Well, Strictly may be over for another year but Dance Together Dinosaurs, which was released by Red Fox Picture Books on 5th January, will bring back the sequins, frills and snazzy dance moves for a while if you're having withdrawal symptoms !
As the press release accurately says : “Strictly Comes Dancing meets Jurassic Park in a hilarious and truly original new picture book which will have the whole family body-popping, shaking and shimmying along with an an all-'saur, all-star cast. Tango with the T-Rex and disco with the Duckbills – these dinosaurs just can't wait to strut their stuff in this fantastic rhyming romp of a story. But why do the judges keep disappearing ? Find out in this toe-tapping tale with a twist !”
The pictures are brightly coloured with interesting dinosaur characters wearing flamboyant, slightly eccentric outfits that are eye-catching and attractive to small children. The text is completely written in rhyme and is packed with alliteration which means you can't help but dance about (admittedly chair-dancing for me but the kids did get a bit more energetic !) as you read along.
I think you do have to have at least watched part of an episode of Strictly with the kids for them to fully appreciate the story, which means that a lot of it went straight over 2-year-old Pierre's head. The subplot of the disappearing judges isn't mentioned in the text so you have to be observant when looking at the pictures. 6-year-old Juliette, who is just starting to get more confident in her reading, loved deciphering the “Help!” signs in the pictures all by herself. And 10-year-old Sophie was intrigued by the double spread at the beginning naming all the different types of dinosaurs and wanted to know if they all really existed or if they were made up.
It's a fun story to read to the kids, especially if they're aware of the idea behind the Strictly Come Dancing show, but the plot is so simple, I'm not sure it's a book we'll come back to many times before they get bored of it.
Star rating : 3.5/5
RRP : £5.99
As the press release accurately says : “Strictly Comes Dancing meets Jurassic Park in a hilarious and truly original new picture book which will have the whole family body-popping, shaking and shimmying along with an an all-'saur, all-star cast. Tango with the T-Rex and disco with the Duckbills – these dinosaurs just can't wait to strut their stuff in this fantastic rhyming romp of a story. But why do the judges keep disappearing ? Find out in this toe-tapping tale with a twist !”
The pictures are brightly coloured with interesting dinosaur characters wearing flamboyant, slightly eccentric outfits that are eye-catching and attractive to small children. The text is completely written in rhyme and is packed with alliteration which means you can't help but dance about (admittedly chair-dancing for me but the kids did get a bit more energetic !) as you read along.
I think you do have to have at least watched part of an episode of Strictly with the kids for them to fully appreciate the story, which means that a lot of it went straight over 2-year-old Pierre's head. The subplot of the disappearing judges isn't mentioned in the text so you have to be observant when looking at the pictures. 6-year-old Juliette, who is just starting to get more confident in her reading, loved deciphering the “Help!” signs in the pictures all by herself. And 10-year-old Sophie was intrigued by the double spread at the beginning naming all the different types of dinosaurs and wanted to know if they all really existed or if they were made up.
It's a fun story to read to the kids, especially if they're aware of the idea behind the Strictly Come Dancing show, but the plot is so simple, I'm not sure it's a book we'll come back to many times before they get bored of it.
Star rating : 3.5/5
RRP : £5.99
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looks like a book my lot would enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteMy little girl would LOVE this book, it's her birthday soon, I might need to think about getting it for her!
ReplyDeleteanother lovely book. we read so many books in our house!
ReplyDeleteI have not heard of Strictly but the cover of the book makes me want to read --- and dance! Nice to meet you as a part of Kerry's Read and Romp Roundup!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you too :)
DeleteLove book reviews, my twins love to read :D
ReplyDelete