How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? by Jane Yolen

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? Reviews

• 
  Josh Caporale

  This is definitely a clever way to teach its target audience about proper table manners. I like the use of the dinosaurs, which not only attract the children, but take the place of the children in these particular situations. I also like the examples that are given when it comes to beginning with how NOT to eat your food and then give the proper examples of how manners should be practiced. I think this is a good teaching tool for the 3-7 age range and I think kids will get a kick out of this!
• 
  Kat

  Basic Plot: While we may assume dinosaurs are messy, picky, impolite eaters, in reality they are very polite and open to trying new things. Really.
  
  This is a very quick rhymer to read. The art is really good, especially in the pictures where the dinos are misbehaving. The looks on the parents' faces are pretty well priceless. I also like how the names of the specific dino types are embedded within the pictures. It's subtle and works well for parents like me, who don't necessarily know all the names but want to seem smart or encourage our little paleontologists. This isn't really a book about dinosaurs, though, it's really about good table manners. The use of the dinos as a metaphor for the monsters that little kids can sometimes be works, though, with humorous effect. If it's successful in getting your little dino to try something new or sit still during dinner, I'd count it a success. I'm not holding my breath regarding my own little monstersaurus, though. ;)
• 
  Christina

  Read this one to the kids I work with. They all really enjoyed it, as did I. It's a book about manners but makes it fun. The kids loved seeing the dinosaurs doing unmannerly things but understood that that wasn't what you were supposed to do. They were really big on the please and thank you part. Very fun book.
• 
  معصومه توکلی

  عنوان ترجمه ی فارسی:
  هیچ می دونی دایناسوره
  چه طور غذاشو می خوره؟
• 
  Barbara N. Hernandez

  Text-to-Teaching Connection:
  
  I hate to admit it, but this would most definitely be a perfect book to read to my K1 class. They have had a very difficult time in the lunchroom and could use the gentle reminder on what the expectations are of them in the lunchroom. All the impolite behaviors described in the book are what I am currently dealing with so I would more than likely read this book about half and hour before lunch as a read aloud, so we could read the book and then discuss the different behaviors described in the book. It's a cute book, but my hope would be that after discussing it further and really going into detail on the expectations of the whole class that we may have some of those good behaviors roll-over into their lunchtime. I would start it on a Monday and then read it everyday before lunch as a reminder and also as way to start a mini lesson. Some options would be for students to draw the good behaviors discussed in the book, write about their experiences in the lunch room or draw a picture. If their picture reflects a bad choice or bad behavior, then I would ask them to draw me another picture or write how they would change it to make it a good choice.
• 
  Isabella

  The illustrations and story told in this short tale has been part of my fondest memories of my night stories when I was young. These were great books.
• 
  DivaDiane

  As a subscriber to Jane Yolen's poem a day email list, I pledged to buy or borrow one of her books from a library each month. This month I bought one of her many children's books - this one! This is a series of books - "How Do Dinosaur's..." and if they all are as cute as this one, I might have to buy more. My 3 yr. old son loved it. On the second reading he even answered enthusiastically to all the questions in the book like "Does he pick at his cereal,/throw down his cup,/hoping to make someone else pick it up?" My son,"No!!" The illustrations of the dinosaurs are wonderful and the names of them are also included (thank goodness because my son would have wanted to know anyway and then I would've been stuck. The message is pretty overt, but it is delivered in such an endearing way that it's hard to fault that.
• 
  Tami

  How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? blends a child's curiosity and interest in dinosaurs and the parental desire to teach table manners. The story starts out showing colourful illustrations of various types of dinosaurs as they are in the act of eating in ill-mannered ways. The caption below asks if the dinosaur ate this way. For instance, "does he bubble his milk?" At the end of the story, the child gets an answer that dinosaurs always ate with the best of manners.
  
  Though definitely not realistic in it's depiction of how dinosaurs really ate, this book is fun. It also allows parents to reinforce table manners in a new less openly nagging way. This book also includes a cute little mini rendition of the same story for kids to carry in their pocket or to read along with.
• 
  Camilla

  Kids love dinosaurs :)
• 
  QueenAmidala28

  One of the better series out there today in children's literature. One of the main reasons I love this series is because after you have read the book with your little one, you can start all over again and search for the dinosaur NAMES on each page! The names are written in tiny script wherever there is a new dinosaur! Very cool. There is also a full illustration with names in the beginning and the end of the books too.
  
  The illustrations are great with various colors for each dinosaur and details that are big enough for a one year old to notice. Font is large and bold enough for new readers or even yearlings to follow along with the adults.
  
  I didn't give this a five out of five stars because half the book is what you DON'T want your kids to do which then gives them the idea to do it (well for younger kids). Is that weird? Anyway, I highly recommend the LARGE hardback versions of these books so that kids can see the small details up close and in person and so that groups can see details too!
• 
  Read Aloud with Denver Public Library

  Another book in the Yolen/Teague series of humorous stories about dinosaurs and everyday life. This one looks at table manners and should make everyone laugh. The names of the dinosaurs are hidden in each picture – usually in print right next to them but notice the one for Lambeosaurus spelled out with magnetic letters on the refrigerator. Encourage the children to look for the names during the week as they look at the book.
  Tips and activities:
  You can start with an open-ended question “How do dinosaurs eat?” and get ready for an exciting conversation.
  Talk a little about dinosaurs, share what you know and let children tell you what they know.
  Compare what dinosaurs do versus what children do. Good opportunity to talk about manners.
  
  Questions that you can ask:
  What do dinosaurs eat?
  Do they use utensils?
  What are good manners at the table?
  How do you think the grownups feel in the book?
  Which food do you like? Which food do you dislike?
  What does it mean when we say “dinosaurs are extinct”?
  
• 
  Sara Stelmach

  “How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food” by Jane Yolen is a rhythmic picture book about breaking the stereotypes of how dinosaurs eat their food. It starts by depicting all the imaginative rude and impolite ways one would think a dinosaur would eat. However, in the end, the book surprisingly describes a polite and mannerly way the dinosaurs actually eat. This is a wonderfully illustrated story with elaborate drawings of different dinosaurs all with their scientific name somewhere on the page. The drawings hilariously depict the different ideas of the way one would think dinosaurs would eat. This is a wonderful story to read aloud to children because of the rhythmic qualities of the writing and the beautiful drawing that would keep children engaged. I would recommend this book to be read aloud to children in pre-k to children in 2nd grade.
  
• 
  R.

  This is another one that my kids got as part of a set from a school book order. They love dinosaurs, so this seemed like an easy reader that they would both enjoy. So far, we've been right. This book focuses on table manners and the importance of eating the food given, including what's good for you. As with others in the series, it starts off rather jokingly asking if dinosaurs do a host of different things that would be considered rude or generally bad manners. About halfway through it turns around and shows what hey actually should do as far as being grateful and using good manners instead. Makes a very easy and quick reference for "good dinosaur" vs "bad dinosaur" which has the kids doing their own self assessments to be "good dinosaurs" themselves. Have to approve of that!
• 
  Chelsea

  A hilarious book questioning how dinosaurs eat their (human) food! I enjoyed how at the start of the book, it seemed like the dinosaurs were not good at eating their food with manners; there were a variety of silly illustrations depicting the dinosaurs eating. At the end it turned out that the dinosaurs actually had very nice manners and knew how to eat without making a mess. I am excited to read this book during story time, I expect a lot of giggles from the children!
  
  TO READ: During Toddler Time and Preschool Play.
• 
  Melissa

  How do Dinosaurs eat their food? Do they spit half eaten broccoli on the floor? Do they fidget in the chair, or throw spaghetti in the air? No! A dinosaur says Please and Thank You and sits very still. He makes no loud noises, that isn't polite and he always tries new things, even just one bite.
  
  This would be a good book for a unit on the food pyramid or My Plate.
  
  It would also be good for a dinosaur unit as each dinosaur that appears has their scientific name in the picture with them.
  
  It would also be a good book for a unit on manners.
• 
  Arminzerella

  This picture book in verse models good (and terrible) table manners by using dinosaurs in place of well-behaved (and unruly) children. Sometimes kids are very much like dinosaurs. UNCOUTH. WILD. ENORMOUS. DESTRUCTIVE. RUDE. This went over well in storytime - the kids thought the dinosaurs were funny and did super gross things with their food. Much appreciated. The expressions of disapproval, shock and disgust on the adult humans' faces in this book are spot on and funny when you can observe them up close. Great fun!
• 
  Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams

  I'm loving this whole series of "How Do Dinosaurs . . . " I love the bad examples and the good examples. I think we can learn just as much from a bad example as from a good one. This author knows children well. So many children LOVE dinosaurs. Pairing good manners with dinosaurs is the perfect pairing!
  
  **Talking Points - Why should a person have good manners? Why should a person treat others in a nice and loving way? How do you feel about those who don't behave in kind and loving ways?
• 
  Classroom #9

  This dinosaur book has hilarious illustrations to resemble our giant reptile friends. The idea of this story is to teach children how they should behave at a dinner table. The book starts out with impolite gestures to do at a dinner table such as burping, belching, and throwing food on the floor. Then by the second half of the book our dinosaur friends demonstrate polite gestures to do at a table such as using words like "please" and "thank you". It takes an interest on what dinosaurs are doing at the dinner table.
• 
  Joan

  The prospect of having a protoceratops come over for dinner or of joining a quetzalcoatlus for a fancy restaurant meal is sure to amuse young readers. Playful dinosaurs populate this clever tale that’s guaranteed to keep young readers laughing at the dinosaurs’ mischievous table manners.
  
  Colorfully illustrated with the dinosaurs all but leaping from the page, this is a book guaranteed to please young dinosaur-lovers.
  
  Recommended.
  
• 
  Unprinted

  Have you ever thought about being thought good table manners by dinosaurs? Well, this book is in it just for that. This is has a primary objective to be an educational tool than to be super fun, but I would consider it a good past time nevertheless. The nice illustrations by Teague help to alleviate the lesson as something that perhaps would have been a morose subject. Not impressive, just nice enough.
• 
  Allyson Goose

  My kids (ages 5 and 7) thought this book about table manners was funny. I did, too. Some manners were not our house rules though, like needing to take a bite out of all new foods and asking for a second helping.
  
  My gripe is that all there were no females in the book at all. All the dinosaurs were gendered male. Honestly, I could have switched the genders when reading this aloud without my youngest noticing it, but I shouldn’t have to do that.
• 
  Ms. Martin

  This is such a great book for both in and out of the classroom that goes over what not to do and what to do when eating - how there are manners and what is expected. The kids love seeing all the "bad" ways to do something and coming up with ways that they should do it instead. It's a great reminder of good manners and how to act.