'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Sunday 19 January 2014

Review: Dinosaur Farm

It's tough being a farmer (don't Aussie farmers know it!?). You have to wake early. There's stacks of manual labour. Your animals need you. And they need lots to eat.

Especially when they're dinosaurs.

Told in the third person, this is such a simple yet divinely clever twist on the typical farm book for wee ones--even those kids not particularly interested in dinosaurs will love the quandaries our farmer finds himself in while trying to operate a prehistoric farm.
When the pond gets dirty, you must clean it out. Tougher when a brontesaurus is in residence. And your animals will make a lot of poopy mess that has to be sorted out (extra-large mounds, of course). Then there's the prehistoric, man-eating plants that need watered every day.

Yes, the life of a farmer is tough and kids will delight in the humour and charm of this book and its adorable illustrations of a farmer virtually pummeled with love and affection by day's end. There will be many a repeat read--at bedtime, at afternoon play time, at meal time.

I particularly love the great hulking steak our farmer totes out for the T-Rex. Great fun and a really gorgeous ending (hurrah!).

Title: Dinosaur Farm
Author/Illustrator: Frann Preston-Gannon
Publisher: Anova Books (Scholastic), $17.99 RRP
Publication Date: 21 March 2013
Format: Softcover
ISBN: 9781843652113
For ages: 3 - 6
Type: Picture Book