How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?

by Jane Yolen, Mark Teague (Illustrator)

Overview

From the warm glow of holiday candles in the menorah to the fun of family gatherings, little dinosaurs love to celebrate the Festival of Lights. But sometimes the excitement of Chanukah, its treasured rituals, and the tradition of gifts can tempt a youngster to misbehave. . . .

Come along on a joyful romp filled with tumbling dreidels and melting gelt as America's favorite prehistoric pals spread a little mischief this season. Children will laugh out loud as dinosaurs fidget, fuss, and stomp through every occasion, while their human parents shift from shock to weary patience.

Filled with warmth and cheer, this new book by the bestselling team of Jane Yolen and Mark Teague makes a perfect gift to be read again and again, year after year. How do dinosaurs say Happy Chanukah? The same way they say Merry Christmas: With an abundance of love, joy, memory, and gratitude.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545416771
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Series:	How Do Dinosaurs...? Series
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	262,951
Product dimensions:	9.42(w) x 12.12(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	21 Months to 5 Years

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the beloved author of more than three hundred books for children and adults, including award-winning picture books, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Her How Do Dinosaurs... books have sold millions of copies and are international bestsellers. She regularly travels the globe speaking and teaching. Jane lives in Western Massachusetts and St. Andrews, Scotland. You can visit her at janeyolen.com.

Mark Teague is the award-winning children's book author and illustrator of his own bestselling Dear Mrs. LaRue series, as well as The Sky Is Falling, The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf, The Tree House That Jack Built by Bonnie Verburg, and many other humorous picture books. In addition to his prized art for the How Do Dinosaurs... series, his illustrated novel, The Doom Machine, received excellent reviews. Mark lives in the Hudson River Valley with his wife and their two daughters.

Editorial Reviews

Yolen and Teague score a winner with this playful Chanukah story brought to life with bright and engaging illustrations. Each page poses a question of how a dinosaur would behave during the eight days of Hanukkah with a cute rhyme like, “Does he peek at the presents stashed under Dad’s bed?/ Does he write his own name on each gift card instead?” Each possible mischievous behavior illustrates one aspect of the holiday, including playing dreidel, lighting candles, and sharing gelt. Children will appreciate the larger-than-life dinosaurs and their amusing antics and learn just how to behave during this fun holiday. Up to age 4. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for
HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOOD NIGHT?
"A delight from start to finish; better buy more than one."--BOOKLIST
An ALA Notable Book
A SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year
A BOOKLIST Editor's Choice
A NEW YORK TIMES, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, and BOOKSENSE bestseller.

HOW DO DINOSAURS GET WELL SOON?
* "An excellent choice for story hours."--BOOKLIST, starred review
* "The perfect prescription for the crankily bedridden."--KIRKUS REVIEWS, starred review
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year
A Parent's Choice Award winner

HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY I LOVE YOU?
"Kids should relate to the dinosaurs' mood swings and take heart in the notion that love conquers all."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A Parent's Choice Award winner

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—In this addition to the popular series, 10 more mischievous dinosaurs are acting up, this time during the eight nights of Hanukkah. With their characteristic childlike antics, these dinos fuss and fidget during the menorah blessings, blow out the Hanukkah candles, write their own name on all the presents, and squeeze the Hanukkah gelt until it melts. Yet by the fifth night, they are singing the prayers, sharing the dreidel, helping with the dishes, and spending time with the grandparents. While there is nothing particularly new about this title, the tried-and-true formula works here, namely a deceptively simple rhyming text that serves as a sturdy foundation for the brilliantly humorous illustrations. As with the earlier books, children will love seeing what sorts of trouble the dinosaurs get into while appreciating the loving familial feeling that comes from celebrating the holiday together.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

Yolen and Teague's rascally dinosaurs bring their mischief to the titular holiday, illustrating the many ways it is recognized and celebrated by similarly behaving children in American Jewish households. Yolen's facile rhyme in question-and-answer format subtly displays the poor and corresponding acceptable conduct for each aspect of the celebratory eight nights. "Does a dinosaur act up / on Chanukah nights / when Mama comes in / with the holiday lights?" Fidgeting through the nightly prayers, grabbing the chocolate candy coins and snatching the dreidels so no one can play are examples judiciously countered with "No – / a dinosaur doesn't. / He sings every prayer, // takes turns with the dreidel, / remembers to share." Teague's familiar collection of humorous, oversized dinosaurs sporting scaly bodies, clawed feet and fang-filled smiles within the confines of a normal home will keep young Paleolithic enthusiasts riveted. Per the series formula, each page features one labeled prehistoric beast, and the endpapers contain all 10 varieties included in the visual portion of the story. Entertaining and loving, though the concepts and legend behind the annual weeklong winter remembrance are missing. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews