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Lulu and the Brontosaurus
(Lulu #1)
by
An illustrated chapter book from industry legends Judith Viorst and Lane Smith! "I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, gonna, get a bronto-bronto-bronto-bronto-saurus for a pet!"
Lulu is so accustomed to getting what she wants that when her parents deny her birthday request for a brontosaurus, she throws a four-day temper tantrum and then storms off into the forest in search of ...more
Lulu is so accustomed to getting what she wants that when her parents deny her birthday request for a brontosaurus, she throws a four-day temper tantrum and then storms off into the forest in search of ...more
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Paperback, 128 pages
Published
September 14th 2010
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Start your review of Lulu and the Brontosaurus

I am jointly reviewing this book with my 11 year old daughter Isabelle. We got it both in hardcover form and on audio CD. The book itself was very attractive with black, off-white, and green illustrations. Some of them span two pages, allowing the reader a little break from the actual words as the images take over to forward the story. For some inexplicable reason, the pictures reminded me of the Beetlejuice movie with Michael Keaton (!). The drawings are soothing, not a distraction at all to th
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Lulu was a bad girl and she wanted a brontosaurus for her birthday. Her parents hardly ever said no to her. But this time they did. And then Lulu said WHY!! My favorite part about the book was when the brontosaurus told Lulu that she should be HIS pet. This book had 3 different endings. You could choose your favorite ending. I liked the third ending best. I took this book to my teacher because I liked it so much. She is reading it to my whole class. This week we are learning about animal's needs
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I enjoyed this book because I liked the part when Lulu didn't get a brontosaurus (at first, she wanted a brontosaurus for a pet). I did not like this book because I do not like forests. I also did not like this book because I do not like dinosaurs. When Lulu met the brontosaurus, the brontosaurus wanted Lulu to be his pet, but Lulu escaped.
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I thought this book was very funny and young readers would be able to read it and comprehend the text because it easy to relate to as well very funny! Once children surpass easy readers and picture books I think this would be a cute next step book to have in a classroom, it could also be used as a read aloud to introduce students to chapter book in early grades.
All LuLu wants for her birthday from her parents for her birthday is a pet Brontosaurus of course Lulu's parents tell her absolutely no ...more
All LuLu wants for her birthday from her parents for her birthday is a pet Brontosaurus of course Lulu's parents tell her absolutely no ...more

adorable illustrations. perfect short little chapters for my about-to-enter-first-grade daughter, which gave her a sense of accomplishment AND gave me a natural jumping off point when I seriously just wanted her to go to bed already ("only one chapter tonight, sweetie"). the best part was the "choose your own ending"...the book ended with three chapter thirteens, which had my daughter giggling uncontollably. also: she carried this book everywhere for the duration of time we were reading it. she
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I'm going to start including each of my kid's ratings for the books that we listen to together. The rating I give the book overall with be my personal rating.
me: 3.5 stars, rounded up
daughter (age 5): 4 stars
son (age 10): 2 stars
This was a fun read, but an audiobook meant for the younger crowd so my son was not too interested in it. My daughter loved it, though, and I had to keep stopping it so she could ask me questions (like how can something be "deader" than dead?). I thought the various endi ...more
me: 3.5 stars, rounded up
daughter (age 5): 4 stars
son (age 10): 2 stars
This was a fun read, but an audiobook meant for the younger crowd so my son was not too interested in it. My daughter loved it, though, and I had to keep stopping it so she could ask me questions (like how can something be "deader" than dead?). I thought the various endi ...more

Lulu is a bit of a brat. She demands a Brontosaurus for her birthday, when her parents refuse to comply she packs a bag and heads into the forest to find a brontosaurus for herself. There she encounters a number of dangerous animals, and finally a brontosaurus.
This has been on my TBR for years, I finally got to it and now there are several books out. It's quite on the early end of middle grade chapter books, with 1-2 page large text chapters and really beautiful illustrations throughout, it too ...more
This has been on my TBR for years, I finally got to it and now there are several books out. It's quite on the early end of middle grade chapter books, with 1-2 page large text chapters and really beautiful illustrations throughout, it too ...more

