How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? [Paperback]

Jane Yolen (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Series: How Do Dinosaurs

The popular HOW DO DINOSAURS! series continues with a hilarious look at dinosaurs at dinner time! When dinosaurs eat their food, what do they do? This book runs through the gamut of mealtime bad behaviour, satisfyingly concluding with impeccably behaved dinosaur dinner guests: 'Eat up. Eat up, little dinosaur.' A sure-fire winner with parents of young children -- it will be an invaluable help with meal time manners.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Another addition to the humorous series that began with How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? (Scholastic, 2000). In the first part of the book, dinosaurs burp, belch, and display all kinds of other inappropriate behaviors during breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Spinosaurus doesn't eat all his food...[he spits] out his broccoli partially chewed. Quetzalcoatlus fusses, fidgets, and squirms in his chair in a restaurant, while Amargasaurus flips his spaghetti high into the air. But, is this the way that dinosaurs should act? Of course not. So, a very genteel Cryolophosaurus says please and thank you while sitting very still, Lambeosaurus tries everything at least once, and Spinosaurus never drops anything onto the floor. In the last image, a very proper Cryolophosaurus–with pinky in the air–daintily eats his pancakes. The book is great fun, and sure to be popular with dinosaur lovers. Hidden in the illustration on each page is the proper name of the reptile portrayed therein. Teague's gouache-and-ink illustrations contain just the right amount of detail and whimsy, and they are large enough for storytime sharing. Children not yet old enough to read will still enjoy looking at the pictures by themselves.–Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. After a brief foray into board books, the founders of the How Do Dinosaurs . . . dynasty return to the picture-book format of How Do Dinosaurs Say Good-Night? (2000) and How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon? (2003) with an entry on another familiar parent-child minefield--mealtime. These terrible lizards have correspondingly terrible table manners; they burp, hurl spaghetti, and gleefully shove green beans up a giant reptilian nostril. Subsequent scenes of dinos "sit[ting] quite still" and beaming with "smiles and goodwill" offer examples of correct behavior; but even the mealtime "don'ts" offer useful information in hand-painted labels identifying each kaleidoscopically patterned creature. Don't miss queztalcoatus screeching at a restaurant waitress, or upersaurus inspecting his nutritious supper (Teague emphasizes the enormity of the latter beast through clever use of both on- and off-page space). Once again kids will chortle over Teague's clever images of adults dwarfed by toothy miscreants, and both parents and children will recognize the hilarious parallels with occasionally naughty human kids who loom dinosaur-large within their respective households. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007216092
• ISBN-13: 978-0007216093
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 8.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #354,896 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Do Dinosaurs Enjoy This New Book? Very Much!, September 14, 2005

By 

Heidi Anne Heiner (SurLaLune Fairy Tales.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? (Hardcover)

Jane Yolen and Mark Teague offer us a fifth "How Do Dinosaurs,,,?" title that is fresh and fun for both parents and children, fortunately back in hardcover format. Yolen's effortless text is once again perfectly matched with Teague's vivid illustrations of dinosaurs at meal time, first behaving badly and then with grace and charm. The formula has been proven effective in the previous titles but is far from trite or redundant even the fifth time around thanks to the talents of author and illustrator. Children also receive a message about manners that is far from didactic or dull, but couched in humor that parents should still enjoy after the umpteenth reading. Expect to have that umpteenth reading, too, since this one is sure to become a favorite.

I just introduced the title to a storytime group and the response was positive. Children and parents sat quietly, excited to see what the dinosaurs will do next. This book, like the others in the series, are perfect for large groups or just one on one time between parent and child.

Highest recommendation.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!, September 22, 2005

By 

T. Boyles "Kyle and Alexa's MOM" (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? (Hardcover)

My 5yr old son loves the dinosaur series.
This book is his new favorite!!!
It does address things like table manners and rude "noises" @ the table -- which is a great thing for a 5 yr old boy who thinks those noises are funny.

Get this and all the "How do Dinosaurs..." books!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My little dinosaurs eat this up with GUSTO!, November 2, 2005

By 

TwinMom (Grosse Pointe, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? (Hardcover)

I received this book as a gift from my cousin. She told me that buying books for my kids is scary because my husband is a published fantasy author...it's a bit like cooking for her brother, the Sous Chef.

Anyway, my 15-month-old twins have loved this book from the very start. Right now they don't understand all the words, but I enjoy reading it to them anyway. The dinosaurs' mannerisms are very apropos, so I get a laugh even though I read and reread the same 15 pages. They absolutely love the vibrant illustrations. Each time we read the book, they point out something new...a cat here, a dog there, the bib on a dinosaur.

Simply put, this is one of our whole family's favorites. I am buying copies to give other parents as gifts.