How to Raise a Dinosaur is an adorable picture book for children between the ages of 4 and 8. Natasha Wing provides a guide for children who want a pet, with practical advice about selecting a pet of an appropriate size and making sure they walk, feed, and clean up after them. Well, the advice would be practical if the pet wasn’t a dinosaur, but because the prehistoric creature is the pet in question, Wing advises them to have a bulldozer on hand to pick up its droppings! (And of course, there’s an illustration for that.)
The Girl (age 10) has loved dinosaurs since she was a toddler. We have tons of dinosaur picture books, scientific books, figures, puzzles, and paleontologist kits. So even though she’s a bit old for this book, I thought we’d enjoy it anyway. And we did. And of course, she wishes she could have a pet dinosaur…but she’ll have to settle for the goldfish.
Pablo Bernasconi’s illustrations are filled with warm colors that bring the story to life. We also enjoyed taking turns with the flaps on nearly every page that open various doors and even the dinosaur itself to reveal its skeleton.
How to Raise a Dinosaur is a cute book (so cute that when I told The Girl she should pass it on to her two-year-old cousin, she refused) that will engage children’s imaginations and even set them on the right track toward responsible pet ownership — but hopefully with a more manageable animal.
Disclosure: We received a copy of How to Raise a Dinosaur from Running Press Kids for review purposes. I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Sounds like a cute book she can read to her little cousin…I bet he’d like it.
LikeLike
I think he would, too. It’s too bad we don’t live closer so she could read it to him.
LikeLike
That sounds adorable. I bet little ones giggle at the bulldozer part!
LikeLike
I’m sure they do. We sure did! 😉
LikeLike
Lol, sounds cute 🙂
LikeLike
It sure is!
LikeLike
Thanks for the review! And for not giving away the ending…
LikeLike
My pleasure! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
LikeLike
This one sounds like it could make a great Christmas present!
LikeLike
Definitely! I think my nephew would enjoy it.
LikeLike
Very cute indeed! Actually it is nice that kids have such books, so they can make wise decisions about which pets to have!
LikeLike
I like how the book takes pet ownership seriously and at the same time it doesn’t, what with the dinosaur and all. Children will learn something while laughing.
LikeLike
LOL! Your girl sounds like my oldest daughter when she was younger! When the teachers wanted to know how to pronounce the name of a certain dino, Gloria was their go-to-girl. 20 now, she still has all her dinosaurs, packed away for her own someday-kids. 🙂
The book sounds perfect for those considering a new family pet!
LikeLike
That’s how I was! I passed on all my dino books to The Girl and she has a bigger collection than I did when I was her age.
LikeLike
[…] How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Pablo […]
LikeLike
[…] Lovelace 96. Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace 97. Heidegger’s Glasses by Thaisa Frank 98. How to Raise a Dinosaur by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Pablo Bernasconi 99. Therefore Choose by Keith Oatley 100. Falling […]
LikeLike