Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
How do Dinosaurs Eat their food?
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Picture Book Series
For ages 2 to 5
Scholastic, 2005 ISBN: 978-0439241021
There are times when it is absolutely and positively trying to be a parent. Think of the mornings when your dinosaur belches loudly after he has eaten his pancakes. And what about those occasions when you go to a restaurant and he wriggles and squirms in his seat. Don't forget the times when he spits out his broccoli and glares at you when you bring over his plate of food.
Of course... things don't have to be this way. Dear me no. The way a dinosaur eats his food can be an altogether different experience. The dinosaur can be pleasant, polite and he can say "Please" and "Thank you." He can try new things and keep his food on his plate and not on the floor (or the ceiling).
Every parent will smile as this book is read, for at least one of things the naughty dinosaurs do will be familiar. For children the book will not only be funny – because the dinosaurs and their antics are funny – but they also just might see how annoying bad behavior at the table can be. For a change they will be seeing things from the outside and my goodness, how different things look when you are not doing them yourself. Of course, you take the risk that your little dinosaur may get some tips from the dinosaurs in this book, so be careful about serving up spaghetti and meatballs any time soon.
Deliciously funny illustrations and a minimal rhyming text in large print combine to make this a winning picture book for reading out loud. Beginner readers will find the text not too challenging and will be able to look at the illustrations for clues to help them read the words.
