Steve Haefele

In rhyme, the Cat in the Hat discusses a few different species of dinosaur and how to pronounce their names correctly, followed by the fictional Cat-in-the-Hat-saurus.

I find the non-Seuss Cat in the Hat series books to be pretty eyeroll-worthy, but I did appreciate the rhymes here being used to teach pronunciation of dinosaur names. Definitely helps me with pronouncing them when I read other dinosaur books out loud.

The nightmarish image of Clifford as a long-necked dinosaur totally eclipses the story about little T-Bone trying to make himself useful to dinosaur bone excavation.

FOR REFERENCE:

Adapted by Sonali Fry from the television script "Dino Clifford" by Anne-Marie Perrotta & Tean Schultz for the Clifford the Big Red Dog PBS Kids animated series, Season 1, Episode 40, December 5, 2001.

Clifford and Emily Elizabeth play in the snow and enter a snow sculpting contest. It's all quite dull, and the contest turns out to be the sort where everyone gets a blue ribbon.

When the Cat in the Hat returns to visit Sally and Dick, he’s riding on a brachiosaurus. He takes the children back millions of years in time to show them the creation of fossils.

Then, visiting the Super Dino Museum, the children learn some interesting facts as well as the proper pronunciation of each dinosaur’s name.

And do you know the name of the earliest cat dinosaur?

=========

Part of the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library, this book introduces beginning readers to basic concepts show more about the world around them. Helping develop foundational knowledge upon which the young reader can eventually build complex ideas and facts, the book shows young readers that educational books can also be very entertaining.

Guided by the venerable Cat in the Hat, the rhyming narrative provides basic information about dinosaurs. Also included are a Glossary and a For Further Reading bibliography. Young readers interested in science and/or dinosaurs are sure to be delighted with this book that exemplifies the slogan of the series: Learn to Read. Read to Learn.

Highly recommended. show less