Dinosaurs Don't Have Bedtimes!

by Timothy Knapman, Nikki Dyson (Illustrator)

Overview

A mom indulges her son’s fantasy play while gently steering him toward bedtime in a raucous ode to imagination.

“Dinnertime!” calls Mommy. Well, dinosaurs don’t have dinnertimes! They eat whatever they like (gobble, crunch!), make a dreadful mess, and hate to take baths and wear pajamas (where would their tails go?). Dinosaurs are much too big to play nicely—they rampage and stomp around and knock things down! But maybe they’d listen to a bedtime story, if it’s ROARY. . . . With exuberant illustrations merging bedtime routines with a little boy’s fantasy world—and showing Mom’s role in both—this ode to dinosaurs, wild imaginations, and cleverly won bedtime snuggles is sure to get roars of approval from kids and parents alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763689278
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	11/08/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD440L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Timothy Knapman is a children’s writer, lyricist, and playwright. His other books include Soon, illustrated by Patrick Benson, and Superhero Dad, illustrated by Joe Berger. Timothy Knapman lives in Surrey, England.

Nikki Dyson received a degree in illustration and went on to work for Hallmark and National Geographic Kids. The illustrator of a number of picture books for children, she lives in Swindon, England.

Editorial Reviews

In spite of the boy's poor behavior, no one will have any doubt of this mother's love as she tucks him tenderly in, the bright, busy digital illustrations speaking volumes.
—Kirkus Reviews

Knapman slips occasional alliteration and rhyme into the exchanges (“Towel!” “GROWL!”) to create a read-aloud-friendly cadence...When Bob Shea’s Dinosaur vs. Bedtime (2008) begins to pall, here’s an even wilder rumpus.
—Booklist Online

The dinosaurs and their foolish antics will delight young listeners. This book does provide some teachable lessons about the best way to act. A roaring good read-aloud for dinosaur lovers and parents who have little ones like Mo.
—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
PreS-Gr 1—Mo is a little boy who loves dinosaurs. Everything about him screams "dinosaur." He plays with toy dinosaurs. His clothes, towels, and pajamas are covered with pictures of dinosaurs. He even eats and acts like a dinosaur. Mo also has a vivid imagination and would rather play than do some of the things his mother would like him to do. Mo claims dinosaurs don't have dinnertime, bath time, or bedtime. He informs his mother that dinosaurs do not clean their claws or put toothpaste on their jaws. He likes to tell her how they hide in the jungle and don't play nice. His mother is very patient and gently guides him in the right direction. Even though he doesn't want to admit that he's hungry and sleepy, Mo does eat his dinner and gets ready for bed. This is a story that takes listeners inside Mo's imagination. Viewers see him as a little boy and as a silly dinosaur. The illustrations are large and colorful. The text is strategically placed so that the illustrations are the focal point. The dinosaurs and their foolish antics will delight young listeners. This book does provide some teachable lessons about the best way to act. VERDICT A roaring good read-aloud for dinosaur lovers and parents who have little ones like Mo.—Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA

School Library Journal

2016-08-17
A little boy intent on his dinosaur persona insists that dinosaurs don’t do the things his mother wants him to do. Dinnertime? Not for dinos! “They eat whenever they like,” according to Mo. The verso shows the two white redheads at the table, his mother sitting nicely and the little boy turned away from the table in his chair and messily using his hands to eat spaghetti and meatballs, green dinosaur-foot slippers on his feet. The recto shows the boy’s vivid imagination at work: a green dino with bare, very similar feet and with a red-striped belly to match the boy’s shirt crunches something unidentifiable in the midst of a jungle. This pattern continues throughout as the duo cleans up, takes a bath, dries off, puts on pajamas, plays, has a glass of milk, and heads to bed. While readers may be caught up in this boy’s admirable ability to pretend, adults will be wondering about this mom’s spine: Mo’s naughty antics get no more than a sigh, whether it’s crayon drawings on the wall or milk bubbles that cascade over the table. In spite of the boy’s poor behavior, no one will have any doubt of this mother’s love as she tucks him tenderly in, the bright, busy digital illustrations speaking volumes. No, dinos don’t have to do the same things that little boys do, including have any manners. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews