Kids Music Friday: "Dinosaur" by Lori Henriques

Sometimes you love dinosaurs so much that you just have to sing them a song.

--Andrea W., H.Q.

New Holiday Dinosaur Books

Jane Yolen has two new books in her How Do Dinosaurs series.  It began with How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? in 2000.  Jane was asked to write a book for a boy who hated going to bed and loved dinosaurs.  More ideas kept coming to her, and she has written eighteen dinosaur books including these two:

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
Like the other dinosaur book, the first half of the book describes what not to do.  Dinosaurs blow out all the candles on the menorah, snatch the dreidel, and eat all the chocolate gelt.  The second half of the book explains what a dinosaur (and child) should do instead.  These dinosaurs clean up the dishes after eating latkas, take turns with dreidel and give Chanukah wishes before going to sleep.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
This book has the same format.  Dinosaurs take the ornaments and angels off the tree, eat cookies left for Santa, and dump out the stockings.  But the good dinosaurs sing Christmas carols, help trim the tree and fall asleep before Santa arrives.
 

These books are recommended for ages 3-5.  Enjoy one of these titles with your family for the holidays!

--Angie R., Headquarters

Staff Review: Noisy Books

I love books which prompt the readers (usually parents, teachers or librarians) to make funny 

noises as they read the books to kids. We adults take ourselves too seriously and that becomes hard when you are going “vroom vroom” or “Jingle-Jangle, clang-bang, Clatter!” So I hope you put aside your inhibitions and enjoy reading "Bang! Boom! Roar! A Busy Crew of Dinosaurs" by Nate Evans and Stephanie Gwyn Brown.  Not only does this title include preschool favorites like dinosaurs and trucks, it is written as an ABC book using alliteration. ‘Jackhammers, rattle, jolt, and shatter. Jingle-jangle, clang-bang. Clatter! Jelly bellies jump and jiggle. Jumbo blubber in a wiggle!’ The illustrations by Christopher Santoro are filled with action and humor. Kids will need time to explore each and every picture. Be sure to look at the list on the back of the book of cool hidden objects to look for in the pictures. 

Another noisy book is "Toot Toot Beep Beep" by Emma Garcia. Large easy to read print which is good for either a group setting or for reading one on one. The art work also done by Garcia makes identifying the individual vehicles easy for even young children. Each vehicle has their own personality ‘Toot Toot goes the big blue van, Toot Toot and off she trundles’.

Robbin O., Headquarters