Catching Dinos is a humorous and light-hearyed rhyming dinosaur book about how to catch and tame dinosaurs to become friends with them. This book would greatly appeal to fans of Dr. Suess, dinosaurs, and creepy art styles.

As a former pre-school and elementary after-school counselor, I recommend this book for children ages 4 as a book read aloud, and ages 5-6 as a book they could read for themselves. The rhyming structure is great for learning new words that sound similar.

The illustrations have a vintage, pencil-sketch l, collage quality. Some backgrounds appear to be photographs put through a "pencil sketch" digital filter which I did not like. The black and white carnivore depictions give this book a creepy quality, and it may scare some younger children depending on their personality. Children may play side games while reading this book, such as counting all the dinos in the illustrations. I wish there was more dinosaur diversity, as only the dinosaurs that stand on two legs are illustrated in this book.

Thanks to Uncle Bunkle and Tod Schneider for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really entertaining story, full of twists and turns, each one with a dinosaur to guide us along. I expect young children will enjoy it. For me, it was the illustrations that let the book down. I’m all in for black and white bold art, I love it, but the illustrations in this book feel too cut-and-paste, making them flat and a bit lifeless.

A fun read aloud that could have been magnificent but fell a bit short are-wise.

This was a cute book for the dinosaur fan….but the illustrations really held me back from loving this. We (my son and I) struggled to get through this one. But it is good if you close your eyes and listen to the story.

I really liked the idea behind this book but it wasn't really one for me.

The writing was good and I liked the questions that were posed but I wasn't a huge fan of the illustrations and they are the main focus on the book.

It is 3 stars from me for this one, worth giving it a go as it might be others enjoy it more than I did

This was a fun short picture book. I would recommend it to any fans of dinosaurs - young or old. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If dinosaurs moved into your neighbourhood, how would you help them fit in? ‘Catching Dinos’ by Uncle Bunkle presents a whimsical and humorous guide to integrating dinosaurs into everyday life. With quirky advice and playful tips, the book promises a delightful adventure for young readers.

Plot: ★★★☆☆
The plot offers a fun and imaginative scenario where dinosaurs join the neighbourhood, providing humorous guidance on how to handle these new, larger-than-life neighbours. While the concept is charming and engaging, the storyline can feel a bit repetitive and lacks the depth that could make the adventure truly captivating. The narrative does offer entertaining moments, but it might benefit from a bit more variety to sustain interest throughout.

Character: ★★★☆☆
The dinosaurs and other characters are not particularly memorable. The dinosaurs are depicted with a playful touch, yet they lack individual personalities or development. The focus remains on humorous advice rather than deep character exploration, which may limit the readers' connection to the characters.

Illustrations: ★★☆☆☆
The illustrations are somewhat simplistic and do not fully capture the excitement or whimsy of the dinosaur integration process. More detailed and dynamic illustrations could have enhanced the visual appeal and helped to better bring the story to life.

Engagement: ★★☆☆☆
The book's engagement level is moderate, with a fun premise that may initially capture the reader's interest. However, the repetitive nature of the advice and lack of variety in the storyline may result in diminished engagement. The book could benefit from more interactive elements or a more varied plot to keep young readers more fully engaged.

Readability: ★★★☆☆
The readability is appropriate for the target age group, with straightforward language and humorous tips. However, the repetitive nature of the advice and the less dynamic illustrations might affect the overall reading experience. The text is clear, but more varied and engaging content could enhance readability and maintain interest.

Enjoyment: ★★☆☆☆
Overall enjoyment of ‘Catching Dinos’ is somewhat limited due to the repetitive plot and less compelling illustrations. While the whimsical concept and quirky advice offer moments of fun, the execution may not fully captivate or entertain readers. The book may be better suited for very young children or those who enjoy simple, humorous stories.


‘Catching Dinos’ by Uncle Bunkle offers a playful and imaginative look at how to integrate dinosaurs into daily life with whimsical advice and humour. While the concept is engaging and the advice is entertaining, the repetitive plot and simplistic illustrations may limit the overall enjoyment and engagement for readers. The book provides a light-hearted read with moments of fun, but may not fully capture the interest of those looking for a more dynamic and visually stimulating experience.

Sometimes you CAN judge a book by its cover! This picture book is one.

“Are there reliable types of tests for whether [dinosaurs] might eat your guests?”

You’ll be happy to know that, yes, there are. As this picture book explains, not only can you catch dinosaurs, but you can domesticate them, too! The intricate pen-and-ink drawings and the clever rhymes means that adults will love this book as much as the kids.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Tod Schneider in exchange for an honest review.

It's an odd book but at the same time very amusing.
Dino lovers would enjoy the different antics.
I wish the illustrations had more colour to them.

Catching Dinos is a delightful children’s book that offers a whimsical twist on the prehistoric world. The black-and-white illustrations of dinosaurs provide a humorous contrast to their otherwise fearsome nature. The storyline is engaging and playful, perfect for sparking the imagination of young readers. This book’s unique artistic style and clever concept make it a memorable and enjoyable read. The children at my library will absolutely adore this book, just like I did.

The rhyming story is OK. I didn't care for the illustrations. They seem cluttered and muddy. I'm sure there are some kids who would enjoy them, but the style feels better for adults.

The story itself is super fun and cute.
For dino lovers out there big and small, fun illustrations that will be sure to make you laugh.
However, I really think it needs some color.

I received an electronic ARC from Tod Schneider through NetGalley.
The style of this book just was not for me. I didn't care for the text and the illustrations felt repetitive. Others will appreciate the author's style. The black and white artwork does work with the narration. I don't see children understanding the concepts in the text. Adults will enjoy the dry humor.

I had so much fun reading this book, the story is so adorable and the illustrations were so well done and charming, there’s so many little details in every page that I couldn’t stop but be mesmerized by it all. I will definitely be recommending it! Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this early copy

What DO you do if dinosaurs move into the neighbourhood? This charming childrens book helps children lay plans to catch and tame dinosaurs before bringing them into society.

The book is laid out with two lines of verse on the page beneath black and white composite photograph/illustrations. I did find the cadence and pacing of the verse to be uneven and a little clunky at times, and the illustrations, while whimsical, felt a little cluttered, as they were based on photographs.

The overarching story, though, of teaching dinosaur friends manners so they're good playmates is a nice one. I think the concept is aimed at younger readers, but the styling is aimed at older children.

~Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

This book is illustrated in black and white and seeing the Dino’s dresses in elegant clothes was so funny. It was my favorite part of the book. This is a story on what to do if you catch a dinosaur. From manners to not eating you the rhyming verses were fun. I really enjoyed the authors humor.

This is a funny story about what to do if dinosaurs suddenly moved into your neighbourhood. It uses rhymes and humour to give a guide to what you should do if you were in the situation of dinosaurs invading your life.

The art style is not my favorite. I found some of the illustrations a little bit too muddled with black and white, to the point that it was a little difficult to see some of the the illustration clearly. Bt it does still include cute and humourous illustrations that depict what to do in the event that dinosaurs move into your neighbourhood.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Tod Schneider for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I think that kids will adore reading this book! Kids always love reading about dinosaurs, especially taking care of them. For kids that love dinos or not, this book will definitely be a hit with young readers. They will also find the drawings funny and interesting, keeping them entertained and engaged for the entire length of the book.
Now, even though this will likely become a fast favorite, I have three things that didn't work super well for me while reading. "Et" is said twice and I have no idea what it meant in either context, and it will confuse kids and parents/guardians as well.
Second, I think that the drawings could have been a lot more effective with at least a splash of color. This would likely help kids stay even more engaged, but with the illustrations too. Kids don't like black and white pictures, they are automatically viewed as boring. I also think that with some color there would be so much creative opportunity for the illustrator to play with the coloring of the dinosaurs.
Lastly, I feel like the rhyming was inconsistent and sometimes a bit of a stretch. If you rhyme majority of the sentences, why not rhyme all of them? Making all of the lines rhyme flawlessly would help immerse the reader in the story even more, and it would maintain a comfortable and fun flow of the story.
Overall, though, kids will love reading this book more than once!

Sorry but... look, the text was fun and I love a good rhyme, but the illustrations... While I like an alternative style to a picture book, this was just not it. I am not a big fan of using the same illustration in multiple pages even though you rotate it or flip it a bit and the details were crashing stylistic wise. It was just not fun.

This book has a lot of humour and some interesting images to go along with this fantasy story. While it might not be suitable for a younger audience, I am sure that older children will find some laugh out loud moments in this book. It is definitely a unique dino story!

This was a complete fail for me. The art was horrendous and the rhymes didn't work. I suppose some die-hard dino fans (which I am) might like it.