Mamasaurus

by Stephan Lomp

This colorful and reassuring picture book follows Babysaurus on an adventure as he enlists his prehistoric friends to seek his Mamasaurus. Is his Mamasaurus the fastest in the jungle? No. Is she the loudest? No. Is she the best flyer? No! Of course, Mamasaurus has been right there all along. And when Babysaurus needs a little help, she is ready with a big hug and a sweet, leafy snack. For Babysaurus, his Mamasaurus is the best mamasaurus in the world! Stephan Lomp has illustrated several books in his native Germany, and in this debut as both author and artist, he has created a fresh twist on a perennial theme that will win the hearts of little ones and their mamas as they snuggle up to read a new favorite.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Family, Storytime, Fiction, Animals

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 8, 2016

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lost baby dinosaur looks for mom...story is sweet and the art is beautiful. Surprised I did not call my mom this when I was very little, dinos were my favorite topic of conversation. This book is what I would call a 'bonding' book: there is much that can be taken away from the story and used to strengthen the mom/child relationship.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute, simple story. My son seemed to enjoy it. I wish there had been just a little more story than there was. I think it would be better suited for a younger kid than my 3.5 year old. It was still a sweet little story about a little dino loving all his big mamasaurus does for him.

[Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little babysaurus is totes adorbs. He knows exactly what his mamasaurus looks like too, which is good because HE'S LOST AF!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was adorable. I loved the names for the baby dinosaurs. It’s perfect for story time and kids will love it!

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up, I don't recall ever being too much into dinosaurs- with the exception of The Land Before Time which always made me cry buckets. But I think if I had read (or been read) Stephen Lomp's Mamasaurus as a child I might have appreciated fictional dinosaurs even more! With a clean and bright palette of bold colours against a black background- and the most adorable Babysaurus leading our way- Mamasaurus reads like a crisp and fresh take on P.D. Easton's classic Are You My Mother?.

The picture book starts off with our Babysaurus munching some delicious tender leaves- safe up high on his mama's back. But one day he slips and flies right off of Mamasaurus's back (a great action-illustration!) and into a part of the jungle where he can't see his beloved mama. Asking fellow prehistoric creatures along the way- Rexy, Ptero, Hespero and others- if they've seen his mama, readers learn all about how one of a kind and marvelous Mamasaurus is. In a kind of Ed Vere or Mo Willems style, there's also a little bit of quirk and drollness in addition to the bright and fun. For example, Hespero, a little bird, quite literally bolts away when Babysaurus describes how BIG his mama is; Rexy, a baby T-Rex, snarls and sneers at leaf-eating but then whispers how 'a salad is also nice from time to time' as he sprints away when Mamasaurus enters the frame.

Cute but definitely not fluffy, sweet but not saccharine, I found Mamasaurus to be a fun and wonderfully illustrated read. I think it could make for a solid preschool read aloud- the colours of the prehistoric creatures are captivating and the illustrations are expressive enough to draw all eyes in. Readers who enjoy their dinosaurs will likely gobble this one up; those who are perhaps less swayed by dinosaurs will likely still be taken in with the fun artwork and happily-ever-after story of a mama and her baby.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Kid Lit Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Babysaurus loves to sit high on his Mamasaurus’ back where he can reach the leafy greens off the trees. On this particular day, Babysaurus slides down the tip of Mamasaurus’ tail, flying high into the sky— “Wheeeeeee!”

He then landed in a big pile of prehistoric leaves. “Omph!”

The baby brontosaurus could no longer see his Mamasaurus. How far had he traveled? Where could she be? Where is he? Ornito, one of Babysaurus’ baby-dinosaur friends, runs by. He calls out to his friend and asks if she’s seen his mama . . .

Originally published at Kid Lit Reviews; To Read the Full Review and See a Few Interior Illustrations, Go To: http://bit.ly/Mamasaurus

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar in format to Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarnino and Steven Kellogg. The baby brontosaurus gets lost and asks all the other baby dinosaurs if they have seen his mama. Each one asks if she has a particular characteristic like their own mothers. But no, Mamasaurus is different. (no horn, no wings, etc) Finally Mamasaurus finds him just as baby TRex shows his teeth!

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book to two of my young patrons at the children's library in an impromptu storytime at my desk and both of the youngsters said they loved it. It's about a baby dinosaur who can't find his mom and asks all the other dinosaurs if they've seen her. It's a cute story with bright illustrations and easy-to-read text.

