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Gigantosaurus
Gigantosaurus, l'histoire originale
Sous le soleil du Crétacé, quatre petits dinosaures jouent aux aventuriers. Leurs mamans les ont prévenus : "Prenez garde au GIGANTOSAURUS ! Il est FEROCE, il est MECHANT ! D'un seul coup de dents, il vous croquerait tout crus." Mais les voilà déjà partis sur la piste du GEANT...
2 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2014
1 person is currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Jonny Duddle
120 books61 followersJonny Duddle has been a concept artist for Aardman Animations and created fantastic illustrations for fiction and novelty books, including ALIENOLOGY. He wrote and illustrated THE PIRATE CRUNCHER. Jonny Duddle lives in Buxton, England.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
January 16, 2018
This was an interesting read. I started out loving it, but the ending was too abrupt and left me thinking, that’s it? The overall story is about a bunch of little dinosaurs that go out and play in the jungle. Their parents warn them of the Gigantosaurus. One of the dinosaurs decides to be look out while they are playing and starts testing the others by yelling they see the Gigantosaurus every other minute only to say they were kidding. The idea is the dinosaur is trying to practice for the real moment when and if the Gigantosaurus should show up.
The story is basically a boy who cried wolf story. It’s a story about lying and what takes place when we lie too much. It is a good contemporary version on the boy who cried wolf, but it lacks an ending that felt complete. The artwork is wonderful and fun to look at and the dialogue itself is also fun as it is all in rhyme. All in all this is a good conversation piece for teaching children what can happen when we are dishonest and how being dishonest can take away the trust others bestow upon us. Even if it may not end up with us being eaten by a dinosaur.
The story is basically a boy who cried wolf story. It’s a story about lying and what takes place when we lie too much. It is a good contemporary version on the boy who cried wolf, but it lacks an ending that felt complete. The artwork is wonderful and fun to look at and the dialogue itself is also fun as it is all in rhyme. All in all this is a good conversation piece for teaching children what can happen when we are dishonest and how being dishonest can take away the trust others bestow upon us. Even if it may not end up with us being eaten by a dinosaur.
February 7, 2017
The art was particularly good with beautiful dinosaurs and a wild landscape. The story was simple, with repetitions, but the expectations were nice and I liked that the book ended with a touch of humor.
August 19, 2019
Adapta a fábula de Pedro e o Lobo com dinossauros, para crianças a partir de 3 anos, com artes lindas do concept designer da Aardman em Piratas Pirados.
August 26, 2014
GIGANTOSAURUS
When reviewing picture books, I firstly ignore the text and flip through the pages allowing the illustrations to talk to me. (It is exactly what a child does when picking a book from the shelf and determining whether or not they will choose this over another.)
WOW!! Jonny Duddle’s graphics did more than jump from the pages and put a massive smile on my face, they forced me to quickly return to page one and begin reading.
GIGANTOSAURUS is a humorous retelling of the classic The Boy who Cried Wolf.
“…on the edge of the jungle, where the herbivores grazed, four little dinosaurs spent their days playing in the Cretaceous sun, following tracks and having fun.”
Little dinosaurs Bonehead, Tiny, Fin and Bill, have been warned about the “fierce and wild” Gigantosaurus. They must be very careful when they are out playing and exploring. One day, Bonehead the smallest of the friends, assigns himself as the lookout for the monster.
Bonehead places his friends to the test and falsely cries “GIGANTOSAURUS!”
Three times Bonehead cries out the warning to his friends. The next time they hear, “GIGANTOSAURUS! Run as fast as you can!” Tiny, Fin and Bill refuse to believe their trickster friend. Is Bonehead telling the truth this time? Does the fearful beast arrive?
The rhythm of the text flows beautifully, is humorous and colourful. Bold capitals and the pattern of text placement throughout are as enchanting as the illustrations themselves. A wonderful surprise is the fantastic fold out in the middle of the book – children will be absolutely tickled! The use of repetition will be a winner with the readers and I can imagine the story being recited loudly all over the house. Any child obsessed with Dinosaurs (all my children were!) will love the bonus dino facts at the end.
