Which Is It?

For those who pursue a passion of inquiry into the age of dinosaurs, there can never be too many books on the topic.  Every new volume is treated like a much-desired gift.  You never know what exciting bit of information will act as a missing piece to be placed in the puzzle for these prehistoric creatures.

Discoveries by paleontologists continue to expand the knowledge base.  Four years ago in the state of Utah, a new dinosaur, Lythronax argestes, was found, confirming dinosaurs of the giant variety were around millions of years before the Tyrannosaurus Rex.  After four years, the fossil went on display November 6, 2013 at the Natural History Museum of Utah. The masterful team, author Brenda Z. Guiberson and illustrator Gennady Spirin, which earlier this year released Frog Song (Henry Holt and Company, February 2013) have collaborated in a new title, The Greatest Dinosaur Ever (Henry Holt and Company, October 2013).

Who was the greatest dinosaur that ever lived?
I was the greatest. I was the tallest and the biggest herbivore. I had a long neck with the highest reach into the trees. The earth shook when I walked.

Sauroposeidon does indeed fit this description but eleven other dinosaurs have their say in the pages that follow.  Each enumerates their unique features, certain they were the greatest dinosaur of all!  Readers will marvel at the special qualities of each, those adapting them to their habitats and pursuit of food.

Which dinosaur was the longest?  Which could swallow five hundred pounds of food?  Which had three-foot-long claws?  Was it Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus or Therizinosaurus?

Seventeen diamond-shaped plates ran along the back of one with a tall having the longest spikes.  Another had armor covering its entire body, including its eyelids.  Hollow bones contributed to a third's phenomenal speed, over forty miles per hour.


Will it be brain size, night vision, flying, parenting or the smallest which will snag the prize as the greatest dinosaur of all?  Decisions, decisions...you are asked to choose.  If you lived then and there, what would you value the most?


The narrative format used by Brenda Z. Guiberson will have readers feeling like participants at a round table discussion, each dinosaur giving voice to their outstanding physical attributes.  Repetition of beginning and ending statements for each entry, provide a rhythm, a flow.  Beneath each dinosaur's name a pronunciation guide is shown.


Elaborate oil paintings by Gennady Spirin  extend edge to edge throughout the book beginning with the jacket and cover.  Tyrannosaurus Rex roaring as it moves in for a meal on the jacket is accompanied by Spinosaurus on the cover, rows of sharp teeth lining its open mouth.  The title page and two narrative closing pages feature large eggs, the first with necks, heads and feet of different dinosaurs emerging from cracks and the latter, a backdrop for text surrounded by a variety of dinosaurs.

Each dinosaur is colorfully portrayed in a stunning landscape, a misty quality associated with a warmer, humid climate permeating all the pages.  All twelve are in motion, sometimes only one will be showcased, other times there will be a group.  With little stretch of the imagination, these illustrations come to life with all the sights and sounds of the age.  My favorite is of the Spinosaurus, standing on a cliff above a large body of water, trees framing each side, dinosaurs in flight, near and far.

Whether you are one of the legions of dinosaur devotees or merely curious, The Greatest Dinosaur Ever written by Brenda Z. Guiberson with illustrations by Gennady Spirin is a book to be read over and over; the text and illustrations enticing your return. Two pages at the back contain thumbnail pictures of each dinosaur giving the meaning of their name, the pronunciation again, their size, the period in which they lived and their location. On the final page an author's note, bibliography and online resources are supplied.

Please follow the links embedded in the author's and illustrator's names to access their websites.  If you wish to see more pages from this title go to the publisher's website linked here. This is a link to a printable PDF file activity guide.  This title could be paired with How Big Were Dinosaurs? by Lita Judge and Alphasaurs and other prehistoric types by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss.

Prehistoric Pursuit

Have you ever noticed how some grazing animals will stick their heads through a fence to eat on the other side, believing it to be better even though the food is exactly the same?  While the phrase "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" may not hold true in most instances, out of necessity animals and people have throughout time moved to better their circumstances or as a means of survival.  The struggle associated with this endeavor has found its way into folklore.

Out of the storytelling tradition in Norway comes a fairy tale of three goats, hoping to eat grass on the other side of a bridge.  The problem is the ugly troll beneath the bridge, who would like nothing better than to have them for dinner.  With a twist and a trip to the past author/illustrator Stephen Shaskan offers readers, The Three Triceratops Tuff (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division).

Once upon a time,
sixty-eight million years ago,
there lived three triceratops brothers
who went by the name of Tuff:
Stanley Tuff, Rufus Tuff, and Bob Tuff.

Hard times have fallen on the area dinosaurs; food is becoming scarce.  After a bit of a trek, the lure of fresh green goodness on the other side of a valley gets the trio's attention.  Dino two, Rufus, is more than ready to dig into the waiting feast.  Therein lies the problem; Bob, the biggest of the three, points to a nasty, rather large Tyrannosaurus Rex waiting at the bottom.

Little Stanley Tuff with the blissful energy of youth does not want to wait.  He is stopped in his tracks by the looming, sharp-toothed giant, hoping to make Stanley an entree.  The T. Rex nevertheless takes the frightened but quick-thinking dino's advice to wait for the next bigger, and thus better, Tuff to come along the path.

Clip, clomp. Clip, clomp. Clip, clomp.  Here he comes.  When the equally resourceful Rufus mentions the biggest brother of all, the greedy monster, thinking himself to be very lucky, sends him on his way also.  Bob gladly goes, heading down to meet this meat-eating menace.

Getting ready for his first gourmet gulp, Tyrannosaurus Rex is halted by Bob's suggestion of a better idea.  The farthest thing from the villain's mind, though, is an aerial view of the valley.  Herbivores triumph!


With the first line Stephen Shaskan takes readers into the world of the triceratops three; making it perfectly clear these dudes may be old, really, really old, but this story is going to have a fresh, funny edge.  His word choices, turn of phrase and repetitive lines are more contemporary, in contrast to the characters and setting, heightening, what I like to call, the laughter factor.  Vegetation is appropriately called grub, T. Rex tells Stanley, "Then scram squirt!", T. Rex says "Dinner is served..." before attempting to consume the dinosaur brothers, and more than one character says "not so fast". 


Using the same artistic technique as in his debut picture book, A Dog Is A Dog, Shaskan digitally renders illustrations closely resembling those done by block printing.  Opening the matching jacket and cover, readers are greeted by the grinning threesome, sunbursts and volcano in the background on the right and the fearsome, growling carnivore on the left surrounded by all the vibrant, leafy, lime green plants.  On the first of two title pages we see a teeny, tiny fifth character zooming around the words in a sky blue circle---a sky blue mosquito.  He loops across the next two page spread calling attention to the publishing information as the triceratops trudge beneath the title and author/illustrator name.

Alternating textures, wood grain and sponge-like, and colors, shades of green and the sky blue, the scenery showcases the vivid colors of the dinosaurs.  Heavy lines around each further focus the reader's attention on the four.  Goofy grins, furrowed brows, angry eyes and hungry snarls along with expressive hand gestures leave no doubt in readers' minds as to the state of affairs on every page.

In the distance on several of the pages we see silhouettes of a line of other dinosaurs.  In a cheerful, vibrantly colored ending, Shaskan brings everyone together.  The final design technique has the mosquito again circling... the volcano... amid the dedication and more detailed publication information.


The Three Triceratops Tuff is a playful fracturing of a tale plus a little bit more.  There is exhilarating determination on every page.  What's not to love about three dinosaurs named Stanley, Rufus and Bob!? This is one you might want to consider for a reader's theater in a folktale study along with a more traditional version.

A link to Stephen Shaskan's website is embedded in his name above.  On another page linked here, he discusses how the idea for this book came to him through three four-year-old boys.  In his kids' stuff section he has headbands of the trio to cut out and color plus a printable maze.  This link to the publisher website shows a couple of interior illustrations.  Recently updated:  Stephen now has templates for creating paper bag puppets at his link.

Roaring Into Christmas

When a kitten, puppy, bright red dinosaur or new baby enter our lives, it's a welcome reminder of all those firsts we may have forgotten.  To watch them experience rolling in the spring grass, jumping in a mud puddle, the sound of thunder, wading through a pile of leaves or running into a snow drift is like stepping back in time.  Our everyday activities taken for granted are completely new adventures for them.

Wait a minute!  Bright red dinosaur?  Yes, the toothy toddler is boldly back, flashing his irresistible grin roaring after each and every victory.  He has met and matched bedtime, the potty and the library (Dinosaur vs. Bedtime, 2008), (Dinosaur vs. the Potty, 2010) and (Dinosaur vs. the Library, 2011)(reviewed here).  Whether the folks at the North Pole are ready or not, Dinosaur vs. Santa written and illustrated by Bob Shea clearly reveals our prehistoric pal is as rambunctious as ever.

ROAR!

I'M A DINOSAUR!

ROAR!

I'm getting ready for Santa!

Coming in from the snowy cold our fearless friend first tackles his letter to Santa.  It's a win for Dinosaur.  Next up is decorating, followed by presents for Mom and Dad; both wins.  

Oh, oh...this might be a problem.  Can he resist the cookies and milk left out for Santa?  Or even more challenging, trying to sleep on Christmas Eve?  

Restless he hears the sound each and every child longs to hear, the jingle of bells.  Don't go downstairs, Dinosaur.  Santa might see you.  Did Santa see you?  Sleep and Christmas morning tell the tale.

With a pattern readers have come to appreciate Bob Shea's spare narrative proposes a task amid a a series of roars, followed by a flurry of activity with a tremendous single roar and then those two triumphant words, 

DINOSAUR WINS!

The most enjoyed (and tempting) moments in preparation for Christmas at home, letter writing, decorating the tree, hand-crafting gifts for parents, setting out the cookies and milk and the anticipation of Santa's arrival are written with great care for the intended audience by Bob Shea. Word choice captures the exact state of affairs; for cookies and milk it is Dinosaur versus...being extra good!  The series of segments when Dinosaur is avoiding sleep are hilarious as is the trip down and back up the stairs when he hears Santa.

Readers are treated to a seasonal front and back jacket and cover, the one a green background with Dinosaur decked out for the holidays, a foiled candy cane stripe down the left side, the other red as Dinosaur kneels in front of the tree on Christmas morning.  Endpapers, opening and closing, are in a three-hued yellow green argyle pattern with a grinning, dancing, Santa hat-wearing Dinosaur in the center of some of the diamonds.

Combining traditional drawing with digital, Shea's bold painted lines are filled with bright colors.  The addition of actual items, crayons, Christmas ornaments, a tube of glitter, Christmas cookies, printed papers, are part of his unique, inviting style.  Tiny details set his work apart; the pinpoint white breeze lines when Dinosaur leaves the door open, the different Christmas sweaters he wears, when he puts his letter in the mailbox to Santa he remembers to wear his boots, the glass holding the milk is a Christmas glass or the small pink heart near his Dad when he opens his gift from Dinosaur.  

Every DINOSAUR WINS! is different in color, pattern and font but reflects the event.  As each set of circumstances is captured in text, the illustrations elevate the moods, happiness, caution, indecision, fear and joy.  You can't help but grin when he is or feel empathy, especially those last four facial expressions before he drifts off to sleep.

Bob Shea has penned and pictured an outstanding addition to his Dinosaur series, Dinosaur vs. Santa.  Make sure you share this book with one or many, using your best roaring dinosaur voice.  Everyone wins.

By following the link to my previous review you can gain further insight into Bob Shea's process in creating his illustrations.  The link embedded in his name will take you to his website as well as his Facebook page.  Tucked in the back of this book is a very special piece of paper for readers to write their letter to Santa.  

Letter by Letter From A To Z, Dinosaurs Live From Prehistory

Spotting it on the shelf from the other side of the store, not even seeing the title yet, I knew I had to have it.  A distinctive design and signature style set it apart from the other books in the nonfiction section.  As I picked it up, looking at the front and back of the jacket reading the title, it was hard not to gasp aloud.  I know for sure I was grinning on the outside but jumping up and down on the inside.

