How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?

April 3, 2000
Set to a lilting bedtime beat, this rollicking rumpus of a tale ups the humor ante in a familiar scenario by substituting dinosaurs for children: "How does a dinosaur say good night when Papa comes in to turn off the light?" In a series of snappy lines, Yolen (Off We Go!, reviewed above; Queen's Own Fool, reviewed below) highlights a variety of postponement antics, some familiar (moping, sulking and demanding "one book more!"), some of a distinctly dinosaur variety--"Does a dinosaur slam his tail and pout? Does he throw his teddy bear all about?" Teague makes hay with the text, and as always his illustrations are a flurry of sly madcap inspiration. He chooses the winged Pteranodon (spelled out in ABC blocks on the bedroom floor) as the character who throws his teddy bear while flying about the room; for "Does he swing his neck from side to side" it's the snake-headed Apatosaurus who does the swinging. Under his sure direction, the sight gag never grows stale, and the sight of a T-Rex puckering up for a kiss, or an enormous Stegosaurus crammed into a tiny bed and daintily turning off the light switch with the tip of his tail, is sure to elicit giggles. As the endpapers reveal, there's a cast of 10 dinosaurs featured here, and sharp eyes will enjoy spotting their proper names tucked into each illustration. This rib-tickling bedtime fare packs plenty of appeal. Ages 2-up.

This delightful bedtime story is sure to please young and old. Toddlers will love Mark Teague's bright and bold illustrations, with dinosaurs that are not quite so ferocious as in real life. The background music and the sound effects (thumping, groaning) provide wonderful transitions between the pages. Jane Yolen's narration is just right, with a sterner, more demanding voice for the dad; a gentler voice when mom arrives; and a soft, calming voice for the end. The natural pacing, without slowing down the text, allows time to find the name of the dinosaur hidden somewhere on the page, providing plenty of prompts for discussion at other than bedtimes; this should also help transition young children into a calm sleep mode. W.L.S. 2003 ALA Notable Recording (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine