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How Do Dinosaurs...?
How Do Dinosaurs Say I'm Mad?
Illustrations and rhyming text explore some of the things that dinosaurs might do when they are angry--and how they should control their tempers.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
13 people are currently reading
524 people want to read
About the author
Jane Yolen
971 books3,229 followersJane Yolen is a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who has written more than three hundred books. Her accolades include the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Awards, the Kerlan Award, two Christopher Awards, and six honorary doctorate degrees from colleges and universities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Born and raised in New York City, the mother of three and the grandmother of six, Yolen lives in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
July 1, 2017
A special gift for Neo upon his graduation, Neo's kindergarten teacher might have been sending a subliminal message with this one. ;) Told in an interesting rhyme pattern, the story seeks to learn what a dinosaur might do if anger enveloped them. Ignoring parents and tossing toys... roaring and tantruming... before learning the importance of apologies. Neo thought that he never acted like these prehistoric beasts. If only he could see the horns and roars that he seems to develop at the drop of a hat.
June 27, 2025
We all get 'dino-rage' once in awhile...just remember to say your sorry and everything will work out in the end. I saw myself as a young boy in this book; use to just go about doing what I wanted to do. I think it is important to watch for anger issues before a small child starts going to school; will really be a much easier transition!
February 18, 2022
I genuinely DO tend to like this series, but this one was frustrating. It never actually gives any way for a "dinosaur" to say they're mad. It tells you what not to do, then what to do is just count to ten, say sorry, and stop being mad (spoiler).
Being mad is allowed!!!! We should be teaching kids things they CAN do when mad rather than telling them the only solution is to stop being mad.
Being mad is allowed!!!! We should be teaching kids things they CAN do when mad rather than telling them the only solution is to stop being mad.
August 17, 2016
My youngest absolutely loves this book. He brings it to me to read to him at least 3 times a night.
October 18, 2014
This book probably has some of the funniest illustrations I've seen in a children's picture book. I may have found them more funny than my daughter did. This book shows dinosaurs (huge, HUGE dinosaurs) throwing tantrums in various household situations. That might sound off-putting at first, but it presents an opportunity for a child to view these behaviors in a non-emotional environment.
"Does he roar,
slam the door,
yell at Mom
or at Dad?"
- accompanies a huge albertosaurus spinning madly through a playroom while the Dad stands firmly to the side. I took the opportunity to ask my daughter, "Is that a good way to act?" She agreed that it wasn't. If you have a child who is having trouble with tantrums this can actually be a good way to address it rather than in the moment that YOUR child is doing this behavior when they are less receptive to rational reasoning. In the end, the book does assert that, "No, a dinosaur doesn't," and then covers all the good ways to handle angry feelings.
One other bonus is that each illustration includes the name of the dinosaur illustrated. If you have a dinosaur-crazy kid this can be a fun way to review all the different kinds.
"Does he roar,
slam the door,
yell at Mom
or at Dad?"
- accompanies a huge albertosaurus spinning madly through a playroom while the Dad stands firmly to the side. I took the opportunity to ask my daughter, "Is that a good way to act?" She agreed that it wasn't. If you have a child who is having trouble with tantrums this can actually be a good way to address it rather than in the moment that YOUR child is doing this behavior when they are less receptive to rational reasoning. In the end, the book does assert that, "No, a dinosaur doesn't," and then covers all the good ways to handle angry feelings.
One other bonus is that each illustration includes the name of the dinosaur illustrated. If you have a dinosaur-crazy kid this can be a fun way to review all the different kinds.
October 3, 2013
Another fantastic collaboration between Jane Yolen and Mark Teague in this perfect picture book collection for young readers. How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? shows children just how silly a dinosaur would look when they scream, throw a fit or pout. It’s not a far leap for parents to ask… “How silly do you think you look when you do that??" Probably just as silly as the dinosaur. A wonderful series that kids will want to read again and again. Love it!
Read
September 28, 2021This whole series is excellent in Spanish
October 2, 2013
This is another in the line of dinosaur books by Jane Yolen. Each one touches on a different thing that children are learning how to do and helps them to determine the best way to act in each situation. This most recent installment is about how to deal with the emotions of being mad. It is a great example of many of the ways children generally deal with anger, and helps them figure out how to better manage their feelings.
Read
March 20, 2019These books are always good.
November 12, 2019
A great piece of the How Do Dinosaurs series, this text focuses on social-emotional skills for children to learn through entertaining dinosaurs.
April 24, 2024
Cute, quick book that validates how and when kids get upset and have tantrums AND at the same time, help guide children to owning their tantrums and regulating.
March 19, 2017
LOVE!!!
