BooksforTopics Reading for Pleasure Recommendations
Book Title: The girl who really really really loves Dinosaurs (available here)
Author/Illustrator: John Hamilton
Publisher: Natural History Museum
Publication Date: August 2018
Suitable For: KS1 & EYFS
Reviewed By: Kirsty A, KS2 Teacher & English Lead
Review
A beautiful picture book for Key Stage 1 children from the one of the country’s leading museums, the Natural History Museum.
The story is based upon a little girl called Lara who absolutely loves dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are all she ever thinks about, from playing with her toys and dressing up her cat Bob to look like a dinosaur to even wanting one as a pet. Thinking she will find a dinosaur at the Natural History Museum, Lara begins her exploration… with interesting results!
The illustrations by John Hamilton that accompany his text are colourful and informative with enough detail given to explain about the different dinosaurs and animals. The story is simple but allows the reader to spend time looking at the pictures to develop and explore their knowledge of dinosaurs and other animals. These illustrations also enable the reader to experience the inside of the Natural History Museum, especially if they haven’t visited before.
I like how the author has used a little girl as the only character in the book. I feel this helps to dispel the myth, that is still evident today, that dinosaurs are a ‘boy thing’. In the current push to encourage girls to engage in Science and History, this book shows that girls can naturally be enthralled with dinosaurs and that dinosaurs can be a topic for everyone to learn about.
This book would be great as a pre-visit introduction to the Natural History Museum or as a lovely reminder of a visit to remember the experience and everything they have learnt about dinosaurs.
If a visit isn’t in the future, then this would equally make a lovely story book to read at bedtime or if your child has a passion for dinosaurs.
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You can order The girl who really really really loves Dinosaurs online or from your local bookshop or library.
Many thanks to the author for sending us a copy of this book and to Kirsty for reviewing it.
