How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?

In a delightful and needed story for young children, Yolen's newest dinosaur book combines children's fascination with dinosaurs with the discomfort, even fear, that often comes with being sick, going to the doctor, and taking medicine. As narrator, she adds the perfect voice--soothing and calm tones, with just the right inflection in the questions and a touch of humor. In addition, she reads slowly enough for kids to read along, but without dragging. Add Teague's bright, wonderful illustrations, soft sound effects, and page-turning signals that blend right in (or not, for faster readers)--and you have an audiobook whose whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts. Superlative! W.L.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

Starred review from December 23, 2002
Those boisterous, larger-than-life stars of How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?
are back, but this time they're a little under the weather. "What if a dinosaur catches the flu?/ Does he whimper and whine in between each Atchoo?" In a series of rollicking rhymes, Yolen explores a number of possible naughty scenarios for the ailing beasties ("Does he hold his mouth closed when he's told, 'Open wide'?/ Does he scream?/ Is he mean?/ Does he run off and hide?"), before demonstrating how well-behaved they really are ("He drinks lots of juice,/ and he gets lots of rest./ He's good at the doctor's,/ 'cause doctors know best"). Teague's droll artwork heightens the humor of Yolen's light verse. As in their first collaboration, he wrings every last drop of comedy from the matter-of-fact presentation of humans with dinosaur offspring. Harried-looking parents tote steaming bowls of soup to their exotic progeny, who languish in bed with coloring books and crumpled tissues, their enormous tails draped across bedroom floors littered with absurdly tiny sports shoes, backpacks, hockey jerseys and the like. Endpapers serve up a rogue's gallery of the tongue-tickling cast, including bedridden Tropeognathus, Tuojiangosaurus and Dilophosaurus. For dinosaur fans of all ages, this inspired silliness is just what the doctor ordered. Ages 2-up.