Emotions. How to deal with being angry.
Emotions. How to deal with being angry.
March 21, 2017
A great book to teach children how to react to angering situations.
March 21, 2017
Great illustrations with a meaning. The story teaches children how to obey and respect others.
June 23, 2017
Toddlers as Dinosaurs? What an amazing idea! It's perfect.
The pictures in this book will capture your child's attention, and the outlandishly bad behavior of the dinosaurs that the two and three year old's you are reading to will instantly recognize as one of their own kind will leave an impression that will have them handing you this book to read to them again and again.
This book is part of a series of books that uses dinosaurs to help toddlers cope with things like bedtime and learn how to behave while playing with friends. And while this book is not as well executed as How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, it is a great launching point to discuss with your toddler and preschooler appropriate ways to express anger.
The majority of the book is taken up with descriptions and images of dinosaurs handling their anger poorly. They rip books, yell at their parents, and throw things at the cat. My two year old son's initial reaction was to be wide-eyed as he looked at the over-sized pages of these over-sized creatures misbehaving in over-sized ways. It made the point well: There are inappropriate ways to respond to anger.
Many parents are concerned that this book will give their child ideas. As a mom of seven, I can assure you that any child born with the temperament for such behavior doesn't need a book to teach them how to act upon it. Some of my children would never behave like this, and some of my children were very expressive and needed a lot of help identifying and learning to properly deal with their emotions. Temperament is everything; you cannot teach it.
The last few pages of the book offer some basic solutions for the child dealing with anger: counting to ten, breathing calmly, picking up their mess, saying "I'm sorry." I'm glad the author was not too specific with the way children "should" react to their anger, since every child and family is different, as is every circumstance. (Examples of what not to do can easily be things your child would not do without creating any confusion for the child.)
Instead of looking to the book to teach your child specifically what they should do when they are mad, may I suggest parents use this book as a launching point and discuss alternatives to each undesirable behavior featured--perhaps not in the first few readings, and not every page at every reading, but a little here and a little there as would benefit your child.
Overall, I think this is a book worth owning if your child struggles with how to behave appropriately when mad. Remember, for a child of two to four years, not getting to play with the toy you want or go to the park is as heartbreaking (based on lack of life experience) as you being passed up for promotion or discovering your car has broken down in the middle of nowhere. Of course you don't throw a mug at a co-worker or rip up the owner's manual to your vehicle, but someone had to teach you that. Call your parents and thank them, and then purchase this book for your child.
The pictures in this book will capture your child's attention, and the outlandishly bad behavior of the dinosaurs that the two and three year old's you are reading to will instantly recognize as one of their own kind will leave an impression that will have them handing you this book to read to them again and again.
This book is part of a series of books that uses dinosaurs to help toddlers cope with things like bedtime and learn how to behave while playing with friends. And while this book is not as well executed as How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?, it is a great launching point to discuss with your toddler and preschooler appropriate ways to express anger.
The majority of the book is taken up with descriptions and images of dinosaurs handling their anger poorly. They rip books, yell at their parents, and throw things at the cat. My two year old son's initial reaction was to be wide-eyed as he looked at the over-sized pages of these over-sized creatures misbehaving in over-sized ways. It made the point well: There are inappropriate ways to respond to anger.
Many parents are concerned that this book will give their child ideas. As a mom of seven, I can assure you that any child born with the temperament for such behavior doesn't need a book to teach them how to act upon it. Some of my children would never behave like this, and some of my children were very expressive and needed a lot of help identifying and learning to properly deal with their emotions. Temperament is everything; you cannot teach it.
The last few pages of the book offer some basic solutions for the child dealing with anger: counting to ten, breathing calmly, picking up their mess, saying "I'm sorry." I'm glad the author was not too specific with the way children "should" react to their anger, since every child and family is different, as is every circumstance. (Examples of what not to do can easily be things your child would not do without creating any confusion for the child.)
Instead of looking to the book to teach your child specifically what they should do when they are mad, may I suggest parents use this book as a launching point and discuss alternatives to each undesirable behavior featured--perhaps not in the first few readings, and not every page at every reading, but a little here and a little there as would benefit your child.
Overall, I think this is a book worth owning if your child struggles with how to behave appropriately when mad. Remember, for a child of two to four years, not getting to play with the toy you want or go to the park is as heartbreaking (based on lack of life experience) as you being passed up for promotion or discovering your car has broken down in the middle of nowhere. Of course you don't throw a mug at a co-worker or rip up the owner's manual to your vehicle, but someone had to teach you that. Call your parents and thank them, and then purchase this book for your child.
November 13, 2013
How do YOU say you’re mad? Do you yell or slam the door? Do you kick things or give dirty looks? In this latest offering from dynamic duo Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, the beloved dinosaurs show readers many different ways that anger can be expressed (and often is, especially with younger children), but in an exaggerated fashion that makes it easy to see that certain behaviors are unacceptable. A sauropelta flings a mug at the poor cat because he can’t have any cookies. Albertosaurus bangs the bedroom floor with his bat when dad tells him it’s time for bed. But no, that’s not how dinosaurs say they’re mad. Rather, they count to ten and take a few breaths. They pick up the mess they made and apologize, giving mom a big hug. The dinosaurs aren’t so mad anymore and are ready to move on to playtime.
This cute picture book is as straightforward as the title suggests. Readers familiar with the How Do Dinosaurs books know exactly what to expect. This is the perfect temper tantrum and time-out book for anyone with children in his or her life - from parents to teachers, daycare providers, counselors, and principals. Everyone gets mad sometimes - this title makes a great conversation starter and introduction to emotional monitoring and regulation in a way that even very young children will find accessible and relevant.
This cute picture book is as straightforward as the title suggests. Readers familiar with the How Do Dinosaurs books know exactly what to expect. This is the perfect temper tantrum and time-out book for anyone with children in his or her life - from parents to teachers, daycare providers, counselors, and principals. Everyone gets mad sometimes - this title makes a great conversation starter and introduction to emotional monitoring and regulation in a way that even very young children will find accessible and relevant.
June 28, 2015
Jane Yolen's book is a perfect one for very young readers learning to appropriately manage their anger. Using high-interest characters of various different dinosaurs, Yolen explores how dinosaurs, or metaphorical children, might respond negatively in situations where they do not get their way. Yet, at the end of the text, we see how dinosaurs really do react when they are angry-- by counting up to ten, breathing calmly and saying "I'm sorry." This text can be used in a variety of settings--at home, as a whole-class read aloud, or even as an independent read for students who may need the extra support or teaching around anger management. Although perfect for younger readers, I will definitely be using this text in the fall with my fifth graders! The text is very straightforward and basic. Yet, Jane Yolen plays around with the appropriate responses by showing a number of negative reactions in succession. This may be a time for readers to reflect on when they have acted in such a way. Yet, in a humorous way, Yolen rejects these reactions by saying, no, this is what dinosaurs actually do (and what you should do too!) From the text, every one learns how to appropriately react to angry or upsetting feelings.
January 31, 2014
If you haven’t ever read one of Jane Yolen’s dinosaur books…you need to! These are so great. And this is another in the series. I love how these books explain different situations where a toddler might want to throw a tantrum. But instead they show how silly dinosaurs look when being angry or whatnot. Then they show just what a good idea might be when feeling angry or upset.
Once again the text is fun. And the illustrations totally make this! There are so many great details in the background of the pictures. And I am super impressed with how much expression can be shown on the gigantic dinosaurs. Plus, the names of the different dinosaurs are listed on each page so young readers (and their parents) can know exactly just what kind of dinosaur is shown. This is one of those classic series that every toddler should have the privileged of getting to know.
Once again the text is fun. And the illustrations totally make this! There are so many great details in the background of the pictures. And I am super impressed with how much expression can be shown on the gigantic dinosaurs. Plus, the names of the different dinosaurs are listed on each page so young readers (and their parents) can know exactly just what kind of dinosaur is shown. This is one of those classic series that every toddler should have the privileged of getting to know.
September 24, 2014
Yolen, J. & Teague M. (2013). How Do Dinosaurs Say I'm Mad? New York: The Blue Sky Press.
School Library Journal
Concept book - Emotion
This book was good. It showed a lot of differnt types of dinosaurs getting mad in different types of situations. The dinosaurs throw a fit when told to go to bed, or sit quietly, or no cookies. At the end of the book, it shows all the ways the dinosaurs can be good. They count to ten, have a time out, breathe calmy, they clean up their mess, say "I'm so sorry," and give people hugs. The pictures were really interesting. They were really colorful. This book would really interest boys because of the dinosaurs in it. The pictures helped tell the story.
I could use this in a pre-k-2nd grade classroom. It shows the children how dinosaurs gets mad and how to deal with their anger. It will help children calm down from anger.
School Library Journal
Concept book - Emotion
This book was good. It showed a lot of differnt types of dinosaurs getting mad in different types of situations. The dinosaurs throw a fit when told to go to bed, or sit quietly, or no cookies. At the end of the book, it shows all the ways the dinosaurs can be good. They count to ten, have a time out, breathe calmy, they clean up their mess, say "I'm so sorry," and give people hugs. The pictures were really interesting. They were really colorful. This book would really interest boys because of the dinosaurs in it. The pictures helped tell the story.
I could use this in a pre-k-2nd grade classroom. It shows the children how dinosaurs gets mad and how to deal with their anger. It will help children calm down from anger.
February 5, 2016
This is one of my daughter's favorite books, and the one we are reading nightly. Sometimes we have some temper tantrum issues and I love that this book is teaching my kids more effective ways to manage their emotions when they get upset. On top of that, my daughter is really sounding out the words and actually reading now, and this is her favorite book to read to Mommy and Daddy. I love how her face lights up when she finishes a sentence- "I'm READING!!", that's what she says. Now because of this book, we also practice counting to ten and taking a deep breath when we are upset. Works every time!
May 12, 2016
Everyone gets mad sometimes, and little dinosaurs are no exception. But how do they handle their anger? Will they make the right choice?
It's hard to believe that there are still How Do Dinosaurs books that we haven't read, but there you are. This one was fun and especially appropriate as kids get a little older and can choose a little more how to react when they're upset or ready to throw a tantrum. It didn't have quite the flow of text that I think some of the others have, and there are a couple of odd dinosaurs represented, but it's still a great addition to the series and popular at our house. It's all in the details.
It's hard to believe that there are still How Do Dinosaurs books that we haven't read, but there you are. This one was fun and especially appropriate as kids get a little older and can choose a little more how to react when they're upset or ready to throw a tantrum. It didn't have quite the flow of text that I think some of the others have, and there are a couple of odd dinosaurs represented, but it's still a great addition to the series and popular at our house. It's all in the details.
April 16, 2014
A silly book about ways to deal with being mad and what that looks like for an animal. The students will enjoy this book and be able to come up with funny things they can do when they are mad. This book allows the students to use their imagination and bring that out. The dinosaur did not respond to being mad in the ways that I thought he would he was very creative. The students will see the creativeness and can come up with ways they can personally say when they are mad. Using imagination is engaging and fun for students.
August 8, 2017
This book doesn't exactly follow the format set up int he rest of the series. Yes, it starts with bad behavior and segues into good, but, in this case, even though she says that "No, they don't behave that way," it's clear they really did, since the good behavior happens after they leave their time out. The author even mentions picking up the cup the dinosaur threw at the cat. So while this book provided a good opportunity to discuss how to make things right after a blow up, it isn't exactly honest with the reader.
October 25, 2013
A very sweet picture book that shows that overreaction, anger, and acting out are not good ways to handle anger. Things like kicking chairs, yelling, sticking tongues out are not helpful--they are mean. It also aims to teach children that parents love you, no matter how angry you get. This is a great choice for your child's bookshelf and is a funny and wonderful story you can enjoy again and again!
November 24, 2014
I wish I enjoyed this as much as the others in the series. As a parent, I REALLY wanted several examples of acceptable behavior and expressions for young children to emulate when they are angry. Deep breathing, counting, and time outs only take you so far. What if they don't work? I don't want my children to think that it's better to help the anger go away than to express it in an appropriate manner.
April 9, 2015
I would buy any book in this series for Mark Teague's illustrations alone. They are surprisingly funny for being so accurately rendered.
I would also buy any book in this series for Jane Yolen's writing alone. Her writing rises above the level of "books in rhyme" to the level of poetry. And this charmingly poetic book is an excellent reminder for dinosaurs, big or small, on how to keep one's temper and remain gracious.
I would also buy any book in this series for Jane Yolen's writing alone. Her writing rises above the level of "books in rhyme" to the level of poetry. And this charmingly poetic book is an excellent reminder for dinosaurs, big or small, on how to keep one's temper and remain gracious.
May 10, 2014
Another good installment in the "How do dinosaurs...?" series. I kind of wish it had been less about when kids don't get their way and act out and more about when kids get hurt or treated unjustly by others and how they deal with that. But I suppose that would've been another book entirely. As usual the poetry and the illustrations are top-notch and well coordinated and funny!
October 16, 2013
How do dinosaurs act when their mad? Yolen portrays inappropriate behaviors and then has them count to ten, take a time out and breathe deeply to calm down. Not sure if I'll try this at story time or not, but it is a popular series.
September 7, 2016
I love these dinosaur books. When I have "book-dates" with younger students for good behavior, I may possibly maybe sort of kind of lead them towards either the dinosaur books or the Skippy John Jones books.
November 2, 2016
Perfect book for reading to a group. The pictures are big with easy-to-pick-out details. Each dinosaur is labeled with what type it is (its "breed"), which is super cool. A good way to explore anger with kids and how to deal with it properly.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews