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Have You Seen My Dinosaur?

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How do you find a missing dinosaur who’s large and green and likes to roar? When a little boy’s dinosaur decides to play hide-and-seek, he is surprisingly difficult to track down. Veteran illustrator Joe Mathieu’s dinomite illustrations and Jon Surgal’ s saur-ing verse will have kids roaring with laughter as they romp through this funny rhyming Beginner Book.Beginner Books are fun, funny, and easy to read! Launched by Dr. Seuss in 1957 with the publication of The Cat in the Hat, this beloved early reader series motivates children to read on their own by using simple words with illustrations that give clues to their meaning. Featuring a combination of kid appeal, supportive vocabulary, and bright, cheerful art, Beginner Books will encourage a love of reading in children ages 3–7.

49 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2010

121 people are currently reading
190 people want to read

About the author

Jon Surgal

4 books1 follower

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5 stars
242 (50%)
4 stars
128 (26%)
3 stars
80 (16%)
2 stars
16 (3%)
1 star
14 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for booklady.
2,739 reviews177 followers
May 3, 2024
Really cute, early reader rhyming story about a little boy in search of his imaginary dinosaur who accompanies him on the search. The illustrations are darling, in a time and place where that descriptive word is vastly over-used; it this case they are! I hope to read this to my grandson more than once. Keeping my fingers crossed it becomes a favorite because I long to linger over the pages and study all the cute expressions and ways the dinosaur sweetly insinuates himself onto every page as the little boy goes in search for him. The extra star will come if grandson validates my reaction. I hope, I hope!
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,015 reviews
December 28, 2023
A bit too long. The rhymes and illustrations are good. The message is good as well, revolves around imagination and believing. Would recommend.
Profile Image for Lacey Bolen.
38 reviews
May 9, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I love the illustrations and beginning readers would too! This book would probably be best for later beginning readers because some of the pages have a larger amount of words on it. However, it is a fairly quicks story and for the most part has small amounts of words with larger fonts.There is also no dialogue so it is not quite to the level of transitional books. If this book was used as a read aloud (kindergarten) students could practice creative writing in finding someone or something and write a story about finding it.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,163 reviews14 followers
Read
October 22, 2016
My 3 year kid loves the story and finding the dinosaur. I think it would be good for early readers as there is good rhyming with words that have different endings.
Profile Image for Smars.
64 reviews
February 21, 2025
Some hiding spots were certainly more clever than others. If it was a larger book physically I probably would have felt more immersed. Unfortunately it's bound in the same I Can Read It All By Myself shape.
Profile Image for Helen.
Author 7 books275 followers
November 25, 2017
Clever art to support the easy-reading story.
2 reviews
January 12, 2018
Good book

My three year
Old liked it
She was able to pay attention the entire length of the book
Definitely a good night book
Profile Image for Julie.
45 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2020
Fun book

This was a cute, fun book to read with my 5-year-old. The rhymes were great and made the book move along quickly.
3 reviews
October 14, 2022
Kids love it

The story keeps the kids on their toes pointing out where the dinosaur is. I have to read it to them twice before their naps. Lots of fun!!
17 reviews
February 9, 2023
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9 reviews
March 22, 2023
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1 review
December 23, 2023
my 2 year old loved it.

My two-year-old loved this book despite it being read on a tablet. She was still very engaged. Great for traveling with littles.
Profile Image for Melody.
47 reviews
December 15, 2025
Hide and seek story

Cute story. Easy for the littles to be interactive. My toddler had fun showing me where the dino was hiding.
1 review
March 17, 2022
Yes

H d j F u r j. So j a sis j a an g sing kbf g F h hi I F h g fh fh
Profile Image for Ashley Bianca.
116 reviews4 followers
Read
May 20, 2024
Philomena's review: "I found him!" and loved it so much she tucked the book in her bed and fell asleep.
35 reviews
November 9, 2015
Jon Surgal’s Have You Seen My Dinosaur is a structured, predictable picture book with repetitive text about a young boy who is struggling to find his green dinosaur that likes to roar. The author tells this story in verse, in a similar rhyming pattern of most Doctor Seuss books; e.g., “He sometimes likes a little drink. So have you seen him in the sink?" The illustrations done by Joe Mathieu contain brilliant, bright colors and are quite humorous; as is seen in the aforementioned scene with the child’s dinosaur hiding under the kitchen sink cabinet and sneaking a drink of water, while the little boy and his mother's backs are turned. Joe Mathieu's illustrations add so much dimension and enjoyment to the author’s clever, funny, and adorable story. This children’s book is more contemporary than other Doctor Seuss books, as it takes the little boy to a zoo where he learns about zoo animals and far off places, such as Bhutan and East Timor. The comedy in the story's plot is seen throughout the story; e.g., when this little child decides to approach a college professor to get his input as to where a dinosaur might go, and Professor Pew suggests a big museum; to which the naive little guy replies: “Is this the place where, people say, a dinosaur is on display?” After searching high and low, the author draws the reader into the story by having the boy ask the viewer if he/she has seen his dinosaur. Have You Seen My Dinosaur? allows the reader to understand the importance of the author's narrative and the illustrator's artistry to work in unison, complementing one another; as this is essential for them to present a book that is fascinating, appealing, and considered worth reading.
Teachers can use Have You Seen My Dinosaur as a teaching tool to help expand students' literacy skills. This is an excellent book selection for young readers as its composition and style of writing will help to instill confidence in students as they recite repetitive words. Reading rhyming text, such as this, also makes reading more enjoyable for children and helps them to develop a love for literature. This style of book also helps students to increase their vocabulary skills, because children tend to retain what interests and humors them. Students will greatly enjoy participating in different class projects based on this story, such as performing a play or doing an art project depicting their favorite scenes.
Using E-books in the classroom is a wonderful tool for reaching students in various ways. E-books allow teachers opportunities to teach the entire class with everyone being able to view a particular book. E-readers can enable teachers to “mix it up,” making reading more fun through the use of technology. E-books better hold students' attention, which helps them to develop a love for reading; and they may better reach students with attention difficulties and English language learners.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
39 reviews
November 30, 2014
Have you Seen My Dinosaur? He's Large. He's green. He likes to roar. Come tag along and help a young boy find his dinosaur. His journey begins at the house and takes him throughout town. He asks mom, the Fisherman, and Professor Pew. He even makes a visit to a local museum. But no luck there. His only person left to ask is you, Have You seen my Dinosaur?

Have you seen my dinosaur by Jon Surgal will make the readers giggle! This Fun-filled mystery of the missing dinosaur is an easy to read picture book. The rhymes create a flow of words from page-to-page, Partnered up with bright colored cartoon-like illustrations depicting the young boys journey.

Profile Image for Alice.
4,305 reviews37 followers
September 7, 2015
3.25 stars Any children's picture book that uses places like Culloden (yep been there) East Timor, Bhutan and Baden-Baden (where is Baden-Baden?) you have a fun hunt for a dinosaur. Also, while stretching our mind while looking for the dinosaur we see, ocelot, gnu, kinkajou (google search activated). More Google searches for me..even though it is an early kids reader. We are lead from the pictures that there is a true, real dinosaur, but all the other people point out facts like dinosaurs aren't alive any more. Good for a smile!
Profile Image for Libby.
1,447 reviews22 followers
April 3, 2013
Cute story of a little boy determined to find his dinosaur, despite the incompetence and disbelief of all the grown-ups around him. The rhyme and rhythm are sometimes not quite flowing, but the story is fun to read even so. My kids loved that they could find the dinosaur when the grown-ups in the story couldn't, and that they got to help the boy at the end.
Profile Image for Alexandria.
864 reviews19 followers
February 11, 2016
This is a very cute book that has a lot of room for little games while you play. The six year old wasn't very interested in it, but the four year old was really excited to play "spot the dinosaur". It's a great book for beginning readers, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone selecting books for a small child.
76 reviews
December 6, 2016
This is a good beginner book for kids that are learning new words and how to rhyme. It's funny, so it will keep the children laughing and interested but also is teaching them as well. I think that it would be a good read aloud for kindergartners. It isn't a super long book so I think it would keep their attention good too!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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