Library Notes/April 15, 2010
Dara L. Cain

Stomp into a First-Rate Children’s Book

Boys and girls alike are fascinated with dinosaurs. There is just something intriguing about the prehistoric animals that roamed the earth millions of years ago. Mentioned below are some notable dinosaur books that are sure to captivate any child’s attention and are available at the Rowan Public Library.

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland is a fun and educational dinosaur counting book for young children. Count back from ten to one as the silly dinosaurs in the story stomp, play, swing, and dance until at long last only one slumberous dinosaur remains. Children will be so taken with the colorful dinosaurs and their mischievous ways that they may not even realize they are learning subtraction.

While purchasing donuts at the store a young boy’s dreams come true when he learns that today only every store is giving away a real dinosaur with each purchase. Things couldn’t be more perfect until the young boy realizes that he must come up with an innovative way to convince his mother to let him keep his new dinosaur friends in the picture book When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Elise Broach.

Jamie and his friend Tom discover a cave that transports them into a prehistoric world filled with dinosaurs in the book Attack of the Tyrannosaurus. Join them in this action pact story and they encounter a friendly wannanosaurus to the frightful Tyrannosaurus Rex who can’t wait to devour the two young boys. To learn of their daring escape and to experience more adventures with Jamie and Tom be sure to read the chapter books in the Dinosaur Cove series by Rex Stone.

If your child loves getting their hands on factual information about dinosaurs here are some great titles that won’t disappoint. Dinosaur Days is an easy reader book by Joyce Milton. This book provides a simple introduction to specific dinosaurs including the popular Ankylosaurus, Brontosaurus, and Stegosaurus. What makes this book accessible to children is the large type font, the phonetic pronunciation of the dinosaurs, and the large illustrations that accompany the text.
After reading Dinosaurs! by Gail Gibbons children will be familiar with the amazing theories surrounding dinosaur extinction, their unique characteristics, and their diverse habitats. They will also learn about the helpful clues that dinosaur fossils have provided to paleontologists about dinosaur eggs, nests, their babies, what they ate and much more.
Sure to be an eye catcher is the book Extreme Dinosaurs written by Robert Mash with the yellow glass dinosaur eye embedded in its cover. This appealing book doesn’t stop there as children will be immersed in this colorful and interactive book with its pull-tabs, flaps, and foldouts full of detailed information. A dinosaur quiz is also provided towards the end of the book to test your knowledge.