Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!

I love books about dinosaurs! The more the better - so I was ecstatic when two show up in my review basket.
themes: dinosaurs, imagination, adventure

Never Follow a Dinosaur
by Alex Latimer
32 pages; ages 4 - 8
Peachtree Publishers, 2016

One afternoon, Joe and his sister Sally spotted a strange set of footprints.

When Sally asks who made them, Joe is certain they are dinosaur footprints. The intrepid duo set out to follow them. They pass by the empty pet food dish. "It must be a very hungry dinosaur," said Sally.

What I like about this book: you can almost hear the scary music building in the background as Sally and Joe follow footprints that indicate a hungry, heavy dinosaur. They follow clues that lead them to think the dino has been dancing, swimming... and then they decide to build a trap. Then they learn that hungry dinosaurs should be left alone.

Author/illustrator Alex Latimer takes on dinosaurs in a fun way. You can see some of his artwork at his website, and read reviews of his previous books, Pig and Small and Lion vs Rabbit.

Dinosaurs in Disguise
by Stephen Krensky; illus. by Lynn Munsinger
32 pages; ages 4-7
HMH Books for Young Readers, 2016 (out Nov. 1)

Most people believe that dinosaurs are long gone.
But not me.

The young narrator of this tale is certain that the dinosaurs that ruled the earth for millions of years could have survived the impact of an asteroid. They're not extinct, just smart enough to stay hidden - especially once humans emerged on the planet.

What I like about this book: the imaginative ways that dinosaurs could blend in to our modern world. "You can find them if you look hard enough," says the narrator - and he sees them everywhere, from traffic light supports to department store Santas. As he imagines dinos in the present era, he realizes that humans might have to clean up the place a bit before the dinos come out of hiding.

Beyond the books:

Cut out some dinosaur footprints and create a trail for a friend to follow. Here's one way, and here's another. Check out these dinosaur footprints found in Australia just last month! You could also cut some dinosaur footprints into a potato and make potato-print trails ... perhaps a birthday card or a treasure map where footprints lead to the treasure.

Find places dinosaurs might hide if they were in disguise. Are there places in your neighborhood? Could they be disguised as workers? Lamp posts? Draw a picture showing how you would hide if you were a dinosaur.

Make a picnic and invite a dinosaur along. If you are wondering what dinosaurs eat, check out Archimedes Notebook for ideas. 

Today is PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies provided by publishers.