Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
How do Dinosaurs Play with their friends?
Illustrator: Mark Teague
Board Book Series
For ages 2 to 4
Scholastic, 2006 ISBN: 978-0439856546
Sometimes one doesn’t quite know what to do when a friend comes over to play. Sometimes it feels strange having someone else playing with your toys and you find yourself feeling like having a good “mope” and a “pout.” Sometimes you “refuse to share” your toys and all in all behave in a very unfriendly way.
Of course we all know that this is not the way to behave when you play with your friends. Instead you should be welcoming, you should share your toys and your games, and you should be a “good friend” whom everyone will enjoy being with.
In this amusing and understanding little book, the author and the illustrator show us that they know exactly how a play date between children can go wrong. They understand how a child might feel and how bad behavior can take over if one is not careful. Without being heavy handed, Jane Yolen reminds her readers how to be a good friend and by using little dinosaurs as her characters she adds humor and sympathy to her story. Little dinosaur fans will love these characters and quite unexpectedly they will learn a thing or two about good manners and friendship.
Mark Teague gives his little dinosaurs wonderful expressions which grownups will quickly recognize for they are the same expressions one sees on the faces of children. With lots of color and action filling the pages, Mark Teague’s dinosaurs will soon be firm favorites with young readers.
