Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Board Book Series
For age 2 to 4
Scholastic, 2004 ISBN: 0439649501
We all have those times when we just don’t feel like cleaning our rooms, when we would much rather stuff our dirty clothes back in a drawer or hide “old jammies behind bathroom doors.” Funnily enough little dinosaurs seem to be immune to this tendency. Whether they are a velociraptor or a dilophosaurus, little dinosaurs do all their “chores” picking up and putting things away. Of course Mama and Papa are delighted by this wonderful behaviour.
This charming little board book is a perfect tool to use to remind little people about how cleaning up should be done. By using dinosaurs are the protagonists, the lesson is neither heavy-handed nor preachy. Instead it is fun and one can foresee many children taking on their chores with new relish because by doing so they are cleaning up in the dinosaur way. With a little roar here and a growl there, chores will be done in no time at all.
Mark Teague’s delightful dinosaurs are funny and definitely child-like in their expressions, looking decidedly mischievous when they are cheating on their chores, and glowing with pride when they have done something that Mama and Papa can be proud of.