GIGANTOSAURUS is a picture book which will not only delight young readers but adults as well. Like The Boy who Cried Wolf, the theme to the story shares the caution of even when a liar is telling the truth, they are unlikely to be believed.
Jonny Duddle beautifully sums this up himself in his dedications “….and don’t listen to Boneheads!”
Happy Reading.
Reviewed for Creative Kids Tales by Mel Williams
When reviewing picture books, I firstly ignore the text and flip through the pages allowing the illustrations to talk to me. (It is exactly what a child does when picking a book from the shelf and determining whether or not they will choose this over another.)
WOW!! Jonny Duddle’s graphics did more than jump from the pages and put a massive smile on my face, they forced me to quickly return to page one and begin reading.
GIGANTOSAURUS is a humorous retelling of the classic The Boy who Cried Wolf.
“…on the edge of the jungle, where the herbivores grazed, four little dinosaurs spent their days playing in the Cretaceous sun, following tracks and having fun.”
Little dinosaurs Bonehead, Tiny, Fin and Bill, have been warned about the “fierce and wild” Gigantosaurus. They must be very careful when they are out playing and exploring. One day, Bonehead the smallest of the friends, assigns himself as the lookout for the monster.
Bonehead places his friends to the test and falsely cries “GIGANTOSAURUS!”
Three times Bonehead cries out the warning to his friends. The next time they hear, “GIGANTOSAURUS! Run as fast as you can!” Tiny, Fin and Bill refuse to believe their trickster friend. Is Bonehead telling the truth this time? Does the fearful beast arrive?
The rhythm of the text flows beautifully, is humorous and colourful. Bold capitals and the pattern of text placement throughout are as enchanting as the illustrations themselves. A wonderful surprise is the fantastic fold out in the middle of the book – children will be absolutely tickled! The use of repetition will be a winner with the readers and I can imagine the story being recited loudly all over the house. Any child obsessed with Dinosaurs (all my children were!) will love the bonus dino facts at the end.
GIGANTOSAURUS is a picture book which will not only delight young readers but adults as well. Like The Boy who Cried Wolf, the theme to the story shares the caution of even when a liar is telling the truth, they are unlikely to be believed.
Jonny Duddle beautifully sums this up himself in his dedications “….and don’t listen to Boneheads!”
Happy Reading.
Reviewed for Creative Kids Tales by Mel Williams
March 29, 2017
A fun boy-who-cried-wolf retelling. Perfect for those obsessed with dinosaurs! The illustrations are ADORABLE!
August 21, 2019
In holiday accommodation and read to children, but have a feeling I've read this before at either library or a bookshop.
Another great story that both children enjoyed, but not quite as good as the Jolly Rogers books.
Another great story that both children enjoyed, but not quite as good as the Jolly Rogers books.
August 14, 2022
4,25 stars - English Ebook
Naar collectie kleinkinderen.
Naar collectie kleinkinderen.
May 25, 2018
The illustrations were so freaking good and the moral of the story was written perfectly for children to understand!!
May 23, 2018
I love reading this with my kids- the rhyming is charming and fun. there’s just enough scare factor that the kids just find it fascinating. The tiny dinosaurs are adorably illustrated.
April 20, 2015
All we’ve heard about for at least the last decade is The Gruffalo (I know it was first published in 1999, but as with most things it took numerous years to become a household word). It certainly is an outstanding children’s book in its own right. Having a small boy (our very own Gruffalo’s Child), my husband and I can confidently recite the book from cover to cover (as can our son, an avid reader who has already loved several copies to death).
It was therefore a wonderful surprise to come across something as good as The Gruffalo but with Dinosaurs: Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle (what a fabulous name for a children’s author!).
This book has detailed digital illustrations by the author himself. As an illustrator myself, I have to admit that I’ve not been that wowed by digital art for children, but this one demonstrates that if you know what you’re doing you can create the depth and detail that usually only comes from physicalart. The illustrations are readable, original, and very inviting to a three-year-old’s imagination. There’s also a clever fold out when the ‘Gigantosaurus’ finally appears – the board book being too small to contain him. Speaking as a book designer, the only drawback for me is that the typography was a little less thought out than the illustrations, the story, and the cover. But this is where my criticism starts and stops.
