There's a Stegosaurus on the Stairs (What if a Dinosaur) by Symons, Ruth (2014) Hardcover

What If A Dinosaur

by Ruth Symons

Imagine if dinosaurs were alive today... How would they cope? Join Stegosaurus as she plays in the park, goes to a party, and tries bowling. Along the way, discover just how big, spiky, and colorful she really was! There's a Stegosaurus on the Stairs gives young readers a simple introduction to four dinosaur Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops. By imagining dinosaurs in modern-day scenarios, readers learn about their size, diet, and other features. For example, a Stegosaurus weighed as much as three cars -- so just imagine how it would play on a seesaw! The engaging question-and-answer format keeps young readers entertained and helps them understand and retain dinosaur facts.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Fiction

Hardcover

First published June 10, 2014

Reviews

[Nola Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This picture book starts with a bit of information about the Stegosaurus and then poses the question 'How would he cope with modern life?' For example, what if he went to the playground? Or on a school trip? Or the supermarket? For each question, there's a fun picture and comparisons (e.g. he'd need an animal the size of an elephant to balance on the see-saw). It's not a story as such, but more of an educational book.

[Jennifer B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stegosaurus seemed like a pretty cool dude.

[Stephanie Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awseome! It teaches facts about dinosaurs in a digestible way for young children. My toddler loved listening to this story, and I actually enjoyed reading it and learned a few things myself!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good concept executed well. I enjoyed this, and I didn't think I would.

[Maryam · Rating 3 out of 5]

BILINGUAL book set:
The dinosaur facts are presented in colorful cartoon-ish pictures, comparing their sizes and other features with things that even small children can relate to. For example:

"What if Diplodocus needed to take a shower? "What if Stegosaurus went on a school trip?

Diplodocus wouldn't fit in your shower. Stegosaurus would ALWAYS stay with the group.
But he might just fit in a car wash. Stegosaurus families lived in big herds, which
kept them safe from predators.
Diplodocus was 89 feet (27 meters) long.
That's the length of three buses!" So Stegosaurs knows it's NOT SAFE to wander
off!"

I read the T-rex title to some first graders; they liked it a lot. I haven't read any of the others to kids, though. I myself have read through them, and it seems to me there are some kind of odd translation decisions that were made--not enough to put me off them, but enough that I wish somebody else would see what she thinks.

[Cai · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a stegosaurus on the stairs!

This book is great for factual comparisons on what a stegosaurus would be like in the modern world. Daddy loved that it was understandable for children.

We borrowed this book from the local library.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cleverly written. It was a cute read. Young children will love this

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and informative! Can read a little or a lot and invite storytimers to talk with you about what they hear/see. Would make a welcome non-fiction addition to a dinosaur storytime!