Dinoblock (An Abrams Block Book) by Christopher Franceschelli

by Christopher Franceschelli

Following in the footsteps of the groundbreaking Alphablock and Countablock, Dinoblock features thick pages cut into the shapes of dinosaurs! Readers will be introduced to more than 20 different kinds of dinos via die-cuts of their unique silhouettes and the illuminating comparisons to familiar things from a young child’s world. I stretch high like the ladder on a fire truck. I am a Brachiosaurus. As children touch the pages, they have a chance to guess the dinosaur and appreciate the uniqueness of its silhouette. A final gatefold delivers a roundup of all the dinos included. This hands-on approach, delivered in colorful pages by hip British design team Peskimo, makes for an immersive, age-appropriate introduction to a favorite topic of childhood.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Nature

Unknown Binding

First published August 25, 2015

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at Politics and Prose bookstore in Takoma Park (located in the Busboys and Poets restaurant) -- they have a small but mighty collection books, including a great kids section. Got this as a gift for my 3 and a half year old dinosaur-obsessed nephew -- he loved it. The dimensions and block shape make the book especially fun and recognizable. Vivid, colorful illustrations. Some notable feature of each dinosaur (long neck, etc.) is compared with a modern day animal.

[Saoirse Hirsch-O’Toole · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a budding paleontologist this was the perfect introductory book to my studies. I learned lots of dinosaur names (which my parents struggled to pronounce even with the phonetics provided!). I loved the pictures too, nice and colourful.

[Jocelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this a beneficial book for little ones, it can help adults pronounce some of those difficult dinosaur names. The illustrations are really fun.

[Chinook · Rating 5 out of 5]

We picked this up at the thrift store for Maddie because I liked how it compares features of modern life with dinosaurs. Kait was excited to recognize a reptile as we went through because that’s what they’re studying at school right now.

[Hannah Laudermilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sturdy, cute, informational, simple, and interactive. My 3yo and I had fun pronouncing the dinosaur names and observing their traits in comparison with modern animals and items. 10/10 library checkout

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet the dinosaurs! These prehistoric creatures come in all shapes, sizes and colors in this clever board book from Christopher Franceschelli. Each set of die cut pages introduces a new dinosaur by comparing it to a familiar object in world today. Who is tall like the ladder of a fire truck? It's brachiosaurus! Who has feathers like a crow? Archaeopteryx does! This set up not only gives young readers a reference point for imagining these extinct creatures but also introduces unique characteristics of each species.

Brightly colored digital illustrations by Peskimo bring the dinosaurs to life in a fun, cartoon-like style. The book includes familiar dinosaurs like triceratops and tyrannosaurus rex as well as names that will likely be new for readers like micropachycephalosaurus. The pronunciation is included on each page right underneath the dinosaur's name, so adults and children can easily practice the unfamiliar names together. This board book will appeal to dinosaur fans young and old alike with its simple set-up and wide range of species. Dino Block is a must-purchase for children's library collections!

Share this book with: dinosaur lovers young and old
My favorite part of the book: The very last page spread that says, "Good-bye dinosaurs!"
Age recommendation: appropriate for ages 2 and up

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot going for it.

1. Dinosaurs: fun and interesting, obv.
2. Flaps to open: fun and interesting, obv.
3. Comparisons to modern animals: fun and interesting, obv.
4. Bold illustrations: fun and interesting, obv.

As a little kid, I loved when the teacher decided to have the entire class read something together. I'd eagerly await my turn as each kid took over from where the student behind him left off. I aimed for perfect pronunciation, inflection, and tone in the hopes that the teacher would let me read a second paragraph aloud. (Callooh! Callay! if I were granted a THIRD paragraph. I would ride high from that feeling all the way to recess.)

Strangely, I get a similar sensation, as an adult, reading this book aloud to my infant. Each dinosaur's name has a pronunciation guide underneath it, which is clutch because I haven't heard of 70% of these guys. So now I get to enjoy a reading challenge. If I don't stumble too much, my daughter will let me read a second page. If I hit 3 pages before she slams the book shut (her newly acquired and enjoyed skill), I'll ride high on that feeling all the way until naptime. And that makes this book fun and interesting, obv.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and chunky board book about dinosaurs. I like how the author compares the dinosaurs' attributes with things that little kids would be familiar with like buildings, cement trucks, giraffes, chickens, and the like. Only drawback: I can't stop saying "micropachycephalosaurus" over and over again in my mind!

[alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute, chunky book. Even though there are pronunciation guides beneath each dino name, I still struggled to get them out! I'm sure with repetitive reading, they'd become easier. I love the comparison between dinos and other things/shapes/activities. The end of the book has a look at the skeletons of all the dinos presented. Another keeper!

[carrietracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super fat board book chock full of dinosaurs. To my great relief the names all have pronunciation guides so that I'm not stumbling through desperately. It's adorable and there are cool comparisons between dinosaurs and everyday things. A definite must read for dino fans and would make a great gift as well.

[Adelina Esquibel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, cute and informative board book on characteristics of dinosaurs. I particularity liked the phonetic spelling listed under the dinosaurs names. I have shared this book with dinosaur lovers as well as co-workers and my niece. Great new book! Up-to-date info! Small child interactive!

[Avonlea Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool book with a great concept! It's chunky with bold pictures and fun lift the flaps, and introduces dinosaurs in a memorable way. I appreciated that it offers assistance in pronouncing the dinosaur's names.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remain in awe by what these people can do with a board book. I'm never "bored." Ha ha.

[Afton Hallauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The pronunciation guides make this a perfect read-aloud for parents of very young dinosaur enthusiasts!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you sooooooo much for including the phonetic pronunciation of the dinosaur names! Makes this book a love rather than a loath! LOL

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love! Love all the similes and cut outs. The phonetic pronunciations are a wonderful touch.

[Lilly]

Board Book. Dinoblock is a board book that is all about dinosaurs. The pages are very thick making them very durable for the pre-K age group and the pages are also cut into the shapes of dinosaurs to give them that interactive feel for its tiny audience members. This book shows the readers more than 20 different types of dinosaurs and then compares them to things that they are familiar with in their everyday life. For example, the books compare a Saur Poseidon to a six-story building and an Anchisaurus to a leave-eating giraffe giving the readers the opportunity to also compare ancient dinosaurs to familiar animals they know and love today. I chose this book because it has really great illustrations that are great for babies, fun, sturdy die-cuts that keep the independent book readers engaged, and knowledgeable information for the older readers. This book really hits the bases for all the age groups within the bookshelf.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids love dinosaurs. So, if you are looking for some investment books for your little one's bookshelf, this is one that will get more than its fair share of reading time. The other thing I really like about this book is the format. It is a chunky book with peek-a-boo pages that engages little kids to flip through it on their own. And as a bonus, it is really well written and informative. Just a perfect little kids book.

[Jessica Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I would have rated this four stars, because it's a pretty good introduction to dinosaurs book, it gets a whole extra star for the pronunciation assistance under each dinosaurs name. Bless you author and editor for that.

Simple to read even with the difficult names. I liked that it was straightforward and gave a simple fact or comparison to an animal we would know today.

I wouldn't say I love the illustrations, but they aren't bad!

[Darcie Caswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gives us an opportunity to get that passion started early. To help identify each dinosaur, it is paired with an object children may be familiar with, such as how Brachiosaurus stretches high like a fire truck ladder or how Ceratosaurus has “short front legs like a kangaroo.” There are also pronunciation tips, a big help for adults reading this aloud.

Ages 0-5

[Jennifer Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it to my nephew who is 3. As someone less versed in the proper names of dinosaurs I recommend proof reading it out loud so the tiny humans you are reading to don't laugh at/with you for having mispronounced almost every single dinosaur in the book. It was a hit. 10/10

(It does have the phonetic spelling under each dinosaur name, but alas, I am terrible with dinosaur names)

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great! My 3 year old great granddaughter read 90% of it to me with a few prompts. It’s her favorite book! Mommy said they had to look up the correct pronunciations so they could read them correctly. Daddy has a hard time this book but we love all of the comparisons to size, sound, etc. of modern animals.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another cute board book by Peskimo. This one is super unique because it compares different dinosaurs to things that we see in our every day lives like tents, cars, giraffes, etc. Highly recommend for dino lovers -- both large and small!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

A birthday present from a friend for Lily. Super fun book about dinosaurs.

At the end when it shows all the bones in the museum, she likes to say, "They *DIIIED.*"

And I say, "Yes. They did. A long time ago. Those are their skeletons." :o

[Marcia Van Camp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good illustrations and explanations of dinosaurs for toddlers and babies. I appreciate that there are guides to pronunciations but man, some of those Dino name are hard!

[Alice Gold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max’s favorite

[Ryan Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently, I have never heard of about 80% of dinosaurs!

[Ama · Rating 3 out of 5]

The board book format really takes away from the book. It's difficult to open the pages wide enough to see both sides. That knocks the rating down from four stars to three.

[Sarah Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The small human is completely in love with this book - so many cool dinosaurs, great illustrations (and great pronunciation guides!).

[Taisha Casimir · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was cute read :)