RECOMMENDEDYou think it is difficult to put kids to bed? Try a dinosaur I noticed that there are editions of "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" in Spanish and French, which is not surprising because the art of Mark Teague certainly translates into any language. Author Jane Yolen poses the questions regarding what happens when Papa or Mama comes to turn off the lights and send their dinosaurs to bed, and Teague comes up with the utterly charming images that will delight readers of any age. Part of the fun is that Papa and Mama are regular human beings, so when Papa shows up and points to his watch to a Tyrannosaurus Rex that takes up an entire page as a way of suggesting it is time to put away his toy train and go to bed, you just have to smile (note the family dog is about the size of one of the T Rex's toes). From the Stegosaurus that slams his tail and pouts to the Ankylosaurus that demands a piggyback ride, each of these two-page spreads will make parents happy that they just have regular human kids and not dinosaurs.
For children the fun will be in answering the question of the title and discovering that dinosaurs and little kids have a lot in common when it comes to resisting being put into bed. There is a slight risk that your kids might find a new way of prolonging the inevitable and find themselves imitation the Corythosaurus and falling on top of their covers and crying or stomping their feet on the floor and shouting they want to have another book read to them. But then "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" really covers all of the basic delaying tactics of children. Besides, it is clearly indicated that these tactics are a bit silly, even if you are a sulking Allosaurus or roaring Triceratops.
All of the illustrations in this book are a joy, including those inside the front cover where Teague shows all of these dinosaurs sitting atop their beds doing things like blowing bubbles or quietly reading a good book (okay, the Ankylosaurus is jumping on the bed, but clearly he is the high energy one of the group). "How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" is the first in a series of similar collaborations between Yolen and Teague that includes "How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?" "How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?" and "How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?" That last one is definitely the one I want to check out next, because I shudder to think what Yolen and Teague will come up for in those situations. You think getting a Dinosaur to say goodnight is difficult? That is nothing compared to getting them to clean their rooms.
The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is that the story was a little weak and it's a little pricey although for the size and illustrations it is justified.