I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur - Softcover

Stella Blackstone is the prolific author of the popular Bear and Cleo series as well as several other Barefoot titles. She lives with her family in Somerset, England. Clare Beaton has been charming audiences for years with her hand-sewn illustrations. She has published many titles with Barefoot, most recently Clare Beaton s Action and Clare Beaton s Nursery Rhymes. Her picture-making workshops for small children make her a popular presenter at schools and literature festivals. Clare divides her time between London and Norfolk, England.

PreSchool-Grade 2–Fantastical dinosaurs in a medley of plush hues are introduced in this charming picture book. The narrator begins by stating, I dreamt I was a dinosaur./You should have seen me romp and roar! Creatures created out of antique fabrics, felt, and other bric-a-brac cavort across the spreads; chomp on dyed yarn grass; forage for food among lacey flowers and ribboned stems; and swoop across the sky next to a sequined lava-spewing volcano. The sweet and simple text keeps the rhythm moving and works well with the art, always complementing and never competing for space. The pictures really do steal the show, though, with their incredible detail and inventiveness. Sequins have never looked so good. A small snail, hidden on each page, also entices readers to pore over the pages. At the end, the young narrator is seen in his bed, clutching his toy dinosaur. Then everybody disappeared–the dinosaurs had fled./Just my baby diplodocus lay beside me in my bed. A turn of the page reveals a plethora of information that will hold the attention of dinosaur fans. Even better are the Meet the Dinosaurs pages that identify the reptiles from the story, offering pronunciation guides and brief facts on each. This is easily one of the most adorable dinosaur books out there for the preschool-primary crowd.–Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY
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