Jul 16, 2014
Mrs. Fornero
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
early-chapter-books
Once again I love how Judith Viorst interacts with the reader. It makes the book even more fun and relatable. Fiesty, sassy Lulu is on an imaginative quest to find a pet Brontosaurus since her parents dared to say no. Along the way she has some run - ins with other forest animals. When Lulu finally meets the Brontosaurus, she ends up learning that kindness and good manners go a lot further than tantrums and meanness. And you have to love a book that offers not one, not two, but three different e
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This hybrid between a chapter book and a picture book was well done. The pages and chapters were short and the black and white illustrations were really pleasant. The story was easy to follow and a little compelling, with Lulu's adventures and her quest to find a brontosaurus (great quest, really!). However, I liked none of the characters and the story lacked a little something more. One thing I appreciated was the fact that there was a narrator-author talking to the reader and that she/he offer
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This was a cute & light book that I read to my boys, 6 & 8 yrs old, in two nights. I really enjoyed the writer's voice interrupting into the story. It was a comical & very engaging book. My 6 yr old doesn't usually sit through chapter books very well, but the banter (voice) of Lulu intrigued him and was captivated through the two night story read aloud. :) I plan on reading this book to my 4th graders during the first week of school.
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Lulu is not a likeable character. She bonks bears and stomps tigers in a spoiled tantrum to get what she wants, a pet dinosaur. The dinosaur she finds turns out to be a jerk as well, until they realize that they really won't make each other practical pets. Then somehow Lulu is magically transformed into a nice girl who says "please," and the dinosaur becomes a great friend. But my daughter liked the book, even though she didn't care for the first half, because it had a brontosaurus.
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8-23-14 Update - I just started reading this book to my new group of first graders. They were hooked after the first paragraph in chapter 1! They love the way the author pauses during the story to "speak to them." This is such a great book, and I'm really glad they are loving it as much as I do!
My class loved this book! It was really a really cute story with great pictures! ...more
My class loved this book! It was really a really cute story with great pictures! ...more

This is one fun book. Can't wait to read it aloud to first and second graders. Children will enjoy Lulu but there is also a great lesson and love the ending.
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I have always liked Judith Viorst's pissy children characters. I think they are funny. Like pissy adults.
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Lulu was a fun and engaging character, even if she was rude and obnoxious. By the end, you couldn't help but like her for the growth she showed throughout the story.
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😍

The Story: Lulu is a girl, in fact, she is the birthday girl. But more than that, Lulu is a pain. She screams and kicks and fights to get her way, and the worst part about it is that she usually does. But this year, when Lulu asks her parents for a pet Brontosaurus, things don’t go so well, and she is forced to take matters into her own hands. She sets out on an adventure to find her Brontosaurus, meeting all sorts of creatures along the way, and being-well- a pain. But when Lulu finally meets M ...more

Lulu and the Brontosaurus was written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Lane Smith. This humorous book has won many awards including the Junior Library Guild Selection, NCTE Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, Notable Children's Trade Book Language (AR), Children's Book Committee Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2011, 2013 Beehive Children’s Award, and was a 2013 Monarch Nominee. I accessed this piece of fantasy through a local library.
The relatable ...more
The relatable ...more

