Customer Reviews

Dinosaurs Are Back and It's All Your Fault Edward!

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Maybe we're a creepy household or maybe my two sons just identify with the brothers in the book, but my family has loved this book for a long time. The older brother's attempt to scare his younger brother is quite hilarious. But when the tables are turned on him, there is always a satisfied sigh and crooked grin from my younger son.

The illustrations are quite good - perfectly paired with the text. We've never had a problem with the scare factor, in fact for us, it was a great way to show how we can be our own worst enemy when we let our minds run away with a thought. But because the turn of events requires a little higher thinking, the cleverness may be lost on some youngsters.

Let me start by saying that I am not particularly interested in anodine children's fare, or over-sentimentalising. However, there were are couple of things about this book that made it less than successful in our household. First, because the story is told entirely in dialogue and no narration, it is a bit harder for a younger child to grasp the interaction between the characters. The adult reader would have to distinguish through voices if the child is not an independent reader. Second, it is quite scary - certainly too scary for our son at bedtime when he was a rather sensitive 5 year old. Nightmare territory! Other kids might have no problems, but just a warning ... The story is quite entertaining, and after age 7, say, when children are able to think more abstractly, it might be a bigger success, when kids also like a bit of terror!

Probably best suited for 7-9 yrs? First, in fairness, it should be pointed out that the illustrations are top notch and, the story is certainly interesting. It could've worked for my 4 and 6 yr olds, if the author hadn't taken a left turn at the end, and made the story read like an Alfred Hitchcock bedtime story for adults. It has a very TWILIGHT ZONE ending, that will surely bring on the nightmares for younger children.

The story revolves around Edward, a youngster settling down in bed for the night, who is deluged with visions of scary dinosaur possibilites by his wacko, cruel, older brother who shares the same bedroom with Edward.

There are so many other childrens books that should be read before this one. Save this for the later years.

This is a great book, I was surprised to see that it was illustrated by Niki Daly - the illustrations are very much in the style of Aridzzione(sp) sorry - I just can't remember how to spell his name. They are great. Lots of detail but also lots to be seen in the background down with what seems to be pen and ink and then watercoloured.

My under 5 year old girls really enjoy this book. It is conciously witty - about what would happen if a dinosaur egg hatched - having to bring it up - house train it, stop it from eating aunts and neighbours, and taking it to school.

Although it revolves around 2 brothers, it is appeals to younger girls as well. They are requesting this book a lot lately. I would have thought it would be scary for them, but they don't seem to be bothered by the 'threat' of dinosaurs coming back and taking away bossy older brothers.

I am definitely going to look for more books by Wendy Hartmann and Niki Daly, but anything illustrated by Niki Daly is an absolute must for me. I am not sure if it is that the illustrations do remind me of the books I used to read as a child or because they are so clever. What I do know is that I like them and my children like them and that is a wonderful thing!

I don't understand why they have to use the word "stupid" in the book. I am aware most of us use that kind of language once in a while but at least I don't expect to find this kind of vocabulary in a book for kids. I believe the word "silly" could have been used instead. The scary part doesn't even bothers me as the use of this word. I mean, I keep saying my kids they don't have to use those kinds of words and then I am going to read it for them in a book. That just doesn't make any sense.