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Dinosaur vs.
Dinosaur vs. Santa
From the popular Dinosaur vs. series comes a perfect holiday read aloud that captures the excitement and anticipation on Christmas Eve.
Dinosaur is getting ready for Santa! He tackles many challenges--decorating, making presents for Mom and Dad, trying not to be naughty--and defeats each one with his trademark ROAR! But on Christmas Eve, when he hears some rustling downstairs, he can't resist a peek. Will our feisty red friend meet his match in the man in the red suit? Complete with sparkly silver foil on the front cover and a removable letter to Santa for little ones to personalize, this funny and sweet book is a must-have for the holiday season.
Don't miss the other Dinosaur vs.
Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime
Dinosaur Vs. School
Dinosaur Vs. the Potty
Dinosaur Vs. the Library
* "Shea's buoyant, emotive artwork and sharp comic timing makes Dinosaur's fifth story feel as fresh and funny as his first one." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
Dinosaur is getting ready for Santa! He tackles many challenges--decorating, making presents for Mom and Dad, trying not to be naughty--and defeats each one with his trademark ROAR! But on Christmas Eve, when he hears some rustling downstairs, he can't resist a peek. Will our feisty red friend meet his match in the man in the red suit? Complete with sparkly silver foil on the front cover and a removable letter to Santa for little ones to personalize, this funny and sweet book is a must-have for the holiday season.
Don't miss the other Dinosaur vs.
Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime
Dinosaur Vs. School
Dinosaur Vs. the Potty
Dinosaur Vs. the Library
* "Shea's buoyant, emotive artwork and sharp comic timing makes Dinosaur's fifth story feel as fresh and funny as his first one." — Publishers Weekly, starred review
30 pages, Board Book
First published September 11, 2012
About the author
Bob Shea
53 books353 followersBob Shea has written and illustrated over a dozen picture books including the popular Dinosaur vs. Bedtime and the cult favorite Big Plans illustrated by Lane Smith.
His characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr, Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids.
Bob spends his days writing, drawing and having “conversations” with NPR.
His characters and animations have appeared on Nick Jr, Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids.
Bob spends his days writing, drawing and having “conversations” with NPR.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
September 15, 2018
AND NOW IS THE TIME OF YEAR I FLOAT OLD CHRISTMAS REVIEWS TO COUNTDOWN TO BING BONG BING BONG!!
roar! dinosaur roar!!!
am i writing this review simply to show off my fancy BEA-signed copy of this? yeah, pretty much. and even though standing in the bob shea line meant i missed out on getting an ellen datlow-signed copy of after by moments - i was running towards the table just as she was leaving and i made imploring eyebrows at the publisher-ladies standing there and they shrugged helplessly because they were out of copies and i declared "this is the worst day of my life!!!" and they were unsympathetic and said something like "well, then you have a very good life." and i wanted to throw a tantrum and prove them wrong, but instead i clutched my dinosaur book and counted my blessings.
for now.
so, this dinosaur has already conquered so many things like bedtime and the potty and spaghetti (and oh my god, the library??? why did i not know this book existed??? greg, fetch for me tomorrow, please) and this time he is up against santa! now, i don't want to give any spoilers, but this book is consistent with the others in the series - dinosaur is pretty good at a lot of things. except tree decorating. i know it says "dinosaur wins" on the page, but i think he may be giving himself too much credit there.i think it is a draw at best. although i did have to giggle at "roar! balls!" because i am infantile.
i still think dinosaur vs bedtime is far and away the best one. it is hard to sustain the idea's charm without diluting it in each subsequent book, but i'm glad he is still writing these, because otherwise, i would not have gotten this copy.
and i have yet to read the library one, which should be pretty good.
this is going to be an easy sell come holiday - the drawings are as cute as ever, and it is still adorable and sweet and wonderful, but my heart still belongs to bedtime.
come to my blog!
roar! dinosaur roar!!!
am i writing this review simply to show off my fancy BEA-signed copy of this? yeah, pretty much. and even though standing in the bob shea line meant i missed out on getting an ellen datlow-signed copy of after by moments - i was running towards the table just as she was leaving and i made imploring eyebrows at the publisher-ladies standing there and they shrugged helplessly because they were out of copies and i declared "this is the worst day of my life!!!" and they were unsympathetic and said something like "well, then you have a very good life." and i wanted to throw a tantrum and prove them wrong, but instead i clutched my dinosaur book and counted my blessings.
for now.
so, this dinosaur has already conquered so many things like bedtime and the potty and spaghetti (and oh my god, the library??? why did i not know this book existed??? greg, fetch for me tomorrow, please) and this time he is up against santa! now, i don't want to give any spoilers, but this book is consistent with the others in the series - dinosaur is pretty good at a lot of things. except tree decorating. i know it says "dinosaur wins" on the page, but i think he may be giving himself too much credit there.i think it is a draw at best. although i did have to giggle at "roar! balls!" because i am infantile.
i still think dinosaur vs bedtime is far and away the best one. it is hard to sustain the idea's charm without diluting it in each subsequent book, but i'm glad he is still writing these, because otherwise, i would not have gotten this copy.
and i have yet to read the library one, which should be pretty good.
this is going to be an easy sell come holiday - the drawings are as cute as ever, and it is still adorable and sweet and wonderful, but my heart still belongs to bedtime.
come to my blog!
January 26, 2016
Cute, but maybe funnier for parents than for kids.
Not real dinosaur appeal.
Not real dinosaur appeal.
October 21, 2012
His little sweaters are SO GREAT. Also: Roar! Glitter! Roar
December 26, 2013
Roar! Roar! Roar! Dinosaur versus...
REVIEWING THIS BOOK!
Roar words! Roar thoughts! Roar exclamation points!
Roar! Roar! Roar! Dinosaur Wins!
REVIEWING THIS BOOK!
Roar words! Roar thoughts! Roar exclamation points!
Roar! Roar! Roar! Dinosaur Wins!
September 18, 2012
Ok, you pretty much know by now what you're going to get when you pick up a Dinosaur Vs. book. ROAR! ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 26, 2024
Without realizing this is a series...
I'm not sure the whole "Dinosaur Vs. Santa" thing really landed. He wasn't technically fighting against anything... struggling a bit, perhaps...
Plus, the kids kept expecting Santa. (Or, as one kid hilariously pronounced it, "Satan.")
I'm not sure the whole "Dinosaur Vs. Santa" thing really landed. He wasn't technically fighting against anything... struggling a bit, perhaps...
Plus, the kids kept expecting Santa. (Or, as one kid hilariously pronounced it, "Satan.")
December 15, 2015
I am cheating and reading children's books because I am so far behind on my Goodread's challenge. But it evens out because I read really long books this year!
Anyway, this is uh...a kid's book about dinosaurs and santa. I guess kids would dig it?
Anyway, this is uh...a kid's book about dinosaurs and santa. I guess kids would dig it?
September 25, 2012
Little Dinosaur gets ready for Christmas but can he stay up for Santa?
September 21, 2016
dinosaur vs. christmas!
who will win?
who will win?
December 21, 2017
This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!
Hello, friends! Sorry for the delay, we had some connectivity issues last night. So today we’re back with two reviews! Up first: Dinosaur Vs. Santa, a ludicrously fun Christmas installment to the Dinosaur Vs. series by Bob Shea.
The most terrifying dinosaur on the block is back, and this time he’s facing his most challenging opponent yet: CHRISTMAS! Dinosaur vs. decorating? With a perfectly bedecked tree – at least, on the branches he can reach – Dinosaur WINS! Dinosaur vs. letter to Santa? One lovingly and enthusiastically scrawled letter later, Dinosaur WINS! But when trying to surmount the near-impossible task of falling asleep on Christmas Eve, Dinosaur is faced with a terrible temptation to do something that no little dinosaur should ever do: peek downstairs! Will this be the final downfall of the mighty Dinosaur?
Once again, Bob Shea has given us 40 pages of pure joy and exuberance with the cutest and most delightful dinosaur in print. Using the series’ trademark mixed-media meets pop-art style, each page is filled with color and excitement, and the text is filled with the raucous roars that make reading these books aloud such a delight. It’s packed with visual gags that both adults and children can enjoy, and the length is great for all ages. JJ screams with laughter through every Dinosaur Vs. book, and this one was no different, which makes reading these together a riot. Overall, this is a fun and festive way to get kids excited for Christmas, and we highly recommend it. Baby Bookworm approved!
Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!
December 11, 2025
Kids had so much fun giving big ROARs and little roars! Interactive and funny. A few words/phrases or a 1 simple sentence per page. Dinosaur versus...different holiday things like making a present, writing a note to Santa, decorating the tree, etc. Ends with him almost seeing Santa and the dinosaur getting presents on Christmas day, winning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2020
I would read this to my child in the vein of the referee of Mortal Kombat and roar just like a baby dinosaur. My child had me read it over and over even though I thought I was a dumb book. It’s made for them, so...
December 21, 2020
Very simple book, but I didn't like how much the dinosaur said "Roar!". The illustrations are bold and colorful, but the story just didn't appeal to me. It's not just the dinosaur vs. Santa, but it's also the dinosaur vs. lights, being good, and more and I was not a fan of that concept.
December 19, 2016
ROAR! This book is a lot of fun to read aloud, especially if the listener gets to say all of "roars."
October 13, 2017
This book was okay. I was expecting better.
November 2, 2017
Delightful. The comic art style was so much fun, and I can imagine little kids just loving to "roar" along with dinosaur. I definitely did. It's super cute book and fun for adults too.
December 11, 2017
Super cute book with a Christmas theme.
December 27, 2018
typical dinosaur vs
December 11, 2019
Rawr rawr rawr!!
December 17, 2019
Like many "Dinosaur vs" books, this one is a fun one to throw into the storytime rotation. Plenty of roaring audience participation potential, too. Silly holiday fun for all.
December 19, 2019
Four and five year old boys expect this to be about dinosaur and Santa duking it out, which it isn't. Cute illustrations though.
January 3, 2020
Super cute story of little dino killing his preparations for Christmas.
Read
July 17, 2020I'm not sure how I missed this one. It's cute with all the little things the dinosaur is roaring about. Good silly Christmas book.
December 10, 2021
A little odd
December 21, 2021
Ummm.. good!
November 16, 2022
My favorite of the Dino Vs. Books. (This one seems to make the most sense compared to the two others I have read) very cute battle between dinosaur and the things he has to do before Santa arrives 🦖
December 27, 2022
Super cute!!’
December 4, 2023
A hilarious story for young children. We read through it with our grandboys several times.
February 3, 2024
Renton Highlands library, E Christmas
I like this Dinosaur. It’s a good representation of young emotions.
I like this Dinosaur. It’s a good representation of young emotions.
December 28, 2012
This picture book is a holiday title in the “Dinosaur vs.” series. Young Dinosaur is quite rambunctious but manages to accomplish his Christmas preparations (decorating, making gifts, writing Christmas cards, etc) in due time, but has a hard time going to sleep on Christmas Eve!
The graphic illustrations in this book are colorful and comical, which will appeal to a wide audience. The book also includes a model letter to Santa that librarians could copy for a lesson activity.This story would be a fun holiday read-aloud for younger elementary school students. Young kids will enjoy the roaring sounds and repetition, and will certainly relate to little Dinosaur’s worry about going to sleep so Santa will come.
Fans of the other “Dinosaur vs.” books will probably appreciate this book more than others who have never read the series. It is a very brief book, so would work well for a quick read-aloud. Although there are certainly better holiday books available, this is a fun alternative that will appeal to young patrons.
The graphic illustrations in this book are colorful and comical, which will appeal to a wide audience. The book also includes a model letter to Santa that librarians could copy for a lesson activity.This story would be a fun holiday read-aloud for younger elementary school students. Young kids will enjoy the roaring sounds and repetition, and will certainly relate to little Dinosaur’s worry about going to sleep so Santa will come.
Fans of the other “Dinosaur vs.” books will probably appreciate this book more than others who have never read the series. It is a very brief book, so would work well for a quick read-aloud. Although there are certainly better holiday books available, this is a fun alternative that will appeal to young patrons.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews