The Very Dizzy Dinosaur

I always wonder how long books with elaborate paper engineering will last in the nursery classroom or even at home. But this large colourful pop-up book seems sensibly robust and the dinosaurs that spring out from each double spread seem securely attached.

The verse that accompanies the visuals is jolly if basic and just about scans. The little joke at the end – at night the sounds will be ‘dino-snores’ – will show that language as well as illustrations can be playful. Will the very young learn something alongside being amused? They will see that dinosaurs came out of eggs, that they had fearsome claws and teeth and that some lived on land and some in water. Even the use of bright colours for dinosaur skin may be sound in the light of recent research evidence. All the under fives I know would love to be given this book.