This is a series that has been around for a while. Why, because it has staying power. Each book takes a topic, and uses asked questions to illustrate what not to do, and then follows up with modeled good behavior. And all done around dinosaurs as children. ( )

Enjoy this colorful picture book and join in the fun of playful celebrations of the holiday season.

This is a delightful book that makes use of dinosaurs to cleverly teach the appropriate etiquette of Chanukah. The dinosaurs first demonstrate bad Chanukah behaviors, but then the dinosaurs show what good Chanukah behavior looks like. This would be a great book for a unit on different holidays, as it isn't religiously focused, but rather focuses on the practices of the holiday. ( )

This book is about things dinosaurs shouldn't do during Chanukah, as well as things they should do during Chanukah. I liked this book for two reasons. First, the author provides context clues for the reader to figure out unknown vocabulary. For example, "And the very next day does he grab up the gelt..." If the reader is unfamiliar with Chanukah traditions, he or she may not know what "gelt" is. The illustrations show the reader that the dinosaur is squeezing coins and has chocolate squirting from his hands. The reader can infer that gelt is money (candy coins). Second, the use of dinosaurs as the main characters with human parents creates a fun twist to teaching a lesson. Dinosaurs are viewed as powerful creatures, so the reader may be more likely to emulate their behavior. Overall, the message of this book is to respect your parents and Chanukah traditions. ( )

I liked this book for two reasons. First, the author’s writing is engaging. I enjoyed the clever rhymes in the form of both questions and statements about what dinosaurs do during Chanukah. In the beginning of the book, the author asks the reader various questions about if dinosaurs misbehave during Chanukah. One example I liked is, “Does a dinosaur act up on Chanukah nights when Mama comes in with the holiday lights?” The dinosaur is pictured stomping across the room with his tongue out as Mama carries the menorah in. Later in the story, the author answers the question, “Does he do this for each of the eight festive days?” by stating, “No… a dinosaur doesn’t. He sings every prayer, takes turns with the dreidel, remembers to share.” Along with other statements about how dinosaurs behave well during Chanukah. I loved how the author turned the story around by teaching valuable lessons to young readers, like the importance of sharing and being considerate of others. The second reason I liked this book is because the illustrations greatly enhance the story. Each page features a different, unique and colorful dinosaur partaking in what the written text declares the dinosaur is doing. The dinosaurs are huge in comparison to the humans, and they take up most of each page. On the first and last page of the book, all of the dinosaurs are seen together with their specific names labeled underneath. The big idea of this book is to teach children how Chanukah is celebrated, and to teach children the importance of using manners. ( )