Lulu is a little terror of a preschooler who wants a brontosaurus for her birthday. NOW. And Lulu's parents are at a loss, what with Lulu's screeching tantrums "till the lightbulb's burst," they just don't know what to do. But they put their collective foot down at the idea of a brontosaurus. Lulu storms off into the forest to get one herself, and the adventure begins. While Lulu searches for her dinosaur, encountering all manner of dangers, her parents take a breather from their little hellion,
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My 6 year old daughter happily devoured this book last night (after reading two other books yesterday! I need to find her longer books!!!), and she pronounced Lulu to be the very BEST. Lulu is a spoiled brat who wants what she wants and throws a tantrum til she gets it - my dislike of the spoiled only child stereotype ASIDE (*I* was an only child, thank you very much, and NOT a spoiled brat) - I have to love this quirky book, because my daughter loved it so much. This looks perfect for the reade
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Lulu and the brontosaurus gives me the giggles,it has been giving me the giggles since I was 6 and now I am 10. Lulu is a spoiled girl and is a cry baby. One day before her birthday she decided that she wanted a brontosaurus,that was a big step for her parents to be asked that so the most responsible thing to do tell Lulu NO. Lulu really hated the word no,so to show how much she hated it she SCREECHED and SCREECHED and SCREECHED till all the light bulbs in the living room burst.Lulu screeched fo
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First sentence: There was once a girl named Lulu, and she was a pain. She wasn't a pain in the elbow. She wasn't a pain in the knee. She was a pain--a very big pain--in the butt.
Premise/plot: Will Lulu, the oh-so-selfish, oh-so-thoughtless, oh-so-spoiled child, learn her lesson in Judith Viorst's new book? She may when her wish, no, her DEMAND, backfires on her a bit. Lulu demands a brontosaurus for her birthday. When her parents refuse--consistently refuse--she decides to run away...and she run ...more
Premise/plot: Will Lulu, the oh-so-selfish, oh-so-thoughtless, oh-so-spoiled child, learn her lesson in Judith Viorst's new book? She may when her wish, no, her DEMAND, backfires on her a bit. Lulu demands a brontosaurus for her birthday. When her parents refuse--consistently refuse--she decides to run away...and she run ...more

Another read-aloud with Forrest. He enjoyed it, although I think he found the little asides from the author confusing. I thought it was okay. He especially loved the 3 different endings, and getting to choose which one he liked best, which made for a fun little conversation when we finished reading.
Hands down, the best part of reading this book was hearing him ask for it--"Wuwu and the Bwontosauwus." Wuwu!!! ...more
Hands down, the best part of reading this book was hearing him ask for it--"Wuwu and the Bwontosauwus." Wuwu!!! ...more

Most of my love for this book comes from the illustrations. I love them. So much. I actually would like prints for my (future) house. Please? Christmas present?
This is another kids' book that I think would be a great read-aloud. Particularly with a whole room full of kids. It's super cute on its own - but I'd like to see how a five-year-old reacts to it. ...more
This is another kids' book that I think would be a great read-aloud. Particularly with a whole room full of kids. It's super cute on its own - but I'd like to see how a five-year-old reacts to it. ...more

This is a really adorable children's book. My neice, Bailey, brought it with her to my house this Thanksgiving, and she thought I might like it. I didn't just like it, I LOVED it!! Such a wonderful story for young readers, and 3 different endings...so adorable!! I think the best part is that Bailey wanted to share this treasure with me...she's an awesome kid!!! ❤
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My son really enjoyed this one, which is why I'm giving it a four star rating. It was basically just a fluff read, not much to it. But entertaining and well written.
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Do you know an early reader who is a spoiled? A reader, who, like Lulu, is a pain? Not “a pain in the elbow” or “a pain the knee,” but “a pain–a very big pain–in the butt” (3)? Maybe said person isn’t a reader but would be willing to sit down and enjoy a nice story by Judith Viorst and illustrations by Lane Smith? Of course you do not know any such small person. Good thing Lulu and the Brontosaurus isn’t only for them.
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What I had to appreciate about Lulu is that when she doesn’t get ...more
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What I had to appreciate about Lulu is that when she doesn’t get ...more

Why are picture books such literary disasters in children's literature? Why why why?
I might as well make a new shelf called children-disempowering. This one fits it perfectly. ...more
I might as well make a new shelf called children-disempowering. This one fits it perfectly. ...more
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Red Dot Books: Yo...: The Best and the Worst? | 1 | 6 | Oct 21, 2012 03:29AM |
Judith Viorst is the author of several works of fiction and non-fiction for children as well as adults. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, her most famous children's book, was first published in 1972 and has since sold over two million copies. Ms. Viorst received a B.A. in History from Rutgers University, and she is also a graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institu
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