How to Take Care of Your Dinosaur
Jason Cockcroft, Author-Illustrator
Nosy Crow, Fiction, 2019
Suitable for Ages: 2-5
Themes: Dinosaur, Pet, Owner’s Guide, Humor, Friendship Imagination
Opening: Congratulations on your new dinosaur! When you first meet him, you might find that he is surprisingly shy. But don’t worry. He’ll soon come out of his shell!
Book Jacket Synopsis:
Taking care of your very own dinosaur can be a bit tricky at first. But if you follow a few simple guidlines, like making sure he gets plenty of food and exercise and remembering to clean up his gigantic poop, you may find you’ve made a lifelong friend.
Why I like this book:
What a hoot! How to Take Care of Your Dinosaur is both utterly delightful and an imaginative picture book for young children. Which means kids will be tickled by all the things the boy must do to care for his gigantic pet — starting with a healthy breakfast and trying to figure out how a shovel BIG dinosaur poop into a wheel barrel.
The text is written like a manual for owning and taking care of a pet, which can easily be translated into a guide for any child thinking about getting a new dog, hampster or cat.
The illustrations are oversized, as is the large green dinosaur, with his short legs and long tail. Each page is packed with fun details that children will have a grand time exploring. My favorites include the boy’s dog’s reaction to meal times, the poop, bath time and bedtime. Hilarious! And, make sure you check out the funny end papers of the delivery man.
Resources: This is a great read aloud at home or school! Let kid’s imaginations soar as you encourage them to draw a colorful picture of the dinosaur they might like to own. What color of dinosaur would they pick? What would they name their dinosaur? Where would their dinosaur live? Would they really want a dinosaur for a pet? Or would they prefer another animal for a pet like a crocodile, horse, giraffe, or elephant. Have fun with this book!
Jason Cockcroft was born in New Zealand and raised in England. He is the illustrator and author of more than forty books for children, and he illustrated U.K. covers for the last three books in the Harry Botter series. He’s very happy to live in Addingham, England, a beautiful city that sounds like church bells, smells like chocolate, and is invaded by Vikings all year round.
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