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If I had a Dinosaur
A little girl dreams of having her very own pet. But what kind of animal would make the best companion? A mouse is too small, a cat is too ordinary, and a fish is too . . . wet! As she plays with her toy dinosaur, inspiration strikes. What about a real, live dinosaur? She could ride it to school. It would need lots of food to eat, a swimming pool to drink from, and a dino flap so it could come and go!
At the end of a day spent busily imagining, the girl trudges up to bed with her little plastic dinosaur. As she falls asleep, the dinosaur from her daydreams stands in the garden with its head poking through the bedroom window, making her dreams come true.
With playful illustrations, If I Had a Dinosaur is a charming, witty, rhyming story celebrating the power of a child’s imagination.
At the end of a day spent busily imagining, the girl trudges up to bed with her little plastic dinosaur. As she falls asleep, the dinosaur from her daydreams stands in the garden with its head poking through the bedroom window, making her dreams come true.
With playful illustrations, If I Had a Dinosaur is a charming, witty, rhyming story celebrating the power of a child’s imagination.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 12, 2017
This kid has a cat but wants something bigger, something much, much bigger...like a dinosaur.
It's a rhyming story and those are rarely appealing to me (this one is no different) because they always seem somewhat forced (unless it's Dr. Seuss) and silly but kids love rhymes and they'll love this one so who cares what I think about the text? No one.
But you should care what I think about the illustrations: They are delightful! Except for when they aren't.
Let me point out the kid in question. If you didn't look at the cover art, you'd probably think it was some little white boy, based on my description.
The kid is not a little white boy. She's a little black girl and she loves dinosaurs because, yes, kids who are not male and who are not white also like dinosaurs. Hooray!
But then there's a problem.
Note to illustrator: Asian kids aren't actually yellow. You've got a bunch of other skin colors in here so I know you can mix pigments. Also, only the yellow children have eyes that are slanted lines instead of the round dots sported by all the other people in the story. Illustrator, please do better.
That goes triple for you, Publisher. You have staff who are supposed to keep you from looking like an ass yet you still look like an ass.
Back to the story. The kid imagines what it would be like to have a dinosaur and it's pretty much the same as every kid who imagines having a pet dinosaur but look at how she brushes its teeth!
SO CUTE!
And look at these end papers!!
Front
and back
ADORABLE!!!
So, pretty much, I mostly loved looking at this book. The bright, joyful pictures made me happy except for in the instances they made me question the illustrator's ability to draw. Go into this armed with that knowledge and be prepared for a conversation. And be ready to read in a sing-song rhymey voice.
It's a rhyming story and those are rarely appealing to me (this one is no different) because they always seem somewhat forced (unless it's Dr. Seuss) and silly but kids love rhymes and they'll love this one so who cares what I think about the text? No one.
But you should care what I think about the illustrations: They are delightful! Except for when they aren't.
Let me point out the kid in question. If you didn't look at the cover art, you'd probably think it was some little white boy, based on my description.
The kid is not a little white boy. She's a little black girl and she loves dinosaurs because, yes, kids who are not male and who are not white also like dinosaurs. Hooray!
But then there's a problem.
Note to illustrator: Asian kids aren't actually yellow. You've got a bunch of other skin colors in here so I know you can mix pigments. Also, only the yellow children have eyes that are slanted lines instead of the round dots sported by all the other people in the story. Illustrator, please do better.
That goes triple for you, Publisher. You have staff who are supposed to keep you from looking like an ass yet you still look like an ass.
Back to the story. The kid imagines what it would be like to have a dinosaur and it's pretty much the same as every kid who imagines having a pet dinosaur but look at how she brushes its teeth!
SO CUTE!
And look at these end papers!!
Front
and back
ADORABLE!!!
So, pretty much, I mostly loved looking at this book. The bright, joyful pictures made me happy except for in the instances they made me question the illustrator's ability to draw. Go into this armed with that knowledge and be prepared for a conversation. And be ready to read in a sing-song rhymey voice.
August 3, 2017
So no one's going to mention the horrendously stereotypical Asian children?! It's 2017 for crying out loud.
September 21, 2020
The child wants a Dinosaur as a pet.
November 7, 2018
Okay, publishers... let's change the illustrations for the Asian characters, please, because green skin and closed eyes are not okay. This is sad. I actually really liked the rhymes and the story, and it was fun to read out loud to the toddlers. Unfortunately, I did not see the horrible representation of the Asian children until after storytime while getting ready to write this review. It is VERY easy to miss the first time reading it. This is one that I will NOT do again, and it is a good reminder for me to pay closer attention to the illustrations before selecting storytime books.
December 19, 2018
Un albo illustrato coloratissimo e divertentissimo, che ha come protagonista un bambino che vuole un animale domestico un po’ diverso dal solito… Un dinosauro!!
Il testo è in rima, così è facile sia per i bambini sia per chi legge, dare un ritmo incalzante alla storia; anche i disegni sono molto belli, ricchi di particolari da scoprire e commentare insieme al proprio bimbo.
Un racconto che celebra la fantasia, soprattutto per quei bambini che amano i dinosauri!
Lo consiglio vivamente a tutti, è un albo che mette di buonumore!
“Lo voglio enorme, grandioso, gigante!
Con coda lunghissima
E il corpo più grosso di un elefante!
Oh se avessi un dinosauro!”
.
Solaria - per RFS
Il testo è in rima, così è facile sia per i bambini sia per chi legge, dare un ritmo incalzante alla storia; anche i disegni sono molto belli, ricchi di particolari da scoprire e commentare insieme al proprio bimbo.
Un racconto che celebra la fantasia, soprattutto per quei bambini che amano i dinosauri!
Lo consiglio vivamente a tutti, è un albo che mette di buonumore!
“Lo voglio enorme, grandioso, gigante!
Con coda lunghissima
E il corpo più grosso di un elefante!
Oh se avessi un dinosauro!”
.
Solaria - per RFS
picture-books
August 1, 2017Cute! I really enjoy these "if I had a [blank]" books, and I ESPECIALLY like that my top three (this one, If I Had a Raptor, and If I Had a Gryphon) have little girls of color dreaming of non-traditional pets.
November 18, 2019
Taking inspiration from one of David Attenborough's BBC documentaries, Dawnay uses rhyme, humour and the excitement of having a very strange pet to create this picturebook. It has numerous opportunities to use books as a feature of cross-curricular learning, for example for KS1 and KS2 science, rhyme in English and maths through the comparison of dinosaurs to measurements. Furthermore, what I especially liked was the incorporation of the protagonist as a BAME character, interestingly in a 'normal' setting and not used to highlight differences or discrimination.
April 5, 2023
Er zijn een aantal reviews die kritiek geven op het feit dat er een Aziatisch kindje voorkomt in het boek met een groenige huidskleur en spleetogen. En inderdaad, dat is een slechte zet.
Maar tegelijk: het is één figurant, zonder actieve rol in het verhaal, waar je los over kijkt als je het boek leest op het ritme van de vlotte rijmende tekst. En gefocust bent op de dino - en wie kijkt nu eigenlijk naar iets anders dan die wonderlijke dino? Ik ben er zeker van dat mijn kinderen hier geen racistische neigingen aan gaan overhouden. Wij vonden dit boek in ieder geval leuk. Leest vlot, grappig, kleurrijk, en je mag hem zelfs al je groene groenten geven.
Maar tegelijk: het is één figurant, zonder actieve rol in het verhaal, waar je los over kijkt als je het boek leest op het ritme van de vlotte rijmende tekst. En gefocust bent op de dino - en wie kijkt nu eigenlijk naar iets anders dan die wonderlijke dino? Ik ben er zeker van dat mijn kinderen hier geen racistische neigingen aan gaan overhouden. Wij vonden dit boek in ieder geval leuk. Leest vlot, grappig, kleurrijk, en je mag hem zelfs al je groene groenten geven.
November 1, 2020
A child fantasises about what she would do if she had a real life dinosaur as a pet. This is perfect for KS1 for them to enjoy and use during a themed topic on dinosaurs. We could think about the different types and create 'Top Trumps' cards for them. The class could write letters about why they think dinosaurs should be allowed and why they shouldn't using persuasive language.
October 23, 2017
This book was so fun! Educational but silly, this is the perfect book to read with a child that is starting to attach words with images. Many of the words are substituted for images, which makes for a very engaging reading experience with a little one.
