Did You See that Dinosaur?: Search the Page, Find the Dinosaur in a Fact-Filled Adventure by Riley Black

Did You See that Dinosaur?: Search the Page, Find the Dinosaur in a Fact-Filled Adventure Reviews

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  Phoebe

  I have read my fair share of dinosaur books, and after the first 10, they all start to sound the same. Not this one. This is still a dinosaur fact book, full of colorful pictures about dinosaurs and information about their era, their characteristics, and where their fossils were found. But it is tied together nicely with two time traveling children telling the story and a "seek and find" on every page, which made this a fun read with my 5-year-old dinosaur lover. Even my 11-year-old enjoyed looking for the hidden items. This works as a great read aloud and also a good book for perhaps a 7-year-old reader.
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  Elizabeth R.

  Cute contemporary children's book. Ava and Mateo visit an assortment of dinosaurs and their flying and swimming cousins, via a compact time machine.
  
  I like that there's a key in the back in the event that you can't find all the hidden images (I skipped the last few, but had found them all so far). And I liked Ava & Mateo's field outfits.
  
  For the record, we purchased our two copies at full retail price.
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  Laura McLain

  I have read Riley Black’s books for adults (WRITTEN IN STONE, MY BELOVED BRONTOSAURUS, and SKELETON KEYS [as Brian Switek]) but DID YOU SEE THAT DINOSAUR? is the first of her children’s books that I have read.
  “Did you see that dinosaur?” is a phrase that probably every American kid has uttered at least once. In this seek-and-find book, Ava and Mateo are lucky kids with a time machine to take them to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. There they see dinosaurs and not-dinosaurs, and carefully note the difference (Mosasaurus and pterosaurs show up in the Jurassic World movie, but are not actually dinosaurs). Each two-page spread has a bit of solid science, a cool illustration of the prehistoric critter in its habitat, and a list of objects to find hidden in the picture. My kids are teenagers now, but they would have loved this book when they were younger. Even at age 14, my youngest couldn’t resist searching for the hidden objects in the pictures.
  Riley Black is an accomplished paleontologist and science writer. The species featured include old favorites like Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, but also some less well-known species like Tawa and Ouranosaurus. The illustrations by Scott Koblish are fantastic. My favorite is an underwater view, looking up at the belly of a hunting Plesiosaurus while Ava and Mateo watch from the shoreline.
  Recommended for kids ages 4 to 12, or for paleontology nerds of any age.
  Review based on a free advanced reading copy provided by the publisher. Reviewer assisted by Katelyn, age 14.
  
• 
  Mark Mancini

  Paleontology is something I've always loved; "Did You See That Dinosaur?" is the kind of book I wish I'd had growing up.
  
  Riley Black has woven a cozy little adventure story about two young time-travelers named Ava and Mateo. On their Mesozoic journey, the duo meet beast after wondrous beast, from a grazing Brachiosaurus to some adorable Utahraptor chicks. (Don't worry parents; pronunciation guides are included throughout.)
  
  At every turn, these animals are presented with dignity and grace. You'll find no movie monsters lurking in these pages. The dinosaurs and other reptiles in Scott Koblish's beautiful illustrations would much prefer a tranquil watering hole to a violent romp through the countryside, thank you very much.
  
  Bonus points must be awarded for the inclusion of several animals--like Tawa and Calestiventus--that rarely show up in popular science books. Even paleo-savvy adults are likely to learn a thing or two from "Did You See That Dinosaur?" It never, ever talks down to its audience. Not even once.
  
  In closing, I think this would make a fine addition to any curious child's library.