Dinos Driving

by Lynn Leitch, Scot Ritchie (Illustrator)

The witty and whimsical picture book that Kirkus Reviews calls “Amusing fun from the “Car”-taceous era,” now in board book format! What kind of a car would a tiny velociraptor drive? Perhaps a mini car? But what would suit a vegetarian iguanodon or a pack of rowdy triceratops? What would an ideal vehicle be for a T-rex? Whatever it is, it had better come with an adjustable steering wheel for those short arms! Illustrated by award-winning artist Scot Richie , this humorous picture book helps dinosaurs find their perfect way to get around. Carnotaurus, Brachiosaurus, Diplodocus, and more ride around on a variety of vehicles that suit their style, anatomy, and nature. At story time, readers will ask themselves the inevitable out of all the things that go, what would my favorite dinosaur drive? Scot Richie ’s fun and witty dinosaurs will have children laughing at the absurdity of a T-rex in a monster truck, while they simultaneously learn the names of these prehistoric creatures. Author Lynn Leitch includes preschooler-friendly dinosaur facts that help readers to go beyond the story. “Young readers who sit firmly in the Venn diagram overlap of dinosaur lovers and car enthusiasts will be thrilled, and with the right guidance, those outside of that overlap will be interested as well.”— Kirkus Reviews “Dinosaurs hit the road as Leitch and Ritchie pair eight species with their ideal vehicles…a playfully tender concluding scene should fuel driving daydreams.”— Publishers Weekly “In a (mostly) four wheeled flight of “What If…” Leitch pairs prehistoric motorists to preferred motor vehicles and Ritchie puts pedal to the metal with windswept views of full sized dinos atop, usually, hilariously tiny cars…”— Booklist

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Storytime, Transport, Trucks, Cars

22 pages, Board Book

Published November 14, 2023

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Children's Book that I read to my twin boys. This book was a super simple read, but the Dinos names were hard to say. My boys loved all the cars/trucks. I just wanted a little more from this story. I think the pictures were cute. Any little boy that loves cars will enjoy this book just because of the pictures. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Pajama Press) or author (Lynn Leitch) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandsons love dinosaurs, so I thought this was be a good book for them to read together with me. Well, yes and no. There was not much to it, but we did figure out some things to discuss. Each page shows a dinosaur and states the name of the dinosaur and what they drive. There is no explanation or reason given. For the three year old, that was enough. He laughed and repeated things. At the back of the book, there is one fact given for each dinosaur. The eight year old and I went back to each page and tried to determine why they drove each vehicle, some easier than others. Diplodocus drove a bus because he is so long, velociraptor drove a mini because he is actually a small dinosaur. We had to think about iguanadon and decided that because he is an herbivore, he cares about the environment so drives and electric car. We liked the idea that Triceratops is a social dinosaur and traveled in packs, so he drives a motorcycle. The only dinosaur unfamiliar to us was carnotaurus. The illustrations were very well done and we all liked the looks of the images. I guess for young children this is a fun book, but it cans be used for older children to draw conclusions, and synthesize. Because it can be adapted to various ages, I added an extra star.

[Isi Hendrix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dinos Driving is a perfect picture book for early readers, especially those who love dinosaurs! I also learned about a few dinosaurs I'd never heard of. It's easy enough for kids just learning to read, but there are also activities at the end that will work well for all ages and make the book an interactive experience. And the illustrations are adorable. Thank you, Edelweiss for the early copy!

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting book. Each page introduces a species of dinosaur, such as velociraptor or brachiosaurus and states what kind of car they would drive. As someone who really does not know very much about dinosaurs I didn't know why they drove these particular cars, for example the Iguanadon (let's be honest, I didn't even know that this dinosaur existed, much less anything about it) drives an electric car, I was like why? At the end of the book there is a page with each of the dinosaurs and one characteristic. Turns out the Iguanadon is a vegetarian so I guess the idea is that he was also conscious of his impact on the environment? Some of the car choices are a little more obvious, for example the Diplodocus (again, I had no idea this was a type of dinosaur and not a kind of loaded chip dip) is evidently very long, so he drives a school bus because it is a long vehicle.

Aside from the insanely long dino names (which, as a teacher I know is not a problem for most dino-loving kids) the book is quite easy to read. Each page has one line of text and a very clear picture. The sentence structure is fairly repetitive, with most pages reading something along the lines of Dinosaur Name drives a Vehicle Name. The font is colourful, bold and fairly large. The background of the pages is white and the pictures are not overwhelming or too distracting. I would recommend this book to parents or teachers of young children in the age 3-8 range who enjoy dinosaurs and are beginning to explore repetitive beginner books with increasing independence. Thanks so much to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

[Storywraps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids who love dinosaurs and cars will love this clever and witty picture book. Who knew that dinosaurs also were avid car lovers? Custom-made cars are right up their alley! This book highlights a variety of charismatic dinosaurs and the tailor-made vehicles that suit their fancy and their nature.

Velociraptor, Iguanodon, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Bradchiourus ( and more ) all weigh in the kind of vehicle that they want to drive. The illustrations animate the text and tickle kid's imaginations. The book is enriched with preschool- friendly facts and activities. Eight dino-mite dinosaurs will take you on a ride of your life. I love the whole exciting vibe of the book and I highly recommend it.

[SpinsNReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for any child who loves Dinosaurs, and cars. Well illustrated, funny, and informative at the same time. This book was enjoyed by our children of all ages.

Thank you to Netgalley, and Publisher Spotlight for the advance reader copy.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations, but the story is lacking for me.

[Elizabeth Seibel · Rating 4 out of 5]

#DinosDriving was a short picture book about dinosaurs and what kinds of cars they would drive. My son thought that the vehicles given were perfect for those dinosaurs. At the end you are given examples of how to talk to your kids about the book which is great. My son, a dinosaur expert, loved the book. Thank you #NetGalley for this advanced copy to review.

[Olivia]

See my full review here: https://www.yabookscentral.com/dinos-...

DINOS DRIVING is a cute and silly picture book that imagines different dinosaurs driving vehicles. For instance, Iguanadon drives an electric car, and Diplodicus drives a bus. The end of the book includes simple facts about each of the dinosaurs, and some ideas to extend the learning with your child.

What I loved: This is such a simple but fun concept for a book. Children will love seeing the different dinosaurs driving vehicles, such as tyrannosaurus on a monster truck. The illustrations are simple with bright colors and a focus on the vehicles. The font is clear and large on each page. The story will invite children to think of what kind of vehicles they would love to drive as well as to think about the dinosaurs. Simple facts at the end give a bit of educational value to start little ones learning about dinos.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, it would be helpful to have facts along with the driving or something to add to the educational value throughout. Pronunciation guides would also be nice for dinosaurs that caregivers may not already know too.

Final verdict: A cute and silly read, DINOS DRIVING is a simple picture book that invites readers to have fun with dinos.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each dinosaur shows their personality through the car they drive. The triceratops has a motorcycle, and they travel in groups. Iguanodon is a vegetarian, so they prefer an electric car. Velociraptor is small enough for a mini car. T-Rex drives a monster truck!

This is such a fun book! It's cool to imagine what the dinosaurs would drive based on their size and the characteristics we know about them. I like that the text is simple, but it really sparks your imagination!

The illustrations are adorable, and I loved the cute designs for each dinosaur character. Their cars have bumper stickers and cool paint jobs. Every page has something new and interesting!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Heather Emokpae · Rating 3 out of 5]

This text was shorter than I was anticipating. Only 8 different dinosaurs are paired up with cars, and each covers a 2 page spread. The text doesn't rhyme, but the phrases follow a short and predicable format. _________ drives a _____________. The comprehensive listing of dinosaurs gives a fact for each dinosaur that could help children understand why each dinosaur was paired with each vehicle, but children would need an understanding of what each vehicle is and some of the stereotypes associated with each (motorcycle gangs/clubs, vegetarians being eco-friendly, etc). While not a standout title, certainly a worthwhile purchase for large collections always looking for more dino-related materials.

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dino-loving students LOVED this book! The pictures are fun and colourful, and they especially loved seeing what car each dinosaur chose. We loved chatting about why we thought each dinosaur chose their vehicle, and it made for some really great discussions. The dinosaur facts at the end were also great, and our dinosaur "experts" added some of their own too.
Highly recommend for preschool & kindergarten aged children- and makes for a great little read aloud and discussion (end with some dinosaur crafts or dinosaur toy playtime after, and you've got a fun afternoon!)

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

My four year old dinosaur-loving kid loved this book! Dinos Driving is a simple story with fun illustrations and I loved how the silly concept of dinosaurs driving cars were based on nonfiction facts about each dinosaur as explained in the back of the book. This one has joined our regular rotation of favorite bedtime stories!

[Binxie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect subject combination for the storytime set - dinosaurs and vehicles. The illustrations are colorful and full of movement. The use of different colors for certain fonts adds to the visual appeal. The text is sparse, the right amount for young groups. There is scientific data about the dinosaurs as the end of the book. May work for a storytime. Will revisit.

[That Book Kid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I downloaded this book, read it to Ronan... and we have since read it FIVE times lol. It's safe to say we are a fan of this one!! This book is very short and simple, but so cute and perfect for fans of cars and dinos!! We really enjoyed the fun names and silly illustrations.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 2 out of 5]

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through Edelweiss.

[Caitlin Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute. My kiddo loves the pictures!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple words and funny pictures. Love the critical thinking tips for caregivers in the back!

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, simple, fun, and some educational stuff too!

Perfect book for a kid who likes dinosaurs.

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 2/2

Dinos in various road vehicles

[Elias Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

No plot to speak of

[Jo Renfro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun book with two things kids LOVE! Dinosaurs and trucks/planes/submarines and more! So imaginative and it’s a can’t miss with kids!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As any elementary or intermediate teacher knows, there are plenty of children's books featuring dinosaurs, always a topic of interest for that age group. Although it's quite short and young readers may need support in understanding why certain vehicles are best suited to particular dinosaurs, the idea behind the book is quite original. In this picture book readers encounter eight different dinosaurs, including the always-popular Tyrannosaurus Rex and the Triceratops, atop modern means of transportation. While this is certainly an outlandish idea, it provides plenty of room for humor and conversation about these dinosaurs and others and what makes a car, a motorcycle, and a bus ideal for each one. The illustrations, created with pencil, fine line ink drawings that have been scanned and completed digitally, are displayed against plentiful white space for striking visual appeal. Back matter includes a brief description of the eight dinosaurs and four suggestions for extending the reading experience. Youngsters with a keen interest in dinosaurs or modes of transportation will gravitate to this title and possibly combine the two in their subsequent game-playing. The book might even serve as a brief introduction to dinosaurs.

I just read the board book version of this one, and it's just as fun as the original one! Go, Dinosaurs, go!

[Miss Janis the Storytime Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay.