The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard

by B.G. Hennessy, Susan Davis (Illustrator)

A young boy imagines what it was like long ago when dinosaurs lived in his own backyard. The story combines the little boy's charming imagination with early concepts of science and history to create a wonderful tale. The Dinosaur Who Lived in My Backyard  is a great pick for classroom story time.

Genres: Dinosaurs, Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

As a child I loved to draw-but I also loved books, especially picture books. I still remember certain illustrations, covers and bindings from books that were read to me as a young girl.
I’ve lived in many places: I grew up in Wantagh on Long Island, N.Y., graduated from Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts and attended St. Lawrence University in upstate New York.

At the University of Wisconsin in Madison, I majored in fine art and learned how to design, print and bind handmade books. I also took courses in Children’s Literature. The combination of form and content in the picture book format fascinated me and after graduation I headed for NYC where I worked for 17 years in children’s book publishing as a designer and art director. But I didn’t begin to write until I had children of my own.

My books have been published in many countries and in many different languages. You can find my books in the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Germany. Some of my books have been translated into German, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Tswana, Sesotho, and Zulu!

I now live with my family in Arizona. You can read more about me at my website: www.bghennessy.com

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, the last page is totally a hoot! Otherwise, I was just sort of so-so on this one. I think it's a fun idea—a little boy talks about the dinosaur who used to live in his backyard (millions of years ago!) and the imaginative illustrations show him comparing things then to now, like the dino being bigger than their house, etc. And, of course, he wishes the dinosaur still lived there today! (Yeah, I wanted dinosaurs when I was a kid, too!) This is from the '80s and I'm not sure it's aged well compared to some of the other dinosaur books out there today, but if your kid is really into dinos then it's certainly worth a look.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can you imagine what it would be like to have a dinosaur living in your backyard? His footprints would be bigger than your sandbox; he'd make the neighborhood shake like pudding when he walked. He'd be bigger than the car.

And maybe, because he ate plants, he would have eaten all the lima beans.

Do you wish a dinosaur lived in your backyard?



This charming tale tells of a boy dreaming about dinosaurs and, sometimes, wishing there was still a dinosaur around to live in his backyard [and eat all the lima beans]. Delightfully illustrated, the dinosaurs depicted in the pages of this story are sure to be familiar to all young dinosaur-loving readers.

The story is both factual and enticing, sure to bring a few chuckles, and guaranteed to please every young reader who wishes to have a dinosaur living in his or her backyard.

Highly recommended.

[ReadingMommy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My oldest is a HUGE fan of dinosaurs, so each time we see a book with them, it's a must. This was a cute book that taught a little about dinosaurs.

[Garrett Pruzinsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was in fact no dinosaur in his backyard

[Kristina]

Es un excelente libro para iniciarse a leer en inglés con los niños que ya tengan un poco de conocimiento del idioma. Lo disfruté muchísimo con mi hermano de 10 años.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept telling my kiddos that this was a true story. You should have seen the incredulous looks on their faces! A dinosaur int eh backyard? That's crazy talk! Clearly their beloved homeschool teacher has lost her marbles! But in the end, they got it, and we had a wonderful discussion about how the world has changed over time...and also about whether lima beans are a food appropriate for human consumption. I say yes. They say no. But I'm pretty sure I'm right. Yum!

[Suzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was just okay.

[Miss Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

GR: H
Lexile: AD520L

A young boy talks about the facts he knows about dinosaurs and shares about the one he thinks lived in his backyard many years ago.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young boy talks about the facts he knows about dinosaurs and shares about the one he thinks lived in his backyard many years ago.

[Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alissa thought it was raining lima beans.

[Amy Balaich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picture book - I think kids would really enjoy this because it's about a dinosaur.

[Krystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute children’s book.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book picture were fantastic

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute ending. Love the illustrations!

[Amie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was 'meh.' A child imagines a dinosaur lived in his backyard before he was born. There are better imaginative dinosaur stories.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about the way things were when dinosaurs roamed.

[Julia Jasztal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mommy's review from 11/28/11 -


This is pretty much perfect for very, very young dinosaur lovers. The illustrations and wording is right on target for a baby or young toddler.
If your child is old enough to know actual facts about dinosaurs or be well read on the subject they'll be too advanced for this.

"My mother says that if you eat all your vegetables you'll grow very strong. That must be true, because that's all this dinosaur ate."
"My sister and I are saving all our lima beans - just in case."

Cute for a very young one but it's likely to bore an older one. Julia got through it but we read this along with a few others at the same time and it's fast enough that even if you're bored you can hang.

[Kimberly · Rating 1 out of 5]

For the purpose of teaching growth patterns of dinosaurs comparing them to children, I did like it. This book could have introduced the idea that dinosaurs did not exist at the same time as people and vocabulary that kids at this interest level would soak up. I know one student who loves dinosaurs but calls all dinosaurs T-Rex. We need to act when the brain is a sponge for knowledge.

[Eddie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hennessy, B G. The Dinosaur Who Lived In My Backyard. Live Oak Media, 2005.
Age level: 3-6
A boys imagination comes to live with many facts true to Dinosaurs. The egg of the dinosaur hatches in the boys backyard but changes scenery to the past when the beasts roamed the earth. Good artist and pictures for children. I like the learning aspect of this book also.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books has a nice suprise in the end. It can be used in science to teach about different time periods and the creatures that lived in them. I really liked how the ends and makes the students think about what they are reading.

[Kristy Schwertfeger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book all about imagination. A little boy tells about the dinosaur who used to live in his backyard. He tells many different stories about the dinosaur and how him and his friends would play. Good book to read to spark imagination. Great read aloud book too.

[=My_CiTy_90404= · Rating 5 out of 5]

AW3SUM TOTALLY

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Family Story Time on 1/31/11:
http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 7263 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: LG - BL: 2.7 - AR Pts: 0.5
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP, RV, VP

[Emily Bernd · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is cute and allows students to use their imagination. The story does not have a very strong storyline but I think it is a quick funny read primary students would enjoy.

[현순 최 · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, we can learn "the dinosaur who lived in my backyard", "as big as, so~that, as much as, bigger than. " Children can make an imagination of dinosaurs that live in their mind.

[Twotwo]

AR 2.7

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unremarkable.

[Slayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I made a 100 on the AR Test

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dinosaur Who Lives in My Backyard, written by B. G. Hennessy and illustrated by Susan Davis is a picture book about a little boy who dreams about the dinosaur who many, many years ago lived in his backyard. This smiling green brontosaurus is pictured hatching out of an egg that’s the size of a basketball and within five years growing to the size of the family car. His footprint is bigger than a sandbox and he would eat one hundred pounds of vegetables every day. The colorful illustrations show just how large a dinosaur could grow by comparing its size to the little boy’s school bus and house. Much is learned about a dinosaur’s habitat and life while comparing it to the little boy’s surroundings. It also depicts other dinosaurs that were friendly or dangerous. It’s a fun and easy to read book that also teaches about the world of dinosaurs. I highly recommend it.