Friday, June 13, 2014

Go on a Dinosaur Hunt

There can never be too many dinosaur books! Candor just added two new volumes to the shelves... and there are tons of older dino books just waiting to be unearthed. There's even a dinosaur backpack - so this month why not head out on a Dino Hunt?


If I Had a Raptor, by George O'Connor  
  This book will engage you from the minute you open the cover... where you see a young girl gazing into a box labeled "Free Raptors". Who hasn't walked by a box of free (fill in the blank) and wanted to take one home?

"If I had a raptor, I'd want to get her as a baby, when she's all teensy and tiny and funny and fluffy," says the girl. As she explains what she'll do with her pet raptor, it grows larger and larger. We learn that raptors like to bask in the sun and snuggle in the clean laundry. They sleep all day long and can be picky about their food.... and like to pounce on things, too.


Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen 
It's a perfectly normal day in the classroom. Apatosaurus is busy coloring, Pteranodon's busy with scissors and paper, and Velociraptor's sprinkling glitter everywhere. But not Tyrannosaurus - he can't seem to do anything right. No matter whether they're writing at the board, reading books in the quiet corner, or building towers with blocks.... Tyrannosaurus WRECKS it all! 

It's fun to draw Dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, by Mark Bergin.
 If you've got a young artist, hand him a box of crayons and some paper and then take a look at this book. It’s packed with simple step-by-step illustrations and tips on coloring a variety of larger-than-life dinos, including Tyrannosaurus Rex, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, Iguanodon, Velocipator, Triceratops and more. There are dino facts and some more advanced art techniques ranging from crayon resist to pastel smudging and beyond.

 Got chicken? then this book's for you:  Make your own dinosaur out of chicken bones : foolproof instructions for budding paleontologists , by Chris McGowan.
Most people would laugh if you told them you were having a dinosaur for dinner. But paleontologist Chris McGowan shows how the chicken on your plate is a direct descendant of dinosaurs. And to prove it, there's hands-on build-your-own activities including the creation of  a dinosaur skeleton. All you need are the bones of three chickens, some wire, glue, toothpicks and a few other household items. Nothing goes to waste because there are also three recipes for chicken soups and salads to put that chicken meat to good use.

 Check out the Dinosaur backpack, too - it's got two dinosaur picture books, a wooden puzzle, a couple educational activities plus an activity book full of dinosaur-related fun. There's also a "Field Guide" for parents that's chock-full of activities that are fun to do and help kids learn language and math skills. Perfect for summer activities for preschoolers heading to school for the first time, and to help kindergarteners retain some of those important skills. The Dino pack is one of 10 themed backpacks available for loan.