How to Dress a Dinosaur

January 15, 2022
A small child doesn't like getting dressed; luckily, his mama knows just what to do. "ROAR!" A young, brown-skinned toddler with straight dark hair pretends to be a dinosaur, but his mother (also brown-skinned) needs to get him dressed for an outing. She gently suggests that he become a Diplodocus and "RUSH INTO THIS CAVE HEADFIRST"...the "cave" in question being the neck hole of the tyke's jersey. To get him to slide his arms into the jersey's sleeves, his mother encourages him to "BE A VELOCIRAPTOR AND REACH YOUR CLAWS IN TO GRAB SOME FISH." Shirt on, the child is halfway there. In this playful fashion, pants, socks, and shoes follow. Mama employs the same tactics to get through tooth-brushing and getting the tot strapped into the car. The feisty youngster puts up a struggle every step of the way ("HRUMPF! DINOSAURS DON'T WEAR PANTS") but clearly enjoys the imaginative play, assured of his mother's unconditional love. Throughout the book, we see the child (and the mother) on the book's verso pages, and on the recto pages we see the ever changing dinosaur version of him, swishing his tail, crashing through the jungle, and more. Pace's illustrations are simple and serviceable with uncluttered backgrounds. Toddlers will relate to this entertaining depiction of a universal developmental challenge (i.e. learning how to get dressed) as well as the protagonist's impassioned tantrums. Fun from opening to clothes, err, close. (Board book. 2-4)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.