[Beckie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vibrant illustrations help tell this tale of Babysaurus searching for his Mamasaurus in much the same fashion as Are You My Mother. Is Mamasaurus the fastest? Is she the loudest? Cute little story of reassurance as Mamasaurus was there all along watching over her Babysaurus as he met new friends. Great read.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

By far the illustrations are the best part of this book. I love the dark background with the vibrant colored dinosaurs. A very easy to read story of a baby dinosaur searching for his mother. Review copy received.

[Rebecca Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where have you been all my life, adorable dinosaur book? This would be a great choice for a dino story time! A baby dinosaur loses track of his mother and meets up with all kinds of other baby dinosaurs in his quest to find her.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wonderful, vivid illustrations. Would make a solid dinosaur storytime read-alound for toddlers. (Good length for that age group, too.) Only problem? The story isn't very original. Oh well, it's still a decent and short read!

[Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book, about Babysaurus having to search for his Mamasaurus

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute. My toddler loved it.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bright and colorful illustrations. A baby dinosaur gets separated from his mama. As Babysaurus searches for his Mamasaurus, he asks the different dinosaurs if they've seen her. Cute and simple.

[Jvermeersch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Variant op het typische verhaal waarin een mama kwijt is en iemand mee zoekt op basis van allerlei uiterlijke kenmerken. In dit geval met dinosaurussen. Werkte niet voor mij: te veel vragen, te ongeïnteresseerde andere dino's, te weinig emotie in totaal. De dino's zijn niet slecht getekend, maar verder is er niets interessants te zien.
Doe mij toch maar elke dag Mama kwijt.

[Terry]

This is a must-have for dinosaur fans and those who love reading stories about their Mamas. The simple, bright illustrations against the dark background create a lovely contrast. Each exchange between Babysaurus and the other baby dino offers an opportunity to talk about identification: physical traits that help us decide what something is (or is not). Skills kids will later use when learning to read print.

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een redelijk boek over een kleine dino die zijn mama kwijtraakt en dan langs al zijn vrienden gaat om te vragen of ze zijn moeder hebben gezien. Ik moet wel zeggen dat ik het af en toe saai vond (want het was gewoon x-vriendje x-vraag/antwoord x-doei, maar dat ik moest lachen om het einde. (Ik wist het wel! Haha.)
De tekeningen zijn best redelijk.

[Sierra Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My girls (2 & 4) are obsessed with this book. They've asked me to read and reread it multiple times per night for days. The illustrations are adorable and striking and the story is sweet with humor sprinkled in. We got it from the library last week, but I'll be buying it to add to our home collection.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see kids who like dinosaurs loving this book. A little dinosaur loses his mom, and asks all his friends if they've seen her (they spend a lot of time with descriptive words of different kind of dinosaurs). My one gripe is that all the little dinosaurs have cutesy first names, so it's hard to determine what their actual dinosaur name is (since I'm not a dino expert by any means).

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a cute book. I haven't tried it on my 1.5 year-old yet. The different dinosaurs are fun, though I think the real names would be better (even if the names don't role off the tongue as the cute names used in this story). When my son is ready sit down long enough, I think he'll enjoy this book.

[Kimberly]

1-2 sentences per page. About a babysaurus that meets other dinosaurs partially named after their full dinosaur names and they explain to babysaurus their main traits as the baby looks for its mom. Eventually finds its mom at the end! Learning book about dinosaurs. A lot of black blank space but bright dinosaurs.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the vibrant illustrations, but found the book itself a LOT like Is Your Mama A Llama?.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today, I bought this book and tonight, I had to read this twice before bed. He wanted a third repetition and accepted a no only after a promise to read it again immediately in the morning... That says it all! (2,5 years old)

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Babysaurus gets separated from Mamasaurus he asks several other jurassic animals if they had seen her. As he describes something about her to each one he grows prouder of who she is. Just when he is innocently in danger his mamasaurus finds him. Funny ending. Great illustrations.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a storyline a bit similar to "Are You My Mother?" a baby dinosaur roams a jungle landscape and meets lots of other prehistoric pals. Very cute illustrations, with an eye catching bright-on-black color scheme.

[Emma Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is also so sweet. Babysaurus is looking for his mama but runs into many differe t other animals. He thinks they are cool but in the end he realizes how special his mommy is and how much he loves her.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A baby dinosaur goes around asking his other baby dinosaur friends if they have seen his mama. They are describe their mamas. I like the simple illustrations in the book and the stark contrast between the dark colors of the background and the vibrant colors of the dinosaurs.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

Far less enjoyable than Papasaurus because it's basically the same book and still doesn't include any actual dino info at the end. Wah wah.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminded me of "Are You My Mother?" dinosaur-style.