Book Review: What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night: A Very Messy Adventure

WHAT THE DINOSAURS DID LAST NIGHT: A VERY MESSY ADVENTURE by Refe Ruma and Susan Tuma describes the chaos that ensues when toy dinosaurs come to life.

Told through cleverly staged photographs, the narrator speaks directly at readers describing what happens in one home when the plastic dinosaurs come out at night. From raiding the refrigerator to painting the walls, the dinosaurs wreak havoc. When everything returns to normal, readers are told not to be fooled.

A note at the end of the book explains the origin of the idea and how it became an international sensation known as Dinovember, the month when plastic dinosaurs come to life.

Librarians will have a blast working with youth to create their own dinosaur adventures in the library. Get out the digital cameras and have some fun!

To enjoy many more plastic dinosaur photos, go to http://dinovember.tumblr.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/dinovember/.

Published by Little Brown, an imprint of Hachette on October 20, 2015. Review copy courtesy of the publisher.

Book Review: The Small World of Paper Toys

THE SMALL WORLD OF PAPER TOYS by Gérard Lo Monaco is a wonderful work of paper engineering.

The ten meticulously produced scenes take readers through a toy room adventure. Each page features the title of the toy, an active exclamation, and a short scenario. Young readers will enjoy seeing each of the paper toys reappear at the end of the book.

Although the story is designed for young children, the book is likely to appeal to older youth who enjoy well-constructed pop-up books. The precision required to produce a high-quality movable book is immense making this book more durable than most.

Librarians will find this charming movable book to be a wonderful addition to their pop-up collections. Like other fragile works, it’s likely that pieces may need to be repaired over time, particularly the see-saw page. However, it’s well worth the hassle given the value of the experience for young readers. For older youth, consider creating a display that incorporates this book along with works that demonstrate paper engineering techniques to encourage students to create their own books.

Published by Little Gestalten on October 25, 2015.