Customer Reviews

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

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

 

 

The felt dinosaurs are cute for sure, but the first time I read it I got hung up on some of the dinosaur names! YES! I DID! Now, I'm adult and I know my basic dinosaurs--which is what I expected to find in this book. First there was the Stegosaurus (okay, I know that one) but then came names like Camarasaurus (huh?) and the Parasaurolophus (whoa, wait? huh? I couldn't even begin to pronounce that one!). There were some other basics like the Triceratops and the Pterodactyl...but then instead of calling it a Tyrannosaurus (a real name like the others), they simply call him Rex the Wrecker.

So, while the book was cute, I have to only give it three stars because of the (in my opinion) way too advanced dinosaur names. For a kiddie book like this, I would have expected something a little more conventional.

**NOTE: I didn't pay close enough attention to the Editorial Review... In it, it says "A turn of the page reveals a plethora of information that will hold the attention of dinosaur fans. Even better are the Meet the Dinosaurs pages that identify the reptiles from the story, offering pronunciation guides and brief facts on each." But that is for the HARDCOVER version only, not the boardbook version.

My 3 yr old loves this book. He loves to hear the story and the pictures are eye-catching. There's an adorable little snail that's hidden on each page and my son just thinks it's the neatest thing finding the snail each time we read the book together. I definitely recommend this book for any dinosaur lovin' toddler!

I loved dinosaurs as a kid, so I find this to be a fun book to read to my daughter. The thing is, my daughter is 9 months old, but she will stare at the pictures of this book while I read it to her- without trying to eat it. So there is something about the pictures and sound of the story that holds her attention. It's a quick read, and there is a hidden snail to find on every page that I think will be an added benefit to the story when she is older. I have but one complaint with the book... and I know this is super trivial (and maybe a little nerdy), but I don't like that Tyrannosaurus Rex is called "Rex the Wrecker." He's the only species that doesn't have his real name listed... but as she can't read yet, I get to call him whatever I like.

I had the board book version of "Secret Seahorse" by the same authors, which is one of our favorites, so I bought a couple of others in the same series. The illustrations are done with beautiful stitched collage, which I really enjoy studying as I'm reading the text to my daughter for the umpteenth time. I elected to buy the hardcover because as some reviewers have noted, the hardcover version comes with some extra explanatory information in the back, whereas the board book version does not. But my 3-year-old isn't interested in the fine print yet, while I think an older child might find the illustrations babyish. So I think I should have stuck with the board book format.

Unlike another reviewer I'm glad that this book includes a couple of other dinosaurs beyond the tired repeated ones of Triceratops, Stegosaurus, etc. A Parasaurolophus (not hard to pronounce, just sound it out slowly! Pair-uh-sore-uh-loff-uss) is cool because it has a crest on its head that's hollow inside that it may have used like a trombone.

It's a nice addition to the library but we still like Secret Seahorse best.

Last Christmas, my 2-year old son was on a real dinosaur kick, so I bought him several dinosaur books for his gifts. Nearly 5 months later, I can say that not only has this been the biggest hit with both him and me - it's probably my favorite board book that we've owned through either of my children's early years. The "illustrations" are actually created from yarn and sequins and other crafting objects, and they are so unique and vibrant. We have other books with lovely illustrations, but this one really stands out b/c of how unique the medium used is.

And the book itself is so wonderful! It's got a lovely little rhythm, a cute story line, and is just the right length for a bedtime book. We read it nearly every night, and even I haven't gotten sick of it yet - which is saying a lot!

I would highly recommend this book for anyone with a pint-sized dinosaur fan to buy for. You won't regret it!

We stumbled upon this board book in our local library and I picked it up because, well, dinosaurs are awesome! My 15 month old daughter brings this book me to several times a day and demands I read it to her. We'll read it 3 or 4 times each sitting, and she points at all the dinosaurs and sequins. I even enjoy reading this one because the art in it is so creative. I love looking at how the artist used ribbons and rickrack and beads to make the dinosaurs. And the hidden snail! We've since purchased this book and several other by the publisher, Barefoot Books.

The reason this only gets 4 stars is because some of the dinosaur names were unusual and difficult for me to pronounce. I would expect to see more common names in a board book. Or at least a pronunciation guide. And what's with calling the T-rex "Rex the Wrecker"?

Our son is 1 year old and LOVES this book! He wants to read it every night. I love the storyline and it's rhythmic and fun to read. I also really love the artistry. What a great idea to create pictures with a needle and thread! I think it really adds to our son's interest in looking at the pictures - plus it introduces him to "crafts". P.S. Don't shy away from buying this book because others have said the names are hard to pronounce. If you get stumped, just look them up. You'll really miss out on a really great book, otherwise!

Cute book with clever and delightful illustrations, this book is fun to read to children.