October 22, 2018
This is a great story to read-aloud, I'm a huge fan of rhyming stories and this one really tickles us :)
Do dinosaurs make for great pets? Find out!
Do dinosaurs make for great pets? Find out!
July 9, 2019
Predictable but adorable.
September 26, 2019
What child doesn't love dinosaurs? The rhyme in this book makes it a nice flowing read and the simple illustrations add to the enjoyment. Young kids would definitely enjoy this.
March 2, 2017
A young girl dreams of having her own pet. She wonders what animal would be best for her. Of the three most common pets, she likes dogs, has a cat, and a fish is simply too wet! The girl, still in pajamas, bounces on her bed—where a toy green dinosaur sits—and finally decides, she wants “a pet much bigger, more the size of, well, A HOUSE!”
If I Had a Dinosaur celebrates childhood and children’s imaginations and creativity. The young girl’s green dinosaur toy, small enough to fit in her hand, becomes a huge titanosaur. Though extremely large, it is a charming, friendly fellow. Dawnay’s rhyming text is humorous with its childlike . . .
Barrow’s illustrations are equally charming and imaginative. While not stated, the young girl uses her cat as a point of reference. Just as her kitty needs to eat, drink, and have shelter, so does a huge, green dinosaur. The cat’s door-flap is small enough for a cat to slip in and out of the house. A dinosaur will need a much, much, much larger flap—and door. Barrow envisions . . .
Originally reviewed on Kid Lit Reviews. To Read the Full Review and see Interior Images, go to: http://bit.ly/IfIHadADinosaur
If I Had a Dinosaur celebrates childhood and children’s imaginations and creativity. The young girl’s green dinosaur toy, small enough to fit in her hand, becomes a huge titanosaur. Though extremely large, it is a charming, friendly fellow. Dawnay’s rhyming text is humorous with its childlike . . .
Barrow’s illustrations are equally charming and imaginative. While not stated, the young girl uses her cat as a point of reference. Just as her kitty needs to eat, drink, and have shelter, so does a huge, green dinosaur. The cat’s door-flap is small enough for a cat to slip in and out of the house. A dinosaur will need a much, much, much larger flap—and door. Barrow envisions . . .
Originally reviewed on Kid Lit Reviews. To Read the Full Review and see Interior Images, go to: http://bit.ly/IfIHadADinosaur
May 31, 2020
My son was gifted this book by a friend and it is a cute book overall. Happy to have more books for my child that feature protagonists of color. HOWEVER, the way that Asian children are portrayed in this book is absolutely appalling and disqualifying. They have not just yellow but light green skin, and slanted slit eyes where all other children’s eyes are round. I am honestly flabbergasted that this representation of Asian children was published in 2017. Never mind the illustrator, what were the editors and publisher thinking? I suppose it was a good opportunity to have a discussion about stereotypes and racism with my 3-year old after he asked my why certain kids’ skin was green, but really, come on.
March 23, 2018
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Our book today is If I Had A Dinosaur by Alex Barrow & Gabby Dawnay, an absolutely adorable tale of a little girl’s dream pet.
Dogs are nice, she already has a cat, but the girl who narrates the story is looking for a different kind of pet. Not a hamster or a mouse… no… something BIGGER. A dinosaur would do (a Titanosaurus perhaps, based on the nonfiction prologue). She could teach it tricks and take it to the park, even ride it to school. The dinosaur would be clever, learning to count and recite the alphabet. And she’s totally up to caring for it: she would feed it lots of leafy greens and dig it a nice pond to swim in, even brush its teeth. And in return, she would have the most loyal, lovely, and long-necked friend to share her days with.
So. Darn. Cute. As regular readers know, JJ is a fan of dinosaurs – you may have even noticed her loyal reading buddy, Mr. Dinosaur. And from the first appearance of the sweet-faced, bright-green dino of the books, she was delighted. It’s a fun twist on the familiar “unusual pet” theme, with a few details that make it stand out. The bouncy rhyming text is jaunty and fun to read aloud; the simple, cheerful illustrations are cute and colorful, and filled with clever little details for sharper-eyed readers (see if you can find the fun nod to the Harry Potter universe); and it features a multi-racial cast, including a protagonist of color and her family. One content warning: there is an entire spread devoted to the question of how to clean dino-sized droppings with an unsubtle depiction of such (think the poop emoji with no face). But if that doesn’t bother you, you’re in store for a cheery read. The length was fine, JJ AND Mr. Dinosaur loved it, and it’s definitely Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
January 20, 2018
As another reviewer pointed out, this book is great except for the three small illustrations of Asian children that are unsettling. The other children in this book are brown, tan, peach, i.e. realistic colors. The Asian children are a greenish yellowish color that looks out of place. Their eyes are slanted lines while the other children's eyes are circles. It's jarring.
In online images, the color of the Asian children seems less offensively yellow than it does in the printed book in front of me.
Maybe this is an issue with how the color turned out in the printing of the book. That, however, does not explain the eyes. Looking again at this book, I'm reminded of the Cousin Chin-Kee character from American Born Chinese.
It's a real shame because otherwise this book is fun -- pretty good rhyming and big, bold illustrations of a huge green dinosaur. A few of the words are replaced with pictures, including one of a big emoji style poo.
In online images, the color of the Asian children seems less offensively yellow than it does in the printed book in front of me.
Maybe this is an issue with how the color turned out in the printing of the book. That, however, does not explain the eyes. Looking again at this book, I'm reminded of the Cousin Chin-Kee character from American Born Chinese.
It's a real shame because otherwise this book is fun -- pretty good rhyming and big, bold illustrations of a huge green dinosaur. A few of the words are replaced with pictures, including one of a big emoji style poo.
June 20, 2017
I read this book in Dutch, but will be writing a review in English.
Who doesn't want a dinosaur as a pet? I know I wanted one when I was a kid, and as the age I am now? Still want one! :P
This little kid also wants a dinosaur after going through a list of other pets that just weren't good enough. Cats, nah. Dogs? Nah. Hamsters? Nah.
Her choice of dinosaur? A brontosaurus! Yep, this girl wants a dinosaur/pet as big as a house! Which made it even funnier that it still fitted in the living room on the couch while she was thinking about it. Maybe that house is like the tents in Harry Potter. Dimensions? What is that?
We see the little girl tell us all about her new pet, what she will do with it (like learning it the alphabet), how she would feed it/care for it, about his enormous.... (I just loved the look on the cat's face when that landed next to it), and many more other fun things.
I definitely loved the ending as well. I won't spoil it, but it was a fun surprise!
The art is also fun, the colours are bright and fit perfectly with the girl's imagination!
All in all, a delightful book about imagination, about pets and dinosaurs, about dreams! I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Who doesn't want a dinosaur as a pet? I know I wanted one when I was a kid, and as the age I am now? Still want one! :P
This little kid also wants a dinosaur after going through a list of other pets that just weren't good enough. Cats, nah. Dogs? Nah. Hamsters? Nah.
Her choice of dinosaur? A brontosaurus! Yep, this girl wants a dinosaur/pet as big as a house! Which made it even funnier that it still fitted in the living room on the couch while she was thinking about it. Maybe that house is like the tents in Harry Potter. Dimensions? What is that?
We see the little girl tell us all about her new pet, what she will do with it (like learning it the alphabet), how she would feed it/care for it, about his enormous.... (I just loved the look on the cat's face when that landed next to it), and many more other fun things.
I definitely loved the ending as well. I won't spoil it, but it was a fun surprise!
The art is also fun, the colours are bright and fit perfectly with the girl's imagination!
All in all, a delightful book about imagination, about pets and dinosaurs, about dreams! I would recommend it.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
March 14, 2021
4.5/5 A really lovely rhyming story about having a dinosaur as a pet. The pacing is great, the vocabulary is age appropriate and the illustrations are bright, appealing and full of little details so each time you read the story there are new things to spot. I particularly love that the story is about a little girl as so many dino books are targeted at boys and its doubly great that she happens to be non-white too. This book would obviously be fantastic in a classroom as a spring board for lessons on pets/dinosaurs but also has some good linkage opportunities with self care, daily routines, nursery rhymes, creative problem solving and more - I think it would be a brilliant resource for any educator to have on their shelf!
