Dinosaur Goes to Israel

February 1, 2012
Dinosaur-loving Middle-Eastern tourists may be a small demographic, but this book targets them perfectly. There's a theory that any book can be improved by putting a dinosaur in it. You may have a child in your family who believes that "Hansel and Gretel and Stegosaurus" would be ten times better than the original. And so we have a travel guide about a dinosaur who goes to the Holy Land. Sample verse: "I ride up Mt. Masada. / Dino hikes the snakey path. / We cool off at the Dead Sea. / He enjoys a warm mud bath." The other verses don't scan any better. The book does provide an authentic Israeli experience, of sorts: falafel, the Western Wall, souvenir shopping at a shuk. Readers will learn half-a-dozen Hebrew words and find out that a shuk is a marketplace. But there's a very inauthentic dinosaur on every page. This may be a test of character. If you have to ask why a dinosaur has taken a plane to Israel, this isn't the book for you. If your child points to the cover and tells you the name of the dinosaur on the front, you may need to purchase this book. Otherwise, you can buy a dinosaur toy and a travel book and safely keep them separate. (Picture book. 3-7)

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April 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 1-After celebrating Shabbat, Passover, and Hanukkah, the lovable dinosaur returns to take a trip to Israel. In silly, rhyming text, Dino visits Tel Aviv, the beach, the Western Wall, Masada, and the Dead Sea. He also enjoys a falafel sandwich and goes snorkeling in Eilat. As in the past, his size, enthusiasm, and clumsiness add humor and wreak a little havoc. Dino returns with a souvenir shofar (the ram's horn sounded on the Jewish New Year), perhaps hinting at the next installment. The illustrations complement the fun and cheery mood of the text, but provide only a generic, unsophisticated view of the people and places of Israel. While failing to offer more than titles such as Vivian Newman's Ella's Trip to Israel (Kar-Ben, 2011), this picture book will find an audience with Jewish families, especially those familiar with the series.-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

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