How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?

How Do Dinosaurs...?

by Jane Yolen, Mark Teague (Illustrator)

Everyone's favorite dinosaurs are back - and this time they are going to school. More fun dinosaur antics await. These prehistoric pupils are in a class of their own!
As in their previous books, Jane Yolen and Mark Teague capture children's rambunctious natures with playful read-aloud verse and wonderfully amusing pictures.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, School, Storytime, Fiction, Back To School

29 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

Jane Yolen was a novelist, poet, fantasist, journalist, songwriter, storyteller, folklorist, and children’s book author who wrote 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 lived in Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining, simple and funny read. Does the dinosaur that goes to school get in the way? Is he scary or helpful? Simple reading made fun. Ideal for our stage of schooling life, starting Kindy next week.

[Dream.M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dinosaurs at school,
Learning and playing with friends,
Happiness abounds.

Dream.M

[Chance Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this at storytime and I felt like a mouthpiece for propaganda: go to school and follow the rules and if you're not following the rules then there's something wrong with YOU and not the rules. The book makes absolutely no effort to explore the WHYs behind a child being loud, or fidgety, or interrupt others; it just tells them to stop doing it. There might as well be one word on every page: OBEY.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My littlest loves this dinosaur book. The short pages take on a rhythm as they bring the reader through the dinosaur's day at school. I enjoy the fact that all of these books end with positive things the dinosaur is doing. Great series!

[Muva Shan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great bedtime story, was a wonderbook version I got from the library. So it did all the work for me reading the story to her - the interactive questions at the end sparks imagination.

[Jennifer Rayment · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake's Review: Why are you making me read all the baby books today mom? (Mom: I was hoping you would get the hints in this one on how YOU are SUPPOSED to behave at school). We have lots of this series of books and they are really funny to look at. I like how the dinosaurs are drawn to look like little kids. I like it when you read this one to me -- but why do you stop and stare at me funny after certain sentances like "Does he interrupt class with his own show-and-tell" I think Jesse and other little kids like him will really like this one! I wish the actual names of the dinosaurs were spelled out like they sound.
Rating: 8/10

Jen's Review: I love these series of books! They are great at teaching kids manners in a fun and beautiful way. The illustrations are bright, and silly and the text is delightfully fun. I recommend these books, especially this one for all parents and teachers. Kids and parents will get a kick out of reading this one together
Rating: 9/10

[Rashanda Ravenel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book will immediately catch the attention of the children and the reader. It is very colorful and detailed. The dinosaurs are the biggest drawings in the book. The author makes school comical by displaying out of the ordinary situations. There is rhyming throughout the book which would be great to practice sounds with young children. This would be a good way to talk to children to think critically about how we go to school, appropriate and inappropriate school behavior.

[Steve Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "How Do Dinosaurs" series has a lot of books, and I have a few of them in my classroom library. The series is written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by Mark Teague. The illustrations are a lot of fun to look at - very colorful and engaging, with dinosaurs depicted as children. All of them are written in rhythm and teach positive behaviors to kids. It's always nice to have interesting books available for young students that also teaches and promotes positive behaviors and messages.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and fun book that my son was really intrigued by. I loved having my own “Easter egg hunt” looking for the scientific names for each dinosaur and then the even more difficult task to speak them out loud. My son loved to hear me try though.

[Westminster Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explica como los pequeños dinosaurios se comportan durante un dia de escuela.

El libro ¿Cómo van a la escuela los dinosaurios está disponible en la biblioteca pública de Westminster.

Si le gusta este libro hay varios otros escritos por Jane Yolen en nuestro catálogo.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book before kids. It was during one of the National Book Festivals on the National Mall after watching Mark Teague read and draw dinosaurs. I stood in line with children to get this booked signed. I love his whole dinosaur series and my son loves the illustrations. We also talk about the ways these dinosaurs are helpful and not so helpful.

[Karen Parker]

I read this one in Spanish to some kids who found it very funny.

[Nessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet book with a younger target audience than my seven-year-old brother, who nevertheless, still enjoyed it. Wonderful illustrations.

[Brigid Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How Do Dinosaurs Go to School," by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, is another installment in the "How Do Dinosaurs..." series, which focuses on encouraging good behavior by modelling bad behavior in dinosaurs. It may sound like a weak or odd concept, but the books are a huge hit in our house thanks to the fantastic team of Yolen's excellent writing and Teague's expressive artwork.

As with the other books in the series, Yolen's writing has very readable rhythm and rhyming, and holds up well to repeated out loud readings. The dinosaur's behavior is portrayed not just through the text but also through Teague's humorous artwork. The dinosaurs' personalities, and that of their parents, teachers, classmates, etc, shines. While we try to avoid portrayals of negative behavior in our household, focusing on books and shows that feature positive behavior*, the format of the "How Do Dinosaurs..." books invites discussion of negative behaviors and why they're negative. Additionally, the books end on a positive note, with the dinosaurs behaving in kind and cooperative ways and getting approval from the adults and kids around them, which reinforces the lesson.

As is obvious from the title, "How Do Dinosaurs Go to School" is specifically about school-related behavior. Not running, being quiet in class, that sort of thing. It's featured as one of the Scholastic shorts on Netflix if you'd like to take a look at it (narrated by Yolen herself, no less), and is a good preparatory text for a kid who's nervous about starting school or who has been having mild behavioral issues at school (or day care).

*kids model the behavior they see, and if they see negative behavior EVEN WHEN IT IS SHOWN AS NEGATIVE BEHAVIOR, they pick up on it. So if kids watch a half hour show that has a student bullying other kids, and the final 10 minutes is the bully realizing the error of their ways and apologizing, kids pick up on the bullying behavior aspect and not the final lesson. However "Dinosaur Train," for example, shows active problem solving among the child characters to prevent sibling rivalry, bullying, etc with a lot of positive interactions and cooperative play. So we try to give preference to that type of show, that models good behavior.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Okay I promise this is the last one I'm just feeling rage about these stupid books and how many times the tyrant has demanded them]

Again, three stars only because of my child's pure adoration of this whole goddamned series. Kid will sit and flip through them for HOURS. And for the fact that each family is of a different ethnic makeup. Very nice touch for the 90's/early aughts.

But Yolen, I've got issues.

Let's just start with the fact that these books APTLY DEMONSTRATE that misbehaving is going to be way more fun that behaving nicely. I mean look at this dino. He's got toys flying everywhere, he's flying, the teddy bear is flying...I'm an adult (arguably) and that looks objectively WAY MORE FUN than doing whatever the hell mom wants me to do. Look, if I was a dinosaur, there's no way I'd be going to school or bed or eating my damn food. For that matter, why do we have SO MANY EXAMPLES of this much-more-fun bad behavior??

I mean come on am I supposed to look my child in the eye and say 'You heard the lady, go to school like a nice little girl and voluntarily have the soul crushed out of you by this garbage industrial education system. Definitely don't play the drum loudly in the middle of class or run or demonstrate your physical superiority to all the other feeble children (because you're a dinosaur, come on)???'

Children can smell lies. I'd be fucking toast.

[Malory Turnbull]

I have actually used this book before with my special education students. When teaching students about manners and appropriate behavior this is the book you should use for young students. It uses dinosaurs to talk about how students should behave in school, on the way to school, in the classroom, and on the playground. The book has several questions that are asked which relate to what the dinosaur should be doing as well as what he is doing right. This allows for the reader to interject with comments to have a mini lesson while reading. Dinosaurs are very popular amoung young kids even girls like dinosaurs, so this book incorportas a way for the students to relate with what is going on. I really like that the last page is the teacher complimenting the dinosaur on his behavior, the book ends on a positive note not on what should of happened. The studetns need that little positive boost to know they are acting right even if they have been misbehaving.We all know that those problem students are craving attention positive attention and reading this book will give the students a connection to refer to when misbehaving.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the fourth “How do Dinosaurs” book I’ve read and honestly I can’t believe there are so many of these books. I have the same issues with each of them mostly. First of all, all of the dinosaurs are a “he”. How hard would it be to switch it up every other page? They show girls doing the behaviors but even then the dinosaur is a male, it makes no sense. Next, there is no consideration for child appropriate behaviors. Everything in this book is made out to be so clear cut as “good” or “bad”, yet many of the “bad” behaviors are natural and even healthy for young children. Then there are behaviors that are totally inappropriate and things my kids have never even thought to do (thanks for giving them new ideas, Jane). All of these behaviors whether serious or banal are treated the same by the author who apparently wants children to just step in line and act perfectly. It also seems counterproductive to address a behavior as a “don’t do” without giving any alternatives, nor any consequences. If we want kids to know not to run in the halls, maybe we should tell them why it’s not safe and how they should move in the halls instead.

[Ronald]

Entertaining as my 6 year old granddaughter and I read this to each other and I showed how some of the pages rhymed and how they should be read. We read the English Edition.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as good as the other How Do Dinsoaurs? book, especially good for those who are preparing or just beginning to go to school. Considering their popularity with parents (I've heard other endorsements), my guess is these are pretty good behavior books. And I do love seeing huge dinosaurs in these settings.

I noticed with this book that the names of the dinosaurs are written the first time you see them in an illustration. I wouldn't have even thought to put that in--and I thought many of them were just made up. So this is a good choice for the dinosaur lovers, too. Glad I added it to our booklist!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Good little dinosaurs behave properly at school, but bad dinosaurs cause mayhem!

I'm beginning to really like the "How do dinosaurs..." series. They start off with a series of questions about bad behaviors kids could display, with the obvious intention of getting the little kid to respond with "No!" then go into describing the good behaviors that are the alternatives. The artwork is excellent and I continue to be pleased with the embedded dino names that make me seem much more brilliant & dino-savvy to my son than I really am. I'm looking forward to finding as many of these as I can for my son, as he really enjoys them, too.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Jane Yolen fan. Her books for children are some of my favorites. I read this installment in the How Do Dinosaurs...? series to a 5 year old getting ready to go off to kindergarten in a few weeks and she loved it.

[BookishDad · Rating 2 out of 5]

My problem with How Do Dinosaurs Go to School? starts with the art, and I know it's just me. Mark Teague's dinosaurs live in an uncanny pocket — too realistic to be cartoons, too cartoonish to be real — and every time I open one I get a small involuntary "no thank you" and then read it anyway, because I am a professional. My son thinks they're hilarious. My daughter called them "fine." So it's me. I've made peace with being the broken adult in the equation.

Jane Yolen's rhymes scan cleanly — she can build a couplet — but the book has a structural problem nobody on the editorial team flagged. You cannot spend most of a picture book illustrating spectacular, specific, full-color misbehavior, drawn by a guy who clearly had a blast drawing it, and then staple a "no, of course not, they behave nicely" moral to the back and expect a four-year-old to absorb the moral instead of the mayhem. About six minutes aloud, plus twenty of damage control.

Read-aloud: fine; the meter does the performing for you.
Kid engagement: high — which is exactly the problem.
Message and values: backfires; all the fun is in the bad behavior.
Holds up on re-reads: the art never gets easier (for me).
Dad Survival Rate: low. I brace every time.

Verdict: 2/5. A behavior book that accidentally teaches the behavior. Millions of kids love these; I remain the broken adult.

Full review at bookishdad.com.

[Josie Hornback · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many aspects of this book that really catch my eye, when looking deeper into the meanings and understandings of children's books. This book requires children to really use their Imagination, especially in the beginning. Although, throughout the book, their imagination is going to keep expanding and moving in different directions. For example, at the beginning of the book, the readers are asked if the dinosaur will stomp on the school bus, and towards the end they are told the dinosaur actually helps other kids get on the bus. Another thing that I feel is important about this book, is that it encourages the positive and important behaviors of children in a school. If they see this cool dinosaur is doing it, they will most likely want to do it as well. Lastly, I think it is important that the author includes rhyming throughout the story so that there is a good flow and children can interpret the similar words.

