Shapeasaurus by Megan E. Bryant

by Megan E. Bryant

In this new series of concept-based, shaped dinosaur board books, little ones will learn dinosaur names for every letter of the alphabet, identify bold shapes, practice counting skills, and discover the bright colors in the dinosaur world. Both kid-friendly and educational, these board books make reading and playtime fun for the whole family!

Genres: Dinosaurs, Childrens, Picture Books, Animals

Board Book

First published October 17, 2012

About the author

I've counted books among my friends for as long as I can remember. I was born in Santa Monica, California, though that beautiful city is just one of many places I've called home; my family moved ten times before I graduated from high school. Moving so frequently gave me many opportunities to experience new places, meet new people, and make new friends . . . but it could be lonely, too, especially while I adjusted to a new town or school. When I felt homesick for people and places far away, I knew that I could always turn to my books, familiar friends who traveled everywhere I did. Reading so much inspired me to write my own stories and poems, on topics ranging from birds and snowflakes to castles and talking pasta (really!).

Looking back, all that reading and writing was the perfect preparation for my dream job: writing for children and young adults. I moved to New York City for college and after graduating from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Literature, I worked as a children's book editor for five years. Another move—this time with my husband—led me to close my eyes, hold my breath, and take the leap to become a full-time writer. It was the best decision I ever could've made.

I've lived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for five years (that's almost a record for me) with my family, and I thank my lucky stars every day for the good fortune to write for kids and teens.

When I'm not writing, I'm . . .
Knitting obsessively, just like my grandmother did (if there's a knitting gene, I got it from her)
Drinking another pot of tea
Doodling on a 3 x 5 index card
Attempting to decipher the cryptic Post-It notes stuck to my desk
Reading voraciously, especially nonfiction or current events
Cooking vegetarian food (or, more likely, making dessert)
Trying to save my garden from a fearless band of marauding squirrels
Cuddling with my cat and wrestling with my dog
Covering my kids with kisses
(copied from the author's website)

Reviews

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book for children who love dinosaurs and spotting shapes that are naturally integrated in the illustrations.

[Raimy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pages in Shapeasarus tell us a story of three baby t-rex’s from the time of hatching - from their oval eggs - to sleeping on square rocks, looking at stegosaurus’ with diamond plates and them chomping on bones with their triangle teeth. Its a sweet little tale from them being born to them having their own nests with more oval shaped eggs and I really enjoyed it.

The books (Countasaurus, Shapeasaurus, Alphasaurus and Colorasaurus) are quite big, I’d say around A4 landscaped size but they are made into shapes reflecting the dinosaurs on the front which I thought was a really great idea. EAch book has a different dinosaur in a different colour and although you can tell the books are all form the same collection they each look exciting in their own way. Reading these to any child will depend on their interest in dinosaurs, the colours and pictures used and the age of the child. I think they would make great gifts for any child from around 18 to 30 months.

[Joella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book. It is a board book that teaches kids about shapes. Some colorful dinosaurs hatch out of OVAL eggs. Then they go and explore the dinosaur world around them and discover all sorts of other shapes: circles, squares, triangles, crescents, diamonds, etc. Even the youngest readers will enjoy looking at these pictures and pointing out the dinosaurs.

I like how this is a board book, so it is perfect for the intended audience. I also like how the discussed shapes have an extra heavy, black outline around the shapes so that youngsters can see the shape stand out against the other dinosaur backdrops. And I particularly enjoyed how the book comes full circle, indicating that eventually these young dinos (and the kids reading about them) will grow up and will then be able to help younger dinosaurs understand about shapes as well.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tyrannosaurus Rex is the star of this concept book that introduces readers to shapes. Not only are the colors and textures in the illustrations attractive to the senses, but the shapes aren't the simple ones readers might expect. There are oval, round (circle), square, crescent, diamond and cone shapes to explore as well as stars, rectangles, and triangles. While the dinosaurs are cute, they also display their characteristic fierceness. I also liked the circular style to the book's format, beginning and ending with those oval-shaped eggs and the sound of their hatching.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. It's not a bad book but something is keeping me from falling in love with it. I think I wish the story had something more, I realize its intended to teach young children shapes, but it could still have a strong story arc. The size of the book is nice, making it easy for toddlers to flop through, and the illustrations are nice. My 1 1/2yr old seems to like it, but he is particularly fond of T-Rexes. Decent book for a young dinosaur lover, not my first choice for teaching shapes.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job showcasing shapes within a story involving dinosaurs growing up. I like how a few non-standard shapes are included and that the shapes are clearly and boldly outlined on the pages.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like that the shapes are outlined heavily to make them obvious on each page.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about dinosaurs and shapes.