In July of 2009 the graphic design team of Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss, owners of Werner Design Werks, located in St. Paul, Minnesota, published their first book, Alphabesties: And Other Amazing Types (Blue Apple Books) bringing them the 2009 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Medal Best Book Award and the 2009 Parents' Choice Silver Honor Winner.  The equally impressive and entertaining Bugs By The Numbers (Blue Apple Books)(reviewed here) followed in 2011.  Alphasaurs and other prehistoric types (Blue Apple Books), their third and newest title, is an alphabetical look at creatures from prehistoric periods that, in a word, is amazing.


Scary and scaly,
lumbering and lumpy,
fast and ferocious,
big, broad and bumpy.
From up north to down south,
from west to east,
The earth was once home to magnificent beasts.

So begins the rhyming introduction that invites readers to step back in time, entering the world recreated by Werner and Forss.  For each letter of the alphabet a dinosaur name is written on the page with a phonetic pronunciation beneath.  In smaller type on one of the page corners readers will note the time period in which this creature belonged along with whether it ate meat or plants.

Usually along the bottom of a two page spread (ten are single page) alliterative facts focus on outstanding characteristics.  At times more notes will appear as if typewritten in a field notebook drawing attention to further specifics. Careful readers will see even more information displayed in the lines used to replicate a particular setting (leaves), the curve of spine or jaw.

What makes this book notable, as were the previous two, is the technique employed to illustrate the animals, insects and now, dinosaurs.  Letter by letter, using twenty-six unique typefaces for each dinosaur, their shapes are formed by the letter beginning their name.  Lower case, upper case, small medium and large letters are placed, some more bold than others drawing attention to a physical quality, with artistic care and flair.

Each small window of facts along the bottom also incorporates the letter of the moment in the pictorial design.  The words beginning with that letter in the statement or phrase will be darker.  There are eight fold-outs with die-cuts in each.

The front and back endpapers are a series of small lines in varying thicknesses which initially look like colored stripes but are in fact lines of information.  The two pages for the title have the publication information tucked in the lower left hand corner.  A large Tyrannosaurus Rex head is coming in from the right taking the "s" in Alphasaurs in its teeth.

For each of the featured dinosaurs they are placed on vivid, varied solid color backgrounds, to set them apart, surround by space and for some the outlines of their natural habitat.  None of the letters spelling out the dinosaur names are the same color; their palettes part of the color scheme for a particular page or pages.  To enhance interest the dinosaurs are facing in various directions at each turn of page; those on single pages may cross the gutter becoming part of another design.

For the letter "b" Werner and Forss selected brachiosaurus.  The prehistoric wonder is spread across two pages with the long neck curving from right back to left, the tail hidden beheld some foliage.  When the foliage is unfolded the tail is extended to its full length.  On the right side is another fold which lifts up highlighting the neck when fully extended to get leaves on a tree top.  Of the four small windows of facts along the bottom one, for example, says This big beast was as tall as a 4-story building.  The stories in the building are made of the capital letter 'b" with the spaces colored white to appear like lights


Alphasaurs and other prehistoric types designed, illustrated and written by Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss is another stunning entry in their body of work.  Dinosaur lovers will feel like they've struck gold as they read through the pages.  My guess is....everyone else will feel the same way too.  Now let's see...which one was the size of a muskrat gliding with four wings to move?

Werner's and Forss's main website is linked to the name of their business at the top.  For a peek at some of the illustrations in the book follow the link embedded in the title directly above.  Please note at the end of the book Werner and Forss list four other important things they learned in the making of this title.

Look Out, Goldilocks!

As a collector of stories and the books that house them, over the years it has been interesting to see how one author may interpret a fairy tale or an illustrator may give readers visuals to go with the classic, well-known words.  Of course, different cultures will bring their own individual slant to a story, immersing the reader in a particular language, style of dressing, housing, food and occupations.  Then too, there are those authors and illustrators who fracture the familiar and that's where the fun really begins.

To name a few there are The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs! by A. Wolf as told to Jon Scieszka with illustrations by Lane Smith, The Three Pigs written and illustrated by David Wiesner, Little Red Riding Hood--A Newfangled Prairie Tale written and illustrated by Lisa Campbell Ernst, Snoring Beauty by Bruce Hale with illustrations by Howard Fine and Cinder Edna by Ellen Jackson with illustrations by Kevin O'Malley.  Author/illustrator Mo Willems takes readers down a twisted road with his retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (Balzer + Bray).  It would appear these three particular dinosaurs have read the original version.

ONCE UPON A TIME, there were three Dinosaurs:  Papa Dinosaur; Mama Dinosaur; and some other Dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway.

What's with the dinosaur from Norway?  Where's Baby Dinosaur?  These three then proceed with a purpose; straightening the beds, making sure the chairs are visible. Papa Dinosaur is whipping up a batch of chocolate pudding carefully placed in three bowls, temperatures hot, cold and nearly perfect.

Looking straight at the reader Papa and Mama exclaims in loud dino voices they are off to SOMEPLACE ELSE while a raucous roar issues from the visitor's gaping mouth.  As you may have guessed, fairly soon Goldilocks comes strolling along a path leading directly to their gigantic home.  Hidden in the woods the three prehistoric predators await the perfect moment to claim their prize.

Merrily moving inside with nary a thought to caution or doing as she has been told, Goldilocks gets a whiff of the chocolate pudding left in plain view.  How convenient that the means for her to get to the countertop has been left at the ready. With bowls big enough in which to swim, she does that, gobbling up every single bit of chocolate she can.

Noticing the cleverly placed furniture she would like to rest but golly, they're all too big.  She's disgusted to find the beds are ginormous.  What's a tired little girl to do?  Before she can decide, a noise, no make that loud words, startle her into the notion she might be in the wrong place at the wrong time.


Mo Willems throws out the narrative bait right away with a switch in characters.  He sets the hook and reels in readers with dialogue laden with implications.

"YES!" continued Mama Dinosaur. "I SURE HOPE NO INNOCENT LITTLE SUCCULENT CHILD HAPPENS BY OUR UNLOCKED HOME WHILE WE ARE...UHHH...SOMEPLACE ELSE!"

As the text continues you feel as though you are privy to his special brand of storytelling, mixing up  all you have known to be true.  His asides are hilariously understated.  The perfect conclusion to his version is after The End, two morals to the story, one for Goldilocks and one for the three dinosaurs.


Front and back endpapers, golden in color, are covered with Goldilocks and the Three Cyclops, Goldilocks and the Three Alligators, Goldilocks and the Three Orthodontists, no two alike, each black-printed title crossed out in red, leading readers to believe Mo Willems made many attempts before finding exactly what he wanted. To the left of the title page we see Goldilocks peering, wide-eyed from what at first glance might be a group of trees but are really dinosaur legs.  Willems alters between two page, one page and split-page illustrations depending on the impact desired.

Sure black outlines filled-in with appropriately colored avocado green and brunt orange for the dinosaurs amid boldly colored home furnishings and complementary decor add to the comedy.  Further enticing readers are the small details in the artwork hanging on the walls, large chairs sporting dinosaur feet, a unique table lamp and oh yes, the pigeon tucked in a place or two.  Facial features on all the characters eyes expressing sneakiness, determination, surprise, disgust or disappointment coupled with the mouths are laugh-out-loud funny.


Mo Willems has yet again demonstrated his versatility in this initial retelling of a fairy tale filled with   his special style of using language and pictures to elicit humor.  Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is one of those books where a single reading will not be enough.  I expect it to be read over and over with gleeful giggles erupting repeatedly.

By following the link directly above you are taken to Mo Willems blog where he is interviewed by a puppet about this title and other fun stuff.  Here is a link to the HarperCollins Everything's Better With Dinosaurs Event Kit.  HarperCollins activity pages for this title can be accessed by following this link.

If you are using Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs as part of a unit to explore fractured fairy tales, try out this interactive student lesson from ReadWriteThink, Fractured Fairy Tales.

Saturday Share: A Baby WHAT?!??!!!

I hope that each of you will be able to enjoy a nice long 
weekend with your families and friends.
Stay safe!

I missed posting this for the Flannel Friday Round-up because we have had a super busy week with record numbers at our weekly storytimes. I have been extremely busy cutting out more and more and more dinosaurs! :oP 

Besides all the cutting though ~ I have been creating lots of fun learning activities with dinosaurs. I can't wait to share these Dino ideas with you. I have a couple of Fun Finds, several cute, yummy snack ideas, and even a few simple, inexpensive crafts to encourage your child/ren to use their imagination(s) as they explore the prehistoric world of the Dinosaurs. 

I always enjoy doing Dinosaur storytimes! Being the Mom of four boys, I had to learn about these awesome creatures over the years ~ each of my boys was obsessed with them at one time or another! But, apparently, they were not alone in this obsession! Over the years, I have notice that my boys are not the only ones who LOVE these strange creatures who just seem to never lose their popularity! 

Both boys and girls adore Dinosaurs!

Since I missed the FFRU, I am going to go ahead and do a Saturday Share this week. Here is a quick idea for some silly singing and puppet play. It is an easy, inexpensive craft to make and it is tons of fun to show the little ones. 

It is an egg puppet that hatches into a... 

Hmmm, I think I'll make you wait  for the BIG reveal in the song. (Yes, it is a dinosaur but can you guess which kind?!??!!)

The little ones think it is magical when the egg begins to hatch! 

Here is the song that I use with my puppet:

I'm Bringing Home a…

(Sung to: “I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee”)

Look what I found!
(The words in green are spoken.)

I'm bringing home a round, gigantic egg.
Won’t my mommy jump up on the bed?
I'm bringing home a round, gigantic egg.
Crack! Crack! Crack!

Uh, oh! It’s hatching!
 (Open the egg slowly)

And it’s a baby dinosaur!

I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur.
Won’t my mommy hide behind the door?
I'm bringing home a baby dinosaur.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"

Oh, look!
 (Take the dinosaur out of the egg.)

It’s a Book-a-saurus!

(Did you guess?) 

I'm reading lots of books to my dinosaur.
Won’t my mommy love that more and more?

I'm reading lots of books to my dinosaur.

"More! More! More!"

We love books!

Yay!

My inspiration for the baby dinosaur once again came from a sticker. The sticker set is so old that I have no idea where I bought them ~ probably a teacher store or catalog ~ years and years ago. The Stegosaurus sticker was always my favorite so it became my "Book-a-saurus" for this craft.

As you can see from the picture below, I enlarged the baby dinosaur quite a bit! I enlarged it on the copier. Then I traced the outline to use with my cut-paper technique. It is a simple and effective technique! All you need to do it for yourself is ~ construction paper in different colors, a pattern, scissors, and glue. Add a popsicle stick and ~ viola!  ~ you have a puppet!

The egg part of the craft is a little more involved. It is simple enough to do but it does have a few steps involved. Contact me at storytimeabcs@gmail.com if you are interested in the directions.

At the end of our storytime, I had my storytime friends go on a Dinosaur Hunt in the library. They each found a smaller black and white copy of the Book-a-saurus to take home and color. I also provided them with a completely put-together egg to be decorated any way they wanted and a popsicle stick to make their dinosaur into a puppet.

Besides being a fun puppet to sing and play with, I told the families that each "Book-a-saurus" needed to be read to every day. I gave them 7 star stickers each and told them to add a sticker to the egg each day that they read to their new friend. Once they have added 5 to 7 stars, they can bring the egg back to the library and receive a special dinosaur prize! The adults loved this idea. It is a great way to encourage the families to read each day! ;o)

Well, that's it for my Saturday Share. If you make your own "Book-a-sarus", I would love to hear about it and see a picture or two. 

Have fun!

And, as always,

HAPPY READING TOGETHER!