Young Reader Pick: Tiny and the Big Dig

Tiny and the Big Dig
by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Illustrated by Matt Myers
Scholastic Press
2018
32 pages
ISBN: 978054504292

Available January 30, 2018

Tiny and the Big Dig is a book with tremendous heart! Tiny is a small dog who loves to dig. Digging is hard work but don't let Tiny's size fool you! He is determined and strong. The cover depicts Tiny in all  his digging glory, his puppy face alive with elation as a surprised snail watches over him. A bird and a cat try to tell Tiny that he's too small to dig such a big hole, but Tiny just won't quit. Tiny's owner, a little boy, believes in his dog.

Tiny says, "I am little, yes, that's true/ But wait and see what I can do." Tiny finds every kind of bone but believes there is a very, very big bone yet to be discovered. Young readers will squeal with delight when they see the bone Tiny discovers! (Spoiler alert: it's a dinosaur).

Tiny and the Big Dig is fun and written in rhyme that young ones will learn more of  each time they read. This is likely to be their favorite bedtime story. For those who are too little or too weak, Tiny is like the little engine that could. He never gives up! This is a lesson children need to learn.

Sadly, you can't buy Tiny and the Big Dig for Christmas since it's on sale January 30, 2018, but put it on your list for a Valentine's Day or Easter gift for that special little one you know.

Highly, HIGHLY recommended. This is the book that you and your children will LOVE.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Picture Book Pick: Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner

Never Ask a Dinosaur to Dinner
by Gareth Edwards
Illustrations by Guy Parker-Rees
Scholastic Press
2015 (Published in U.K. 2014)
32 pages
ISBN:9780545812962

read an excerpt

Clever rhyming content is matched with winsome and whimsical illustrations and the outcome is amazing and entertaining. A boy tries to discover which animal would be the best one for comfort at bedtime. Fierce animals like sharks, tigers and bison all have drawbacks as bedtime pals. Some animals are too loud, or too pointy, or too growly. The boy finds out that his own teddy bear is the best animal to take to bed and that counting sheep will put him fast asleep.  You won't want to ask a dinosaur to dinner, "...because a T. rex is ferocious/and his manners are atrocious,/And you'll find that if he's able.../He will eat the kitchen table!"

Dinosaurs are always  winners with the younger set and this book is no exception. The smiling blue dinosaur on the cover is ready to sit down to dinner. He's got his bib on and holds a fork and knife. Never mind the mess he's made at his feet. The boy is waving to the dinosaur ignoring his own teddy bear who is reaching up to be held. No young reader is going to walk by this book without picking it up. The cover design alone will sell this title.

Highly, highly recommended for dinosaur lovers and anyone who likes a rhyming bedtime story.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Dinosaur Pick: How Dinosaurs Really Work

How Dinosaurs Really Work!
by Alan Snow
Illustrations by the author
Antheneum Books for Young Readers
2013
32 pages
ISBN: 9781442482944

Visit the author's awesome website Here Be Monsters

Terrific illustrations and taut, fun text will captivate young readers and dinosaur lovers. Readers will  learn about the different periods of dinosaurs, the types of terrible lizards (except that they weren't really terrible and that they are not lizards; dinosaurs, in fact, are related to birds!) and more fascinating facts from winsome author/illustrator Alan Snow.

Many dinosaurs weren't  even meat eaters; they ate plants! How terrible is that? Readers learn that some dinosaurs are 3 tons or more but their brain size was  only as big as a rabbit's brain. Poor T. Rex--he was not smart either. He probably only had simple thoughts like: I need to eat or go around that tree.

Some animals living today are as old as the dinosaurs and have managed to survive. Crocodiles and sharks lived back in the days of the dinosaurs, and sea urchins pre-date the first dinosaurs!

No one knows why the dinosaurs became extinct. There are different ideas: a change in the weather or climate could have caused them to go extinct or perhaps a new disease was introduced, killing them off.

Colorful, zany pen and ink  illustrations will draw young readers to this treasure of a book. It is sure to become a favorite bedtime read. Dinosaur lovers will likely memorize statistics of each dinosaur.

Highly, highly recommended ages 4-up and for all dino lovers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)