April 2, 2009

Dinosaurumpus!: Tony Mitton

By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: April 2, 2009

by Tony Mitton (author) and Guy Parker Rees (illustrator)

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Paperback: 32 pages

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (March 1, 2009)

What to expect: Dinosaurs and Rhyme

At first I wanted to read this book because its eye-catching artwork is done by one of my favorite illustrators, Guy Parker Rees (Giraffes Can’t Dance). After reading only the first double page spread I realized I had been missing out on a great author, Tony Mitton. His rhyming ability is wonderfully energetic, and he tells this story with great charisma. There are so many fun sounds to make — animal and musical — making Dinosaurumpus! so fun to read aloud. It has a repetitive chorus which makes it really easy for little ones to join in and really participate in the story. I have heard that some schools have made mini musicals out of the book. The best part for me is being corrected by four-year-olds in the pronunciation of the dinosaur names. Great book!

“Shake, shake, shudder …
near the sludgy old swamp.
The dinosaurs are coming.
Get ready to romp.”

Stay tuned for another Tony Mitton and Guy Parker Rees book, Farmer Joe and the Music Show, which releases April 15, 2009. It’s one of my favorite reads of 2009, so far.

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