs and pterosaurs that inhabited our planet long before we did, this book focuses on the other megafauna that was here before humans evolved, tracing their evolution from the ancient to its modern counterpart.  

From the gigantopithecus to the orangutan, the dunkleosteus to the bull shark, the quetzalcaotlus to the wandering albatross, the reader can see the transition from the unknown to the more familiar.  Uncluttered interpretations of the ancient creatures based on what has been learned from fossils are compared to photos of the modern relatives making the transition even clearer.  Each double spread has a habitat map and some basic facts as well as tidbits of interesting information to encourage the reader to learn more, perhaps even trace the lineage of their own favourite creature.  There is a timeline, a glossary and an index at the back which not only help with navigating the book but also serve as an introduction to the features of a non fiction book for younger readers.

We know books about dinosaurs only linger on the shelf for a short time before being borrowed by an enthusiastic reader – this book will lead them into a whole new world of exploration.

Lift the Flap Friends

Nov12
Lift the Flap Friends

Lift the Flap Friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lift the Flap Friends

Dinosaurs
9781408864166

Fairy
9781408964159

Peter Allen

Bloomsbury, 2016

16pp., board books, RRP $A12.99

Dennis introduces to his dinosaur friends and the places they live, what they like to eat and other simple facts while Angel and her fairy friends show what goes on in the fairy garden through bright pictures and intriguing lift-the-flaps  which will appeal to the very young and help them understand that books, stories and reading contain lots of fun and interest.

Two new publications perfect for the toddler’s Christmas stocking.