How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen

  I am so happy to come back from my vacation with this book! The entire How Do Dinosaurs series has become one of our favorites in this house, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night is the first in this amazing series by Jane Yolen! 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night tackles some of the difficulties parents experience while trying to put their children to sleep at night, like begging for another story or throwing a tantrum, in a creative rhyming story about dinosaurs! The thought of dinosaurs pouting, throwing their toys, or yelling angrily are sure to have reluctant sleepers giggling, and the amazing illustrations by Mark Teague will show them how silly such behavior look from big dinosaurs...or little children.

After moping and stomping and pouting and shouting the reader learns that No, that's not how dinosaurs behave! The prehistoric models in this story set a wonderful example by happily turning out the lights and giving Mama and Papa loving kisses and hugs, showing our little readers the right way to say good night. 

I absolutely adore this book, and it is a favorite of my son, who wants to hear it several times a day, not just bed time. I love how in this story, as well as the other How Do Dinosaurs books, Jane Yolen gives examples both of what not to do and what to do in wonderful rhyming script that both catches children's attention and is fun to read as an adult. And there is nothing quite as funny as seeing a Tyrannosaurus Rex throw a tantrum as his much smaller, human parents look on.

Not only is it an amazing little story, but the illustrations are both comical and beautiful! The idea of big dinosaurs with little human mommies and daddies is absurd, but creative and something little children can relate to. The colors are wonderful and the pictures are sure to catch the interest of even the littlest readers! (The big ones too! I've looked through this book several times after my son has gone to sleep, and I find something new in the pictures every time!)

One of my favorite things about the illustrations is that you can find the name of every dinosaur on the page with it. Sometimes it is cleverly hidden in some scattered blocks or a team banner on the wall, and sometimes just written across the bed post...but it's always right there for you when your little dinosaur asks "What's that one called?!" Believe it or not, not all dinosaurs with long necks are called Brontosaurus and not all dinosaurs with teeth are the dreaded T-Rex!

I can not begin to recommend this book enough! We already have almost the entire series for our son, and I will get every book they publish in the How Do Dinosaurs series! Get it for your own Nook! You will not regret it!

If you are interested in learning more about Jane Yolen, her How Do Dinosaurs series, or any of the other over 300 books she has written, please check out her web page! If you would like to know more about author and illustrator, Mark Teague, you can look him up online for some great information!

Happy Reading!