October 30, 2019
A little girl wishes ever so desperately that she could have a pet, but she's unsure about what kind of pet she would like. A mouse is too small, a cat is too ordinary, and a fish too wet. While playing with her her toy dinosaur, inspiration strikes. What if she could be the owner of a real-life dinosaur? She then day dreams about all the things she could do with her pet dinosaur.
Gabby Dawnay's rhyming text and Alex Barrow's simple yet evocative illustrations combine beautifully. The book encourages active participation from children, with many key nouns replaced by an image causing children to fill in the blanks for themselves
Gabby Dawnay's rhyming text and Alex Barrow's simple yet evocative illustrations combine beautifully. The book encourages active participation from children, with many key nouns replaced by an image causing children to fill in the blanks for themselves
February 4, 2019
I was going to give this book at least three stars. I liked (not loved) the rhyming story, but I thought it would make a cute future storytime read. I happened to check the goodreads reviews after I read the story, and someone mentioned the illustrations for the Asian characters. The characters are depicted with slanted closed eyes and green skin.
I'm disturbed and appalled these types of images are being depicted. There's no excuse.
I'm disturbed and appalled these types of images are being depicted. There's no excuse.
April 11, 2019
This book has a lot of opportunities for dialogic reading as the first page opens up with a few pictures in place of words to further engage the kids in the story, and it provides opportunity to engage in the imagination as you can wonder what it'd be like to have a dino for a pet. There is a page toward the end with a BIG poop, and my younger 2 group thought it was ice cream :D
May 2, 2019
4.5 stars. My toddler and I love this book. Some of the cadences are slightly off, but the illustrations and representation (a girl of colour who loves dinosaurs!) make up for it.
I was really surprised to come to GoodReads and see the negative ratings, and was horrified that I hadn't noticed the racist illustrations, but it appears my copy has been updated - thank goodness!
I was really surprised to come to GoodReads and see the negative ratings, and was horrified that I hadn't noticed the racist illustrations, but it appears my copy has been updated - thank goodness!
November 17, 2019
A frequently requested nighttime read by my 3 year old, who’s going through a bit of a dinosaur phase at the moment. He giggles his way through the pages and always wants to know which dinosaur on the last page was the one responsible for the big surprise (no spoilers) earlier in the story. Quite a fun read overall.
May 27, 2020
Inspired by the discovery of the biggest type of titanosaur ever discovered in Argentina in 2014, comes a tale of imagination, childhood spirit and all things dinosaurs! Written in lively, witty rhyme and accompanied with charming, childlike illustrations, If I Had a Dinosaur will leave both adults and children wanting a dinosaur of their very own!
September 24, 2020
Lovely rhyming stings throughout and very supporting for allowing children to participate. It allows for opportunities for the children to ask questions and consider what they would do in the same situation.
It is all about a little girls who really wants a pet but is having to consider the problem and responsibilities it comes with.
It is all about a little girls who really wants a pet but is having to consider the problem and responsibilities it comes with.
March 29, 2022
It’s such a lovely story! I love the illustrations.
I have read lots of people calling out on the stereotypically represented Asian characters, but I excuse this aspect as the illustrator himself is of South Asian descent.
It is a very sweet story, and it has a female non-stereotypical character, which is really awesome.
I have read lots of people calling out on the stereotypically represented Asian characters, but I excuse this aspect as the illustrator himself is of South Asian descent.
It is a very sweet story, and it has a female non-stereotypical character, which is really awesome.
July 22, 2022
Lovely picture book with the ability to assist children to make connections between what they are seeing and reading. For example, the first page it involves a picture of the animal rather than the word itself. I thought this was a fun enjoyable book to read about pets whilst also including a variety of representative characters throughout to make every child feel included.
November 26, 2023
I enjoyed the simple yet charming art. Solid, bold colors. I also enjoyed when some of the sentences curved, there was just an appeal to the layout design. And of course the 💩 page was funny. My seventh grade teacher would be disappointed in my lack of high brow humor. But at least I get to laugh a lot!
January 17, 2018
Love this! Full of rhymes. Can be used to elicit a discussion on what the children would do if THEY had a dinosaur as a pet. There is a page spread at the end where they could choose which dinosaur they want also.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews