Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4^-6. The text is sweet and simple--just right for the wonderful pictures that really make this picture book special. Teague's art takes dinosaurs out of their usual context and plops them into bed (a rather comical fit) for a sleepy-time tale with a difference. Endpapers introduce the critter cast in all their gorgeous glory: tyrannosaurus rex, dimetrodon, and more, in vivid, yet still earthbound colors. Prima donna dinos, they yawn and fuss and throw toys about, procrastinating (just like real kids) any way they can as human Moms and Dads, ready to put "baby" to bed, look on in various stages of impatience, anger, and surprise. The whimsical expressions on the "children's" faces give solid clues to the joke. By cleverly varying his perspectives, Teague adds dramatic punch to the pictures--readers watch from above as one behemoth baby whips its neck from side to side; they watch from below when another stamps its huge feet; and they're face to face with one snoozing T-rex hugging its teddy bear close. Alert lookers will notice the dino's name incorporated somewhere into each picture--pteranodon is neatly spelled out in blocks on the floor. A delight from start to finish; better buy more than one. --Stephanie Zvirin
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set to a lilting bedtime beat, this rollicking rumpus of a tale ups the humor ante in a familiar scenario by substituting dinosaurs for children: "How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light?" In a series of snappy lines, Yolen (Off We Go!, reviewed above; Queen's Own Fool, reviewed below) highlights a variety of postponement antics, some familiar (moping, sulking and demanding "one book more!"), some of a distinctly dinosaur variety--"Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about?" Teague makes hay with the text, and as always his illustrations are a flurry of sly madcap inspiration. He chooses the winged Pteranodon (spelled out in ABC blocks on the bedroom floor) as the character who throws his teddy bear while flying about the room; for "Does he swing his neck from side to side" it's the snake-headed Apatosaurus who does the swinging. Under his sure direction, the sight gag never grows stale, and the sight of a T-Rex puckering up for a kiss, or an enormous Stegosaurus crammed into a tiny bed and daintily turning off the light switch with the tip of his tail, is sure to elicit giggles. As the endpapers reveal, there's a cast of 10 dinosaurs featured here, and sharp eyes will enjoy spotting their proper names tucked into each illustration. This rib-tickling bedtime fare packs plenty of appeal. Ages 2-up. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Jane Yolen's fantasy bedtime poem (Scholastic, 2000) about how dinosaurs behave when getting ready to go to bed is even more delightful as a video than as a book. It has been transformed by the addition of animation and additional scenes of young children turning into monstrous dinosaurs when their parents say that it is bedtime. While in the book version a human father, and later a human mother, talk to their dinosaur offspring, in the video viewers see the human children-which never appear in the book-become dinosaurs as they resist going to bed. The color and animation are absolutely superb and capture perfectly the intense colors of Mark Teague's original illustrations. There are ten accurately detailed dinosaurs used and identified in the story. Each one eventually becomes a cuddly child. Yolen narrates the video, bringing to this simple poem a veteran parent's understanding of the nightly delaying actions of so many young children. While it can be used as a teaching tool on proper bedtime behavior and attitudes, children will simply relate to the humorous, childlike behavior of the various dinosaurs. How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? will become a family and classroom classic.-Linda Skeele, Western Elementary School, Georgetown, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor when Papa and Mama announce that it's bedtime? No, dinosaur children are perfectly behaved when they say good night. Readers, however, will recognize the temper tantrum and stalling antics described in this rhyming bedtime story. The lively perspectives in the colorful full-bleed illustrations show different kinds of dinosaurs responding to their human parents. From HORN BOOK Fall 2000, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Huge, fanciful dinosaurs confront their parents at bedtime in this playful romp. How does a dinosaur act when Papa comes in to say it's bedtime? "Does he slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about?" Teague's paintings tell the story. First the father appears at the child's door and reacts with surprise, or anger, or shock to each described behavior. Then, the mothers take over. Of course, dinosaurs don't really act that way. They turn off the light, go quietly to bed, and give extra hugs and kisses to their parents. Teague's humorous, detailed, and colorful paintings give the context to Yolen's simple verse. Each huge dinosaur lives in a child's bedroom surrounded by familiar toys, books, and pets that sometimes bear the brunt of the dinosaur's temper. One fearful dog wraps his body around the bedpost when his Trachodon shouts for one more book. Dinosaurs tower over their bemused, bewildered, or distressed ethnically diverse parents who range in age from young to middle aged, just as in real life! After they learn the names of each of the species pictured on the endpapers, children may enjoy finding their names hidden in the illustrations each time a new species is introduced. Verse and illustration are beautifully matched in these bedtime scenarios familiar to all parents of young children. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