The story is very much based on Aesop Fable ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ and has some funny, if not a little dark, turns, which are very quickly followed by a happy resolve. It has a good moral message and is echoed in his dedication to his daughters:
‘To Daisy & Rosie – always follow your own path and don’t listen to boneheads! Love, Daddy xx'
As a rule, the problem with rhythmic stories for children – which you notice when you’re reading them out loud over and over again – is that you often find that you want to add or remove words to retain a more poetic flow than the original. The Gruffalo was one of the only books I’ve read where that isn’t the case, though unfortunately that level of attention wasn’t repeated in all the other books by Julia Donaldson. Gigantosaurus, however, flows brilliantly, almost perfectly. The repeated segments are catchy and easy for you and your child to remember, for example:
‘ “It’s just Triceratops!” Bonehead laughed. “You ran! You hid! You’re all so DAFT!”.’
The story is well paced and well told.
So if you have a child that loves being read to every night before bed, is dinosaur mad, and wants the same book over and over and over again, then this book won’t go extinct too soon!
To see the original Review please visit http://greendoordp.com/review/fridayr...
It was therefore a wonderful surprise to come across something as good as The Gruffalo but with Dinosaurs: Gigantosaurus by Jonny Duddle (what a fabulous name for a children’s author!).
This book has detailed digital illustrations by the author himself. As an illustrator myself, I have to admit that I’ve not been that wowed by digital art for children, but this one demonstrates that if you know what you’re doing you can create the depth and detail that usually only comes from physicalart. The illustrations are readable, original, and very inviting to a three-year-old’s imagination. There’s also a clever fold out when the ‘Gigantosaurus’ finally appears – the board book being too small to contain him. Speaking as a book designer, the only drawback for me is that the typography was a little less thought out than the illustrations, the story, and the cover. But this is where my criticism starts and stops.
The story is very much based on Aesop Fable ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf,’ and has some funny, if not a little dark, turns, which are very quickly followed by a happy resolve. It has a good moral message and is echoed in his dedication to his daughters:
‘To Daisy & Rosie – always follow your own path and don’t listen to boneheads! Love, Daddy xx'
As a rule, the problem with rhythmic stories for children – which you notice when you’re reading them out loud over and over again – is that you often find that you want to add or remove words to retain a more poetic flow than the original. The Gruffalo was one of the only books I’ve read where that isn’t the case, though unfortunately that level of attention wasn’t repeated in all the other books by Julia Donaldson. Gigantosaurus, however, flows brilliantly, almost perfectly. The repeated segments are catchy and easy for you and your child to remember, for example:
‘ “It’s just Triceratops!” Bonehead laughed. “You ran! You hid! You’re all so DAFT!”.’
The story is well paced and well told.
So if you have a child that loves being read to every night before bed, is dinosaur mad, and wants the same book over and over and over again, then this book won’t go extinct too soon!
To see the original Review please visit http://greendoordp.com/review/fridayr...
March 5, 2016
Gigantosaurus!
My son is dinosaur mad and I am always on the lookout for new dinosaur books and if they feature dinosaur poop then even better! This book doesn't have dinosaur poop in but does have lots of dinosaurs and beautiful illustrations throughout.
The included little baby Ankylosaurus plush toy measures approx 10cm tall at it longest length and approx 16cm long from it's outstretched hands to the end of it's tail and so it's not a very big plush toy but it is cute and also resembles the star of the book (Bonehead) very well. I have purchased of few of this style set where it comes with a plush toy and book such as the Dear Zoo set and normally purchase them when they go on offer such as this set did for Black Friday week on Amazon and so at the price I paid it was a little bargain set to be honest.
The story is a dinosaur re-telling of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and so there is a moral to the story as well. The book is a hardback book and the story is told in a rhyming style. As I have mentioned above the illustrations are beautiful and the book measures 16.7cm by 19.1cm. My son loves the story and this book has been a favourite at bedtime for a few nights on the run now. I also really like that at the end of the book there are a few pages dedicated to meeting the dinosaurs from the book with the dinosaurs names and a little fact about each of them. A lovely little set which would make a lovely gift throughout the year to any dinosaur mad child or make a lovely stocking filler at Christmas time.
My son is dinosaur mad and I am always on the lookout for new dinosaur books and if they feature dinosaur poop then even better! This book doesn't have dinosaur poop in but does have lots of dinosaurs and beautiful illustrations throughout.
The included little baby Ankylosaurus plush toy measures approx 10cm tall at it longest length and approx 16cm long from it's outstretched hands to the end of it's tail and so it's not a very big plush toy but it is cute and also resembles the star of the book (Bonehead) very well. I have purchased of few of this style set where it comes with a plush toy and book such as the Dear Zoo set and normally purchase them when they go on offer such as this set did for Black Friday week on Amazon and so at the price I paid it was a little bargain set to be honest.
The story is a dinosaur re-telling of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" and so there is a moral to the story as well. The book is a hardback book and the story is told in a rhyming style. As I have mentioned above the illustrations are beautiful and the book measures 16.7cm by 19.1cm. My son loves the story and this book has been a favourite at bedtime for a few nights on the run now. I also really like that at the end of the book there are a few pages dedicated to meeting the dinosaurs from the book with the dinosaurs names and a little fact about each of them. A lovely little set which would make a lovely gift throughout the year to any dinosaur mad child or make a lovely stocking filler at Christmas time.
September 13, 2014
Review originally posted on Children's Atheneum
All young dinosaurs are warned about the scary Gigantosaurus. So Bonehead volunteers to be the dino-kids lookout. Unfortunately, he is the original boy-dinosaur who cried wolf, or in this case, Gigantosaurus! Finally, Bonehead's friends refuse to believe his warnings and the Gigantosaurus really turns up.
This story was a combination of 'Land Before Time' meets 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. I actually felt kind of bad for young Bonehead because unlike the wolf story where the child is being willfully untruthful, Bonehead simply mistakes other large animals for the Gigantosaurus. When the actual Gigantosaurus does show up, Bonehead is nearly killed and the other dinos don't seem all too concerned about him based on his supposed lies. Yet, I found Bonehead to be the cutest of the dinosaurs, easily exciteable and obviously a little fearful. It is a shame the author didn't play on those elements. I thought the illustrations were very well done, but I just couldn't see Bonehead as being a liar as the other characters saw him. In the end, they still don't trust him (he does survive) and I thought that was a shame for the poor little dinosaur who was just trying to be a good lookout.
All young dinosaurs are warned about the scary Gigantosaurus. So Bonehead volunteers to be the dino-kids lookout. Unfortunately, he is the original boy-dinosaur who cried wolf, or in this case, Gigantosaurus! Finally, Bonehead's friends refuse to believe his warnings and the Gigantosaurus really turns up.
This story was a combination of 'Land Before Time' meets 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. I actually felt kind of bad for young Bonehead because unlike the wolf story where the child is being willfully untruthful, Bonehead simply mistakes other large animals for the Gigantosaurus. When the actual Gigantosaurus does show up, Bonehead is nearly killed and the other dinos don't seem all too concerned about him based on his supposed lies. Yet, I found Bonehead to be the cutest of the dinosaurs, easily exciteable and obviously a little fearful. It is a shame the author didn't play on those elements. I thought the illustrations were very well done, but I just couldn't see Bonehead as being a liar as the other characters saw him. In the end, they still don't trust him (he does survive) and I thought that was a shame for the poor little dinosaur who was just trying to be a good lookout.
October 3, 2016
Four little dinosaurs are playing outside, but their mothers have warned them to watch out for the Gigantosaurus. One of the little ones decides it is funny to continually call out false alarms, but when the real Gigantosaurus comes around, he's almost toast.
Obviously, this is a rewrite of the boy who cried wolf. Only this time it's vegetarian dinosaur who cries predator dinosaur. The rhyming is done pretty well and kids will likely enjoy the illustration style and the dino guide at the back. Pick this one up for dinosaur fans. You can also read this one along with a traditional Boy Who Cried Wolf tale and other rewrites like The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot! for compare/contrast activities. And of course, there's the opportunity to talk about when joking goes to far and why you should be trustworthy in what you say.
