Any Living Creature’s Guide to Staying Alive
My kids and I had this one on our HOLD list at the library for quite some time. There were a bunch of other families ahead of us in line- but it sure was worth the wait!
My oldest loves when he recognizes an author’s name. When I reminded him that Ame Dyckman was the genius behind one of his favorite picture books, Dandy, he lit up and knew that the story would be funny.
The little one just loves dinosaurs and had fun pointing at Jenn Harney’s fantastic pictures and shouting “di-sooooor”.
Synopsis
When a family visits the museum, their curious kiddo asks how dinosaurs went extinct. Mom supplies the usual reasonable theories, but it’s Dad who really knows what happened. Dad has explanations of how several species of dinos each met their demise, and as for the rest of them… well, just read it yourself to find out!
My Big Kid’s Honest Review:
What my Kids Loved: The imaginative illustrations appealed to both of my kids, but it was the hilarious circumstances each species faced that won them over. The big kid was rolling laughing at several situations, and his laughter was contagious enough that the little one was giggling, too.
What I Loved: There’s a lesson here when it comes to certain behaviors- picking your nose and eating it, running with scissors, swallowing your bubblegum- but by having dinosaurs be the ones with the “bad” behaviors, kids won’t feel like a lesson is being shoved down their throats.
I also loved that this one was for the parents, too… and this was the first time that my oldest felt that he was “in” on the joke. He picked up on what Dad was trying to do, and was very proud of himself for seeing things the way a parent would. I loved sharing that with him.
Final thoughts: I firmly believe that picture books in general are for everyone, but this one really is one for the whole family. We weren't able to renew it because the HOLD line at the library is so long! Go grab a copy ASAP!
You can purchase How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide from Hachette Book Group or major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble- but don't forget to check your local independent bookstore first!
My 5yo found this book hilarious ... though he wasn't quite sure if the Dad was telling the truth or not. 😆
Awesome, Julie. This is a fun and hilarious book. I can definitely see why it is so popular. Thanks for sharing.
I did a purchase request for this book at my library so we were the first to read it when it came in. We loved it too! I'm sure it would be impossible to get again with how popular it is.
I love your review form for kids to fill out. It's such a fun way to see what's sent out to the kids. We love Ame's stuff too. This one with another great book.
This book sounds wonderful, and I have it on hold at my library! Thanks for sharing this review! :)