A Very Dinosaur Birthday

by Adam Wallace, Christopher Nielsen (Illustrator)

Your family will roar with laughter at this funny read-aloud from Adam Wallace, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the How to Catch series. What if dinosaurs showed up at your birthday party? From prehistoric presents to games crashing out of control and your snacks going extinct, it's a dino disaster! Dinosaurs are big, and strong, and scary, and farty, So do you really want them coming to your birthday party? Watch out! Birthdays will never be the same with this silly picture book adventure featuring lively rhymes and hilarious illustrations! A Very Dinosaur Birthday is perfect for

Genres: Dinosaurs, Picture Books, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

Published June 20, 2023

About the author

Adam Wallace is a New York Times, USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author of the How to Catch series!
Adam's passion is to bring excitement and energy and humour and joy to children (of all ages!) through his books and videos.
He spends his non-writing time thinking about writing and going to as many live music shows as he can. He's also teaching himself piano, and plays golf too.

Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick and cute book about how dinosaurs would ruin/save a birthday party. The illustrations were great and I loved the different dinosaurs in the beginning and end with their names. I found the story to be ok. Some of the lingo is British which was fun. It was a little weird for me that most of the book was about the disaster of inviting dinosaurs and then there were like two positive pages and the last line implied a sequel. I’ll be passing this book off to a child with a birthday coming up and I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://littlesquirrelsbookshelf.blog...
A Very Dinosaur Birthday is a funny, brightly illustrated rhyming story that will have kids laughing and eager to see what will happen next.
 
I'm not a big fan of 'fart' books but I know they are hugely popular with children and a vast array of titles can be found in any bookstore.
Jay loves dinosaurs but when I asked him if he wanted to listen to a new book he said no. So I decided to start reading it aloud. As soon as I read the first sentence - "Dinosaurs are big and strong, they're clumsy and they're farty." His ears pricked up. Then came the stinky, broken covered in mold presents and he was sold.
The book elicited lots of laughs and he was eager to hear it again. 
 
Jay understands the concept of fiction and that the dinosaurs, however well intentioned, can't do things that humans do.
The dinosaurs create much havoc doing conventional party games at a little boy's birthday party which causes him to be sad. But the dinosaurs save the day by engaging the children in lots of fun games you can only play with dinosaurs.

The cadence of the rhymes took me a few read throughs before the story flowed smoothly.
This is a fun book for any little dinosaur enthusiast. It opens with a double spread of dinosaur illustrations with names and also includes ideas for invitations, decorations, snacks and activities for your own dinosaur themed party.
 
Recommended age: 4+ years

[donna backshall · Rating 2 out of 5]

No. This is a hard no for me.

I was expecting a book that was extra fun and celebratory because dinosaurs were invited. Nope. What we get is a party trashed by well-meaning but bull-in-a-china-shop monsters who can't help but fart and trample all over everything. It's about how a party might be fun despite the dinosaurs, instead of because of them. It was very confusing, and I imagine it would be disappointing for a kid who's always fantasized about playing with dinosaurs.

It was too real for a situation so unrealistic. Why? Just why?

The illustrations were very colorful. At least the book had that going for it.

Overall, as much as I love children's books in general, this wasn't a fun one for me and I definitely won't be reading it to any children.

[Star Gater · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S, Thomas Nelson for accepting my review of A Very Dinosaur Birthday.

Published: 06/20/23

Unfortunately the story is a miss for me. The illustrations are spot-on. I love the bright colors and the designs. I'm not a fan of fart books for young children. It's my experience the book can be fun when the adult decides. A child does not have the reasoning abilities and may inappropriately bring up the farting. This type of humor works with a mature caregiver/parent.

I would have liked the author to take the illustrations and birthday party theme in a different direction.

[Mehsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book from Netgalley/the publisher in exchange of an honest review.


Well, this just didn’t work for me. Well, in parts, I mean there were things I liked, but for most it didn’t.

I thought this would be a very fun book about a kid having a birthday party with fun things happening with dinosaurs. Instead we get a party that is absolutely RUINED and CRASHED by dinosaurs. They fart and gas you all around. They break your stuff. They wreck your games. They ruin the cake. They ruin and destroy your gifts. And I could just go on with all the lists. It was all very frustrating to read because I just wanted to have the dinosaurs and humans get along and I found the dinosaurs just WAY to horrible and mean and terrible. I am frankly not even sure what the point was of it all. To show dinosaurs are mean? Some analogy or whatever the name is for being naughty? I don’t know.

What I did like? The art was really fun, I loved the colours and I especially loved how the dinosaurs were drawn. In the good old fashioned way. I know, I know everyone is drawing feathers now, but I am just not of the chicken dinosaurs so this was a delight. To see a good raptor and not the tiny chicken it is these days. BLESS!

And the ending turned out to be quite nice as well.

But yeah, all in all, not my thing. 2 stars for the fab illustrations and the fun ending.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A naughty author writes a naughty picture storybook for kids who do not want to be naughty and this is what happens. Read this book when it comes out to know what I mean.

Thank you, Thomas Nelson CHILDREN’s, for the advance reading copy.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review.

I really love the vibrant colors and the way the dinos are drawn.
The story I didn't like as the dinos are horrible and ruin the party.
The author tried to fix this on the last several pages but after all the destruction and chaos, there was no fixing it.

4 stars for the artwork.
1 star for the story.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/8/2025 - I thought this would be a fun book, but it kinda got depressing. I did enjoy the illustrations.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a super cute children's book for any child who loves dinosaurs or even ones who don't. A child invites the dinosaurs to his birthday party and they wreak havoc. But in the end the dinosaurs make the party extra fun and different than any other kids birthday parties. This book has great illustrations that are colorful and fun to look at while reading the story.

[Megan Bey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bright and fun book about how dinosaurs would ruin a birthday party. I personally didn’t love the book leading off with farts, but after that I enjoyed the dinosaur birthday party activities. I just wish the book didn’t end with mentioning Christmas. It’s a great way to set up a sequel, but it’s not inclusive. I think “holiday cheer” would be best and leaves room for multiple sequels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson: CHILDREN'S for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[ChapterNook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by Adam Wallace, ‘A Very Dinosaur Birthday’ is a New York Times Bestseller about what it's like to invite dinosaurs to your birthday party! It’s smelly, it’s loud, and you might not get a piece of your own cake, but you sure will have an interesting story to tell!

A full color, 40 page book with easy-to-read paragraphs in fun, creative fonts. Front pages are decorated with dinosaurs by the illustrator as well as a place for inscriptions on the FFEP. In the rear of the book you can find party invitations to copy, decoration ideas, snack recipes and activities to engage in at your party!

It’s been quite some time since I've read a new story from the Juvenile Fiction genre. I’m mostly familiar with the classics and the style of writing has changed drastically like it does. With that said, I’m kind of a stickler when choosing books for my young readers and there wasn't anything about this book that really stuck out to me. The story itself is a just-for-fun read for young readers with no lessons, advice, or knowledge gained. (although one could weakly argue a vague undertone of accepting the consequences of your actions, however that is then negated at the end when they beg for the problematic dinosaurs to come back again. So really what did they learn) To be honest though, I really don't think there was meant to be a point to this story but rather a fun book about a birthday and some wacky dinos. If so, nailed it.

Finally, while there was nothing inherently wrong with it, it just didn't seem like it really flowed together like perhaps the author wanted it too. It feels like there was a struggle to find things to rhyme with and in fact.. It almost sounded like something from chat gpt, or other types of AI software. All in all I think it's a fine book for young readers with darling illustrations and a ton of color. Nothing stuck out to me as questionable and clearly, kids & parents love it!

An enormous Thank You to goodreads, Tommy Nelson Publishers, & Adam Wallace for allowing me the opportunity to read this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free digital copy to read from the author.

"A Very Dinosaur Birthday" by Adam Wallace is a delightful and humorous picture book that takes readers on a wild adventure of what could happen if dinosaurs were invited to a birthday party. With lively rhymes and vibrant illustrations, this book will capture the attention of young readers and have them laughing out loud.

The story follows a group of children who decide to invite dinosaurs to their birthday party. However, things quickly go awry as the massive creatures wreak havoc on the festivities, causing chaos and hilarity at every turn. From smashing presents to devouring all the snacks, the dinosaurs make the party a complete disaster.

What makes this book stand out is the author's clever use of language and witty humor. The rhymes are catchy and easy to follow, making it an enjoyable read-aloud for parents and teachers. The illustrations by Scott Sneed are colorful and dynamic, perfectly capturing the chaotic energy of the story.

Overall, "A Very Dinosaur Birthday" is a fun and engaging picture book that will leave young readers giggling and asking for more. It's an excellent addition to any children's bookshelf and is sure to become a favorite for those who love dinosaurs and silly adventures.

I would love a physical copy.

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're considering inviting a dinosaur to your birthday party, this books will have you thinking twice.

Without even a breath of introduction, the first page dives right into the silly fun and sets the tone with dinosaurs, birthdays and farts. It's like jumping from nothing into super-hyper drive pure. From one chaotic ridiculousness to the next, the dinosaurs bring unexpected problems to every part of the party. None of this is done with even the slightest hint of malice. Rather, these dinosaurs are cheerful, and pleasant...they simply can't help that not everything runs seamlessly. It's quirky and explosive fun, keeping humor and giggles in constant supply.

The illustrations are bright and bold, letting each situation hit full force. The dinosaurs are recognizable, and this will delight young, dinosaur fans. The author has worked in a few dino-facts along the way, letting readers learn a little despite the chaos. The rhyming style adds to the whimsical atmosphere and, for the most part, flows smoothly. It does make a nice read-aloud and will interest more than just dinosaur friends. Just be ready for more than a few giggles and laughs because this one is anything but a calm read. I received an ARC and enjoyed the hilarious nonsense quite a bit.

[Monica H (TeaandBooks) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Very Dinosaur Birthday by Adam Wallace is intended to be a funny way to talk about dinosaurs. It is aimed at children ages four to ten. I think that is too big of an age range for this book, personally. It has some good rhyming going on and the dinosaur aspect could be fun for children who enjoy dinosaurs. At the same time, I am not a real fan of farting and large bum talk in children's books. Honestly, my son never enjoyed books that talked about farting either, but every family is different. I understand it is meant to be humorous but for families that don't use these words, it may not be the best book. Outside of that, there is some good rhyming going on. There is some great information on ideas for dinosaur birthday parties on the back cover insert pages. The pictures are bright and vibrant and great illustrations for a children's book. Also, this book is just for fun there are no real lessons in this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinosaurs are a hit with younger elementary kiddos. Many parents have hosted dinosaur-themed birthday parties. Adam Wallace has capitalized on this theme in A Very Dinosaur Birthday. While the text is rhyming and will appeal to children, there is some “potty language” in the book that some parents will not appreciate. There are also suggestions at the end of the book for a dinosaur birthday party - again with some “potty” suggestions some parents will not appreciate. I don’t expect this in a book published by a Christian publisher.
Christopher Nielsen’s illustrations are brightly colored and very “busy.” There is much on each page to draw a child’s attention.
I am not sure A Very Dinosaur Birthday is a good fit for a K-12 Christian school library. I encourage librarians to read the book before placing it in their library.
I received a complimentary copy of A Very Dinosaur Birthday. This is my honest review.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinosaurs are all sorts of things. They stink, fart, are big and dizzy and so much more. Would you invite dinosaurs to your birthday party? For one little boy who did invite dinosaurs of all kinds to his birthday party, it was not what he expected. They played pin the tail on the donkey, jumped and splashed in the pool, and ate all of the food. It became a bit messy when it was time to blow the candles out on the cake. The party was a disaster, or was it?

Author Adam Wallace has a hilarious story perfect for any dinosaur lover. Infused with vibrant and action-packed illustrations, this book is a fun page-turner. First-time readers will be engaged with colorful oversized words. Young listeners can pick a favorite dinosaur featured throughout the front and back. Parents and teachers can enhance this story even more by having kids create their own invitations, make snacks and enjoy other activities suggested on the back pages.

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book that I know kids will love. A
child invites a gaggle of dinosaurs to his birthday bash and mayhem and chaos ensues. Dinosaurs are HUGE, ravenous, AND farty! Oh my! They smash and crash and cause lots of disturbances.

This hilarious book is written in rhyme and the detailed illustrations are vibrant, colourful and full of action and fun.

A Very Dinosaur Birthday is perfect for:

boys and girls 4 to 10 years old and dino lovers of all ages
fans of Dragons Love Tacos and How to Catch a Dinosaur
fun family story times and getting the giggles out before bed
a gift for birthdays and other celebrations


If your child is a fan of dinosaurs then this book is must read. A Very Dinosaur Birthday is an interactive read-aloud that kids will love reading again and again. I highly recommend!

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I think this is a really cute book for a young child for a dinosaur birthday party. Although the book is filled with fun pictures, funny sentences, and adorable dinosaurs, I did not like the opening lines: Dinosaurs are big and strong. They’re clumsy and they’re farty. I think the story could be cute if changed to something like: They’re clumsy and might be tardy. The rest of the book is filled with rhyming words, funny situations, and ideas to make a fun dinosaur birthday party. I think I’ll serve up some dinosaur bones, eggs, and claws for my next dinosaur party! I loved the illustrations of all the dinosaurs inside the front and back covers. I would have given this a 5 Star rating if it didn't include the words "farty" and "giant bum" based on this book being geared toward a young child.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Very Dinosaur Birthday shows you what would happen if dinosaurs came to your birthday party. A dinosaur party might seem fun, but dinos don't exactly smell great and they'll probably eat all of your food. The dinos still want to make you have a happy day, and they know just what to do.

A Very Dinosaur Birthday fun, rhyming story with plenty of dinosaurs in silly situations. With colorful, exciting pictures of dinosaurs that capture attention and imagination, the story is just as amazing to look at as it is to read. Real dinosaur names and traits are is sure to please dinosaur lovers and the dinosaur havoc will help young readers manage their birthday party expectations. The dinosaur birthday party celebration planning tips, snacks, décor and activities are a great bonus at the end of the book.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Although this book has some special features for dinosaur-loving children, I would not recommend this dinosaur book. Our family personally doesn’t care to mention “farting” and “large bums,” both terms used within the first few pages of the story. The story does have rhyming patterns on most pages. The illustrations are bright and colorful. Inside the front cover are pictures of dinosaurs labeled with their names. The back cover has ideas for how to have your own dinosaur party, including ideas for invitations, decorations, snacks, and activities. This would be a cute gift for a dinosaur lover if only those potty words could have been left out.

[Charis Chelen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to like this book, because the illustrations are fabulous and who doesn't love dinosaurs? I really don't care for children's books with potty humor, and the first draw back was on the very first page which talks about dinosaurs as 'farty.' It goes on to detail all of the reasons why you wouldn't want to invite a dinosaur to your birthday party, which comes off as unkind. It does redeem itself by listing all of the great reasons to have a dinosaur come to your party in the second half, but overall it wasn't a favorite for me. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review and use #sponsored on any social media posts.

[Threebookworms · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Very Dinosaur Birthday is the perfect book to read with all those dinosaur-loving readers. This book is about what would happen if Dinosaurs came to your birthday party. They make a mess and do ruin things but they also can be a lot of fun. The illustrations are colorful and fun to match the tone of a child's birthday party. I did start to feel bad about all the chaos that the dinosaur's caused, so I was happy the book turned around by the end. This would make a great birthday gift to the next dinosaur birthday you go to.
I read this book on NetGalley and was happy to give my feedback on this new title.

