Member Reviews

I read this book with my daughter and we both really enjoyed it

I liked the illustrations, they were very cute and in keeping with the story.

We liked that they changed and adapted the different activities they were taking part in to make sure that the dinosaurs could join in too - the book had a great inclusivity theme.

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

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My son is dinosaur crazy at the moment and he really enjoyed this one.
He enjoyed the story and the graphics.

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Something unbelievable happens at the start of this book. Dinosaurs are here and these kids get a whole day to play with them. They have a lot of good times and make a few mistakes along the way. Yet as this book comes to a close this is sure to be a day none of them will ever forget.

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Cute! The unnamed protagonist and his friends spend a day playing at the park with their favorite (real!) dinosaurs - but T. Rex has some problems with his short limbs. Each time, our protagonist gently helps T. Rex or changes up the game so he can be included. A wonderful lesson for children to include everyone!

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‘The Day I Had a Dinosaur’ by Ashley Wall is an enchanting children's book that captures the whimsical adventure of children spending a day with dinosaurs. This delightful story is sure to capture the imaginations of young readers and leave them dreaming of their own dinosaur-filled adventures.

Plot: ★★★★☆
The plot of ‘The Day I Had a Dinosaur’ is utterly adorable, revolving around children who spend an entire day playing with dinosaurs. The storyline is charming and imaginative, sparking the curiosity and excitement of young readers. The concept of children having dinosaurs as playmates is both fun and engaging, making for a delightful reading experience.

Character: ★★★★☆
The characters in the book are super cute and endearing. The children in the story are relatable and full of wonder, and the dinosaurs are portrayed as friendly and playful companions. This combination is sure to make young readers wish for a dinosaur of their own, fostering a sense of adventure and joy.

Illustrations: ★★★★☆
The illustrations in "The Day I Had a Dinosaur" are beautiful and bold, bringing the story to life with vibrant colours and captivating details. The artwork perfectly complements the whimsical nature of the plot, making each page a visual treat. The illustrations are a key highlight, enhancing the overall appeal of the book.

Engagement: ★★★★☆
Young children are certain to find this book very engaging. The playful interactions between the children and the dinosaurs, coupled with the vivid illustrations, will keep readers hooked from start to finish. The engaging narrative and visual appeal make this book a delightful read for young audiences.

Readability: ★★★☆☆
The readability of the book is great, though the read-aloud factor is slightly lacking. While the text is easy to understand and follow, it might not flow as smoothly when read aloud. However, this does not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Enjoyment: ★★★★☆
Young children are sure to greatly enjoy ‘The Day I Had a Dinosaur’. The combination of a fun plot, adorable characters, and beautiful illustrations makes for an enjoyable reading experience. This book is likely to become a favourite among young readers, inspiring their imaginations and love for adventure.

‘The Day I Had a Dinosaur’ by Ashley Wall is a charming and imaginative story that will captivate young readers with its delightful plot and adorable characters. The beautiful illustrations and engaging narrative make it a wonderful addition to any child's bookshelf. While the read-aloud factor may be slightly lacking, the overall enjoyment and engagement of the book make it a must-read for children who love dinosaurs and playful adventures.

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It is a lovely story about friendship and inclusion. The dinosaurs teach the kids that not all bodies can do everything, and the kids teach the dinosaurs how to adapt their fun so everyone can play together.

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The Day I Had a Dinosaur is a whimsical and imaginative story that kids will love reading. This book is all about a boy who imagines a dinosaur appears at his house and all of the antics he and his friends get into. The images are bright and appealing as well, which makes this a perfect read for kids.

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My 5-year-old granddaughter loved this. The story was fun and the kids were very sweet - they were worried about being sure everyone was included.

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This is a book that's easy to follow for those young kids. I love that it also gave the phonetics for the dinosaur names. As a teacher and adult that is a great benefit for reading. They had a great problem and solution focus. This will be great for all of those dinosaur kids out there.

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This book is OK. Kids would check it out. The story is a tad bit long and full of puns. There’s this constant reframe that the T-Rex can’t do whatever everybody else does because of his short little arms. But they find a way to make it so they can participate. I don’t think this book aims to be about disability but it kind of is. And if it was aimed to be about having friends with disabilities, it only scratched the surface. This book was nice but it’s not a 20-year keeper.

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The Day I Had a Dinosaur was a great introduction to the names of different dinosaurs in a cute fiction story. I love how the kids kept trying to be inclusive so that everyone could have a good time and helped out the ones feeling left out. This is a great book about collaboration and community.

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This is a really cute story of Luke and his friends and thier friendly dinosuars. This book it a great way for children to learn the different types of dinosaurs and a little bit about them. It is also a good lesson on how not to give up and try your best. I really like the breakdown of the dinosaur names and how it helps saying it The illustrations are colorful and fun and sure to keep children interested. I especially liked the games and yoga part of the book. Recommend this book for any child into dinosaurs they will love it.

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From a teacher point of view, I enjoyed this book. I plan to add this to my Dinosaur unit lesson plan. It is a modern take on Danny the Dinosaur which I use to introduce creative writing of how would the student spend a day with a pet dinosaur. I am excited to see how my class reacts to this one. Thank you for the opportunity to read this!

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Really cute dinosaur book. I read this to my 4 and 6 year old, they both liked it. The pages are bright and vivid, the illustrations are really cute. The book is also informative - giving little facts about dinosaurs and how to pronounce them.

The story was nice with a lovely message - friends don’t leave friends out.

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Thank you to NetGalley along with the publisher for the eARC! Dinosaur lovers, get ready for a fun book about what it would be like to have a dinosaur at your house for the day! There are many different types of dinosaurs throughout the book which would make dinosaur lovers very excited and eager to read this book.

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ARC Book Review
The Day I Had a Dinosaur by Ashley Wall
5/5 ⭐

Thank you for trusting me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review: NetGalley, Ashley Wall, Mama Bear Books @mamabear_books

This story was too cute and my kids, 3 and 8, had so much fun reading it. Not only is it a fun story but also one that teaches about problem solving, including others, and finding ways to calm down, hello dino yoga. The pictures were perfect for the story and done in such a fun way. The story itself was easy to read and overall dinorific.

If you have a dinosaur loving kiddo this book is definitely for you!

#netgalley #ashleyhall #mamabearbooks #thedayihadadinosaur #childrensbooks

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"The Day I Had a Dinosaur" is a cute picture book with some nice messages. My 5-year-old is in a dino phase right now and really enjoyed the story and the cute illustrations.

The main character, Luke, and his friends are suddenly visited by friendly dinosaurs. The kids take the dinos to the playground, play catch and then do yoga. At every step, the kids make sure that everyone is having fun. As the kids notice that T-Rex is having trouble throwing a ball or doing yoga moves, they encourage him to practice and keep trying, in order to get better.

The story is quite simple, but captures well the frustration kids feel, when they are not able to do something. The message, that one should keep trying, is a very needed one, and this book is a great way to gently enlist kids to not give up.

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My littlest loves dinos, so I knew I had to read it with him! He enjoyed it over a couple different sittings, he's a wild toddler who doesn't sit still for long. He enjoyed doing the different activities that were on the pages, especially the dino-yoga. Bright and colorful illustrations! I will be adding this one to our library.

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The Day I Had A Dinosaur is about a young boy named Luke who learns that playing with “real life” dinosaurs might be harder than you think.

This was such a cute book and my kids enjoyed it as much as I did! It follows Luke and his friends as they attempt to play with dinosaurs but games have to be altered as dinosaurs can’t do all of the things normal little kids can do. We enjoyed the silliness of it but still got to have a conversation about finding ways to include others when the game doesn’t work for all our friends.

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The Day I Had A Dinosaur is about a group of friends having “real-life” dinosaurs for a day. Luke and his friends were brilliant characters and I loved the uniqueness and entertaining elements.

This story was absolutely adorable, I’m going to make sure to pick up a copy for my nephew. I know he’ll absolutely love this.

The author also did a brilliant job with adding the pronunciations of these dinosaurs so children can learn along the way. Brilliant! And the illustrations were also perfectly executed.

This book was clever and perfect for a younger reader, there’s no doubt they’ll love this story!

🦕🦖 🦕🦖 🦕🦖 🦕🦖 🦕🦖 🦕🦖

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!

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