We previously reviewed a book by Dianne De Las Casas, There's a Dragon in the Library, and I knew Kiddo adored it, so I knew she'd love this one too, when it was offered for review!
Synopsis: When carnival time rolls around, these big beasts begin to party. Notoceratops swings and swoons, while Spinosaurus taps his blue suede shoes and Brachiosaurus tosses colorful beads to the crowd below. From Lee Circle to Canal Street, follow these crazy creatures as they boogie down the parade route. Clever rhymes and repetition allow children to sing along to that mambo beat. A glossary, along with instructions for creating a shoebox Mardi Gras float, complete this vibrantly-illustrated book of festive fun.
You can check out the illustrations on Pelican's website, as well as instructions on how to make you OWN Mardi Gras mini float from a shoe box!
Review: With Mardi Gras having changed in the last 20 years from a purely family event, to a more hedonistic rite, families have to search for 'safe' parades or areas to take their kids, so they can join in the merriment. Consequently, Kiddo has only been to a couple of parades, so I knew she wouldn't have the wider frame of reference for this book, but with her love of dinosaurs, I figured it would still be a hit!
Kiddo LOVED this book- I was surprised at how many of the dinosaurs she knew by name, and what she could tell me about them (thanks Dino Dan). In fact, this was a slow book for us to read, as every time we turned the page we had a palentology lesson! Now if your kid loves dinosaurs, this is a pretty cool thing! The illustrations by Gentry are as vivid as always, and the rhyming chant by de Las Casas, kept Kiddo singing along. So it was sorta a musical palentology lesson...LOL
I loved how this book shares the fun, and bigger than life-ness of Mardi Gas! The dinosaurs are joyful and show the best of the season and parades. It is a perfect way to introduce Mardi Gras to children, and it is equally appealing to boys AND girls! It would be a perfect spring birthday gift, along with a play dinosaur! Kiddo and I highly recommend it, along with all of the other 4 books by the author and illustrator!
About the Author: Dianne de Las Casas is an award-winning author and recording artist. Her work has earned rave reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus. She performs at schools, libraries, festivals, and special events and is a frequent speaker at national and state library and education conferences. her other books include The Cajun Cornbread Boy, Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, Mama’s Bayou, and The Gigantic Sweet Potato. She lives with her family in the New Orleans area.
About the Illustrator: Marita Gentry is a professional artist whoseartwork is displayed in galleries throughout Louisiana. An accomplished teacher, she is involved in several artist-in-residence programs each year, helping schools enliven their walls with murals. This is the fifth book Gentry has dreamed up with Dianne de Las Casas.
Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was offered this book, free of charge,from Pelican Publishing, for review on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to review the book.
Synopsis: When carnival time rolls around, these big beasts begin to party. Notoceratops swings and swoons, while Spinosaurus taps his blue suede shoes and Brachiosaurus tosses colorful beads to the crowd below. From Lee Circle to Canal Street, follow these crazy creatures as they boogie down the parade route. Clever rhymes and repetition allow children to sing along to that mambo beat. A glossary, along with instructions for creating a shoebox Mardi Gras float, complete this vibrantly-illustrated book of festive fun.
You can check out the illustrations on Pelican's website, as well as instructions on how to make you OWN Mardi Gras mini float from a shoe box!
Review: With Mardi Gras having changed in the last 20 years from a purely family event, to a more hedonistic rite, families have to search for 'safe' parades or areas to take their kids, so they can join in the merriment. Consequently, Kiddo has only been to a couple of parades, so I knew she wouldn't have the wider frame of reference for this book, but with her love of dinosaurs, I figured it would still be a hit!
Kiddo LOVED this book- I was surprised at how many of the dinosaurs she knew by name, and what she could tell me about them (thanks Dino Dan). In fact, this was a slow book for us to read, as every time we turned the page we had a palentology lesson! Now if your kid loves dinosaurs, this is a pretty cool thing! The illustrations by Gentry are as vivid as always, and the rhyming chant by de Las Casas, kept Kiddo singing along. So it was sorta a musical palentology lesson...LOL
I loved how this book shares the fun, and bigger than life-ness of Mardi Gas! The dinosaurs are joyful and show the best of the season and parades. It is a perfect way to introduce Mardi Gras to children, and it is equally appealing to boys AND girls! It would be a perfect spring birthday gift, along with a play dinosaur! Kiddo and I highly recommend it, along with all of the other 4 books by the author and illustrator!
About the Author: Dianne de Las Casas is an award-winning author and recording artist. Her work has earned rave reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, and Kirkus. She performs at schools, libraries, festivals, and special events and is a frequent speaker at national and state library and education conferences. her other books include The Cajun Cornbread Boy, Madame Poulet and Monsieur Roach, Mama’s Bayou, and The Gigantic Sweet Potato. She lives with her family in the New Orleans area.
About the Illustrator: Marita Gentry is a professional artist whoseartwork is displayed in galleries throughout Louisiana. An accomplished teacher, she is involved in several artist-in-residence programs each year, helping schools enliven their walls with murals. This is the fifth book Gentry has dreamed up with Dianne de Las Casas.
Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was offered this book, free of charge,from Pelican Publishing, for review on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to review the book.
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