Obviously, this is a rewrite of the boy who cried wolf. Only this time it's vegetarian dinosaur who cries predator dinosaur. The rhyming is done pretty well and kids will likely enjoy the illustration style and the dino guide at the back. Pick this one up for dinosaur fans. You can also read this one along with a traditional Boy Who Cried Wolf tale and other rewrites like The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot! for compare/contrast activities. And of course, there's the opportunity to talk about when joking goes to far and why you should be trustworthy in what you say.
October 15, 2014
Although their dinosaur elders warn four youngsters about the fierce Gingantosaurus, they still enjoy playing. But like the boy who cried wolf in the famous folktale, Bonehead doesn't take his job as lookout seriously. Several times he warns his friends of approaching danger, but it turns out to be dinosaur friends. When the scary dinosaur finally arrives, no one listens to Bonehead. Although there aren't a lot of surprises here, the digital illustrations and story are sure to have dino-mite appeal for dinosaur lovers. I liked the back matter providing information about various dinosaurs and the endpapers with a dinosaur tail and bones. This one is fun to read aloud.
February 23, 2015
In this dinosaur-themed retelling of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," one little dino offers to watch for predators while his friends play. He thinks it's hilarious to falsely warn the others about approaching enemies, just to watch them scurry and hide for nothing. But when the threat becomes real, he learns his lesson. Includes a colorful poster and more information about dinosaurs -- including the eponymous Gigantosaurus.
This story has adorable illustrations and a good lesson, and is likely to appeal to many dinosaur lovers. Some children may find it pretty scary, however, so choose your audience with care.
This story has adorable illustrations and a good lesson, and is likely to appeal to many dinosaur lovers. Some children may find it pretty scary, however, so choose your audience with care.
October 6, 2014
Age: Kindergarten-2nd grade
Following the path of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, four little dinosaurs are warned by their parents to watch out for Gigantosaurus. Bonehead always insists on being the lookout but enjoys flaunting his power, tricking the other dinos into hiding from friendly dinosaurs. I appreciate the rhythm of the text but there are some boo-boos (but nothing that will really distract kids or puzzle a reader). A note on the illustrations: Duddle anthropomorphizes the characters in a way similar to Pixar or Disney movies. Take that as you will.
Following the path of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, four little dinosaurs are warned by their parents to watch out for Gigantosaurus. Bonehead always insists on being the lookout but enjoys flaunting his power, tricking the other dinos into hiding from friendly dinosaurs. I appreciate the rhythm of the text but there are some boo-boos (but nothing that will really distract kids or puzzle a reader). A note on the illustrations: Duddle anthropomorphizes the characters in a way similar to Pixar or Disney movies. Take that as you will.
November 14, 2014
This book made me smile the entire time I was reading it! Gigantosaurus is a Mesozoic spin on a Peter and the Wolf like tale full of great rhythm, rhyme, and patterning. The mix of text and speech bubbles enhanced my engagement in the story. Also, I loved, loved, loved the illustrations, especially the facial expressions on the dinosaurs. I just want to open the door, get on the floor, and walk the dinosaur!!
June 13, 2018
This was a great read and so funny. It's about a dinosaur who "cried wolf." After a while, his friends leave him to be eaten by a dinosaur bigger than T-Rex, the Gigantosaurus. I like the back of the book that tells about the different dinosaurs and also about the true Giganotosaurus (yes that's how you spell it).
I would read for storytimes about telling the truth, silly or funny, or dinosaurs. I think older kids (in grade school) would get this better than little ones.
I would read for storytimes about telling the truth, silly or funny, or dinosaurs. I think older kids (in grade school) would get this better than little ones.
November 29, 2014
The classic "Boy Who Cried Wolf" fable with a dinosaur twist! I think this would work OK in a dinosaur themed story hour for 4s and up. Definitely a good read to a small group or one on one. There's a lot going on in the illustrations. It also provides information on dinosaurs and the acknowledgement that the Gigantosaurus was created just for the book.
December 18, 2014
This 2014 books is an example of poetry, as the whole story is told in verse. It's essentially a 'boy who cried wolf' but in this case, the young monster was looking for the largest carnivore ever to roam the planet during the time of the dinosaurs. Eventually, the young friends (think 'Land Before Time') do run into the meat-eater... and they may not survive! Great for younger students.