[Jamie Jessup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to teach students about proper behavior in school! I liked that the book included a lot of different actions in both the bad behavior and good behavior parts of the book, because it allows students to self-manage and think to themselves, “Is what I am doing a good behavior or a bad behavior?” I would read this book aloud to the class and I would stop on each page and ask students to explain what was going on in the illustration. The illustrations are another thing I love about this book series because they are always so colorful and add more to the text. After reading this book to the class, I would have a short class discussion where I would write on the board behaviors that are okay for school and ones that are not, based on answers the students give me. I would use this book for K-3rd grade classrooms.

[Catherine Wuchner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storybook, “How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?” by Jane Yolen & Mark Teague, teaches children what they should and should not do when they are at school. This book is great for children who love dinosaurs. The book should help children to be more excited about school and learning because the dinosaurs want to learn. The dinosaurs are being used as motivational figures for children, so they do not misbehave while at school. The dinosaurs are brightly colored and act similar to how children do when they behave or misbehave. While subtly showing the consequences of being good or bad. Which will encourage children to behave appropriately when at school. The story, “How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?”, is similar to the story, “The Purple Jar” by Maria Edgeworth. The story, “The Purple Jar”, teaches children what they should and should not do when going to buy something. The similarity in this is that both stories aim to teach children what they should and should not do entertainingly. The story, “How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?” is similar to the nursery rhyme, “The Owl And The Pussy-Cat”, in how animals, or in this case, dinosaurs are being personified as humans.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not a big fan of books that are all about behavior modification / compliance. Also not a fan of books that show children what NOT to do, because sure as heck that’s the part they’ll emulate.

That said, though, this book is well written overall and the illustrations are genius. It’s hilarious to see these huge creatures trying to fit in the carpool or on the playground like they’re just kids. The people depicted are also diverse.

Nitpick: the second-to-last page has the dinosaur going out the door, and the dinosaur is back doing something in the classroom on the last page, so it bugs me from a logical flow perspective.

Detailed review at https://o-acb.com/2018/07/30/review-h...
__

[Tiffani]

Dinosaurs make everything better for young imaginative readers, so it is no surprise that this book along with the other “How Do Dinosaurs...” books are highly sought after by both young children and their parents. In this humorous picture book, children are provided a glimpse into the classroom as dinosaurs make decisions about their behaviors at school. It provides exceptional discussion topics for the classroom as expectations are being established at the beginning of the school year. Teague designs the dinosaurs as bright, friendly, and loveable creatures that children fall in love with as they laugh at their silly shenanigans and learn from their wise decisions. This beautiful work of children’s comedic literature is a “must-have” in every collection.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you wondered how a dinosaur goes to school? How do they behave? Are they unruly? This book could answer your questions. With artwork that fills the page, young readers could perceive the actual size of an enormous dinosaur compared to us, our homes, cars, classrooms. They could not possibly step into a school bus, and they hardly fit in the tiny desk. The illustrations offered more than a visual perception of how large they are, and they also gave the dinosaurs and the characters distinct features and details that convey what role they play in the story. I loved this short story and all the questions it asks. However, my favorite element is the artwork. It truly captures the reader's attention and elevates the story.

[Kayla Word]

This book asks the question, "What would dinosaurs do if they went to school?" At first, we may think that they are disruptive, rude and do not behave. However, we learn that they are the opposite. Dinosaurs help the other students, listen to the teacher, clean their area and play fair with their other classmates. I thought that this was a very enjoyable picture book. I liked that it asked questions and we could see that the narrator was using their imagination when they thought about what the dinosaurs did at school. I would read this book on the first or second day of school with my class and use it to talk about how we are to behave in the classroom.

[Beth Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

How does the dinosaur get ready for school? How does the dinosaur get to school? Does the dinosaur run in the halls? Does the dinosaur interrupt the teacher when they are talking? Take a walk to school with the dinosaur and see how he acts throughout the day. Every page asking a question about the dinosaur's day offering a space for children to think about how he could act and how he should act throughout the day.
This would be a great book to read at the beginning of the year for K-2 students to set up expectations for every part of the school day. It could be used to create and start the conversation on classroom expectations that they choose so they can be part of the process.