Dinosaur Pursuits

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Dylan’s Amazing Dinosaurs The Spinosaurus
E.T.Harper and Dan Taylor
Simon & Schuster
Dinosaur-loving Dylan is back with another adventure – his third – and once again, he consults his Grandpa Fossil’s Dinosaur Journal with Wings, his toy pterodactyl by his side. The page about Spinosaurus is the launch-pad for their next dino mission and the objective is to discover the purpose of its spiny sail.
Off they go, but as they glide above the swampy jungle, disaster occurs; Dylan’s rucksack plunges down through the trees …

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and double disaster – it’s seized by the jaws of a Spinosaurus no less.
When the creature catches sight of Dylan and Wings, it’s time to put operation swamp monster into action forthwith.

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Story spoiler I won’t be; so if you want to know whether Dylan regains his rucksack and its precious contents from the Spinosaurus and finds out what it uses that spiny sail for, then get hold of a copy of this action-packed, vividly coloured book for yourself.
With a removable cardboard Spinosaurus included, I’m pretty sure, the new Dylan adventure will help him win more friends as well as satisfying those he already has.

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Yikes, Ticklysaurus!
Pamela Butchart and Sam Lloyd
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
When Brontosaurus and his pals feel in need of something to relieve their boredom, Ticklysaurus suggests a game of Tickle Chase. What better excuse can an adult reader aloud have for tickling a young audience than that? (Fortunately however, my 4s and 5s didn’t emulate Bronto’s excited wee though.)

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There’s a whole lot of tickling, wiggling and giggling in this madcap romp and a bit of splashing too; but what happens when the mischievous tickler finds himself face to face with that scariest of all dinosaurs? Will he dare to tickle a T.Rex? Erm… would you?

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Those brightly coloured dinopal depictions are just the thing to inspire young listeners to create their own dino-representations in two and three dimensions having listened to Pamela Butchart’s rhyming text.

 

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How to Bath Your Little Dinosaur
Jane Clarke and Georgie Birkett
Red Fox
For the very youngest dinosaur lovers, this is a series of instructions on changing the appearance (and the mind) of the cute-looking but very mucky little dino that is reluctant to get himself cleaned up. Seemingly, the small child involved knows just what to do already as he fills the bathtub, pours in lashings of bubble bath, then drops in a rubber duck and squirty fish before …

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Then of course, that little creature is enjoying himself so much that there’s only one way to get him out again

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And then a big hug in a cosy towel is the order of the day – or evening perhaps.
With Jane Clarke’s gentle rhyming text and super-cute illustrations by Georgie Birkett, this is just the thing for very young listeners. Their slightly older siblings who have begun to read for themselves may well be happy to employ their reading skills and share with baby brothers or sisters.
Equally delightful, also in board book format from the same team is:
How to Tuck in Your Sleepy Lion 

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perfect bedtime reading for the very youngest.

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An Animal Kind of Christmas

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Happy Hooves Oh! Oh! Oh!
A.Bogie and Rebecca Elliott
Fat Fox Books
Christmas Eve brings excitement for the Happy Hooves brigade. Galvanised by Cow’s urging to get their homes spick and span in readiness for Santa’s visit, they stir from their afternoon slumbers and set off to clean up their respective abodes. But a terrible realization soon dawns for first home, Pig: he has no chimney for Santa to come down. Sheep offers to put him up but then he too remembers he has no chimney.

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Both flee to Donkey’s abode but the same applies here. Off they go to Foal’s but once again it’s a case of a chimneyless residence. What use are sparkling clean homes if Santa can’t get in? It’s not Ho! Ho! Ho! but Oh! Oh! Oh! The despairing friends seek out Cow.
Oh Cow, this news will make you glum,
We’ve got no chimneys for Santa to come!
Fortunately Cow knows that Santa will deliver his gifts anywhere just so long as a mince pie is left to welcome him. However, she makes the others an offer they can’t refuse and so, panic over, gathered together in Cow’s warm barn, they hear that, now welcome, ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!‘ of Santa in the distance.

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Snow Bunny’s Christmas Gift
Rebecca Harry
Nosy Crow
As Snow Bunny snuggly wrapped in her red cape, joins her friends Mouse, Fox and Bear in the snow just before Christmas, she’s full of anticipation at the fun they’ll have. Sledging is first but the chill wind sends Mouse scampering for the warmth of her home.

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Ice-skating makes Fox shiver so he too departs, then when the snow starts falling in the forest, Bear heads off home leaving a sad Snow Bunny all alone. On her way home she discovers a coin shining in the moonlight and off she goes to Badger’s shop. There she buys something that, after a lot of hard work with her knitting needles, means that her friends need never feel cold again. Fox, Mouse and Bear all have their warm Christmas gifts but their creator has the very best present of all – their friendship.

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A warm-hearted, tenderly told tale full of the true spirit of the season and with added sparkly touches at every turn of the page.
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The Sheep that Saved Christmas
Jason Page and Adrian Reynolds
Red Fox pbk
Unfortunately for her flock-mates, Cynthia, is a sheep obsessed with Christmas, starting her anticipation of the festival in January. Fortunately for them however, maths is not her strong point so they come up with a cunning plan to pack her off on an extended holiday far away. And where do they dispatch her? – To the North Pole where Cynthia begs Santa to give her a job as one of his helpers. Seemingly though, she isn’t cut out to be a present wrapper, nor a cook’s assistant or even a sleigh puller. A disappointed Cynthia is on the point of heading home when she learns that disaster has befallen Santa himself. Christmas is cancelled, he announces but Cynthia thinks otherwise. Finally, the determined ewe gets her chance to save the day …

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Crazy, seasonal fun illustrated with Reynolds’ characteristic verve and humour. Cynthia’s changing fortunes are captured beautifully in her facial expressions and body language.
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Yikes, Santa-Claws!
Pamela Buchart and Sam Lloyd
Bloomsbury Children’s Books pbk.
Frivolous Christmas frolics dinosaur style delivered by the creators of Yikes Stinkysaurus …
Who is that green scaly creature sporting a red hat and beard and coming down the chimney as the dino-tots snuggle up in bed eagerly awaiting Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve? It’s one Santa-Claws and it seems he’s hell bent on wreaking havoc and wrecking Christmas at their and every other home too. It’s just as well then, that a sparkling tree stops him dead in his tracks

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just as the real Santa arrives to put a stop to all the mischief and mayhem caused by this imposter and making Santa-Claws to see the error of his ways.
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