[alert variation=”alert-info”]Publisher: Scholastic Press
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble[/alert]
The children’s book Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner by Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees is a rhythmic tale about a little boy and the animals he warns to not invite over before bedtime. As the boy is going through his evening routine he tells readers why not to perform certain tasks with certain animals and what would happen if you do.
This book seems to be aimed for children ages 8 and up. At first the author made it seem like it was going to be about the dinosaur specifically as that’s the title of the book, but in reality it’s an arrangement of different animals (dinosaur included) that the author writes about. Its very rhythmic wording gives it a sing-song ambiance and the author sometimes utilizes large words like nocturnal, ferocious and atrocious, which would be a good way to learn how these words work in sentence structure but may leave younger children confused without any definition from parents.
The illustrations drawn by Guy Parker-Rees are fantastic. The bright yellow cover draws a child’s attention to it. Inside bright mixed media and palettes of colors are utilized to keep a child’s attention and draw focus into each page. The spacing and organization of the wording between the negative space around the drawings fills the whole page with action so that there is no wasted regions. The simplicity of the drawings with the scribble and crayon effects give this book an age appropriate feel.
The slipcover’s outer layer is wax coated to make it more resistant to water but the inner coating of the slipcover and the pages seems less waxy and overall less resistant to water so if a spill occurs, cleanup needs to be immediate. The slipcover and the pages are prone to wear and tear though the wax covering does strengthen it a bit.
Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner is a very entertaining rhythmic tale for children 8 and up. The illustrations are very well done and enjoyable to look at. With proper care and handling this book will stand the test of time.
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