[Christina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book free from Tommy Nelson in exchange for my honest review.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful! The writing however, truly could use some edits and revision. The story does not flow and it feels disjointed when I read it out-loud to my 4 year old. She seems to like the book and has asked for it several times. I however, as the mom, am very disappointed in how the book seems to mean and rude to the characters the story has ZERO redeeming qualities for this coming from a Christian publishing company. As a cute dinosaur book it is average in my opinion - a decent book to maybe borrow from your library but I would not recommend purchasing it.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who knows Adam, I am definitely a bit bias towards anything he writes. This is yet another fun, lyrical, sweet story that made me giggle. There's so many cute moments in the illustrations, it's hard not to smile when you are reading this. As a librarian, I don't reach for birthday books super often for my story times, but this might just make me put the "Birthday" and "Parties" theme into the rotation. Silly, bouncy, and with wonderful illustration and rhymes, this is sure to be a hit with your pre-k crowd.

Thank you to NetGalley and Adam for a sneak-peak of this super fun story!

[Tabatha Shipley · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Did Like:
+The rhymes give a great cadence to the story.
+The illustrations are adorable.
+The story itself is hilarious and cute. I immediately read parts of it out loud to my family and knew exactly which child I was gifting my copy to.

Who Should Read This One:
-Anyone with a small child who likes dinosaurs needs this book. It’s funny and will easily become a favorite read aloud!

My Rating: 5 Stars
Super cute, get this one for the littles in your family.

For Full Review: https://alltherightreads.com/2023/05/...

[Althea Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within the first page on description of dinosaurs it had me laughing out loud

Descriptive words stand out because of the font design and color

Illustrations are bright and fun. They illustrate the story being told on the page very well by giving you a visual of what is going on.

I read this book with my 3 year old son and he seemed to really enjoy it. We have read a few in this series so far and I'll probably keep picking them up since my son loves Dinosaurs at the moment.

Rating: 5 out of 5

[Rachel Genaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this story with my 7 year old and almost two year old and this whole dinosaur loving family enjoyed this story!
The story was very cute as it went through the crazy imaginings of inviting dinosaurs to a birthday party. The pictures were incredibly colorful and the fonts were fun!
I appreciated that the story named various types of dinosaurs, rather than just saying Dino as some stories do. It does use the word fart and bum, but that is a nonissue for us.
Highly recommended for pint sized Dino lovers!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

I entered the giveaway for this book with the intent of adding it to my Little Free Library if I won it, but I wanted to read it before I passed it along. I'm glad I did. It's a cute, funny story that I'm certain young children will love, and the pictures are whimsical and colorful. There are definitely some mild fart/butt jokes, but nothing I would call at all offensive or out of line. I look forward to passing this along to a child in my neighborhood for them to enjoy!

[Julie Ditton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinosaurs are big, and strong, and scary, and farty,
So do you really want them coming to your birthday party

This adorable picture book describes what happens when dinosaurs join in on the fun at a birthday celebration. Adam Wallace has created a delightful story about the mayhem that happens when very big, strong, clumsy dinosaurs participate in the party activities. The story is written in clever, catchy rhymes which will tickle your funny bones. Many of the adjectives are written in bold colorful font to add extra emphasis. The bright exciting illustrations show a variety of dinosaurs accidentally wreaking havoc. This book will delight children ages four to ten and anyone with a love of dinosaurs. It is ideal for bedtime giggles or for story time too. I would recommend this book as a gift to any young child.

This book can also be used in the classroom. The publishers have created an educator guide as a companion book. It states that the book is appropriate for Read Aloud for Kindergarten and First Grade and Independent Reading for second grade and above. It provides four activities that help teach comprehension, critical thinking and writing.

This book was provided by the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

[Alex Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the bright colors and the amazing illustrations, the overall book just kinda fell flat for me. I didn’t care too much for the potty or farting things, maybe because I have a daughter and not a son though. And honestly, my daughter didn’t even really think it was that funny either. She loves dinosaurs, so we just mainly focused on the different ones we saw and that she knew from memory in the book.