April 9, 2017
Brilliant, informative read with a moral tale to tell -5*
The moral element follows the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf but adapted to dinosaurs.
All of the dinosaurs in the book are real (with a tiny description at the end) apart from the Giganotsaurus.
I really enjoyed it and know my placement class will too!
The moral element follows the story of the Boy Who Cried Wolf but adapted to dinosaurs.
All of the dinosaurs in the book are real (with a tiny description at the end) apart from the Giganotsaurus.
I really enjoyed it and know my placement class will too!
September 6, 2014
Cute, short book about dinosaurs. My son loves dinosaurs which is why I checked out this book from the library. The story was like a dinosaur spin off of the boy who cried wolf, but everything worked out in the end.
January 2, 2015
This is a "boy who cried wolf" for dinosaur lovers. Not only does the text feature dinos, but it has a dino-glossary in the back of all the real types of dinos met in the book.
The rhyming is pretty well done, too.
The rhyming is pretty well done, too.
September 1, 2016
My son loves this book. And I love the illustration. We got it from the library and out of the stack of books we checked out, this one always gets put on the top of the pile to read first. Usually he's not particular about the order of books read, but this one he just can't wait for.
October 10, 2016
Fun re-telling of the boy who cried wolf!
August 6, 2018
My daughter picked it out in the library today. The book looked good as she flipped through it and she was very excited to read it with me.
It was a translation so I was surprised that it's still a rhyming book. Then I was confused as the rhyming was very heavy-handed.
I powered through, explaining what's going on along the way, soon realizing it's The Boy Who Cried Wolf retold in a nonsensical way.
I could stop my review here with "pictures are ok, story makes no sense, did not like it" but I feel that this is a bad book and I will explain my 1 star rating below.
The only lesson I can think of is don't buy this book. I checked the Look Inside for this book on Amazon to check the original rhyming and it is better. It's not on the level of Julia Donaldson but it looks passable and much better than the Slovak translation.
But since the story is still the same, the rhymes will not save it.
If you read my review all the way to the end, you can check out an alternate ending to this book that I just thought of:
It was a translation so I was surprised that it's still a rhyming book. Then I was confused as the rhyming was very heavy-handed.
I powered through, explaining what's going on along the way, soon realizing it's The Boy Who Cried Wolf retold in a nonsensical way.
I could stop my review here with "pictures are ok, story makes no sense, did not like it" but I feel that this is a bad book and I will explain my 1 star rating below.
The only lesson I can think of is don't buy this book. I checked the Look Inside for this book on Amazon to check the original rhyming and it is better. It's not on the level of Julia Donaldson but it looks passable and much better than the Slovak translation.
But since the story is still the same, the rhymes will not save it.
If you read my review all the way to the end, you can check out an alternate ending to this book that I just thought of:
November 26, 2023
You don't have to start a book "Many million years ago." You could be sensitive to the fact that not everyone believes in evolution and the world being millions of years old and just say, "Many years ago." Being completely dismissive of other people's beliefs is a big turn-off for me.
A dinosaur named Bone Head keeps lying to his little friends about a dinosaur being after them. I was disappointed when he didn't actually get eaten. The pictures of the little dinosaurs were cute, though.
A dinosaur named Bone Head keeps lying to his little friends about a dinosaur being after them. I was disappointed when he didn't actually get eaten. The pictures of the little dinosaurs were cute, though.
February 7, 2019
The story was pretty short but I enjoyed the illustrations. I got it because Disney Junior picked up a TV show based on this book and my twin toddlers love it. The show has the same unique artwork but changed two of the characters to girls (I think). Maybe Duddle will write some picture books based on the TV show...one never knows.
April 25, 2019
good book. could be used to teach children about morals, right and wrong etc in a PSHCE lesson. I like how at the end of the book there is "meet the dinosaurs in this book..." as it includes factual information about all the dinosaurs used. This could be referred to according to an appropriate topic or used as a stimulus.
March 15, 2021
This is the book that the animated Disney Jr show is based off of. Beautiful book with great illustrations. It’s a simple story, but my kids love it. Two of the little Dino’s names have been changed for the show, so when I read it to my kids I’ve been using the show names, since they are familiar with the show.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews