Did You See that Dinosaur?: Search the Page, Find the Dinosaur in a Fact-Filled Adventure

Written by my daughter aged 9. "My favorite part of “Did you see that Dinosaur” was the part to find and search for the search items. I loved that part because I can try to find certain things and tools to use in geology. It was also good fun drawing in the pages. One thing I absolutely love is that I can see whether I can find the things or not. The reason I love that part is because I can have fun but also have some learning uses for tools. I personally love that the book is so easy yet interesting for smaller kids like me. The book itself is crazy fact filled, fun filled, and geology filled too! I am crazy about geology. I love this book so much I finished it in one day! My love for this book is amazingly big. "

My 3 and 5 year old love this book! They specifically like to find the hidden objects and learn about different dinosaurs!

Great Easter gift

Our granddaughter loves dinosaurs and loves to find hidden pictures. So it was a big hit.

Grandson loves it!

Funny and light hearted

This is a great book. I got it for my 6 year old who loves dinosaurs and hidden pictures and this includes both. It follows a narrative of two explorers going through the different era of the Mesozoic period. They learn about different specific dinosaurs and there is also a hidden pictures aspect to each illustration in the guise of the narrative. The illustrations are fun and engaging. I’ve learned a lot about dinosaurs as well, and I’m a grown up! Definitely great for dinosaur lovers.

I have two six year olds. My son reads on a first grade level and my daughter on a second grade level. Both of them love dinosaurs. This book has a sturdy matte paperback cover with a sturdy binding. Pages are thick and laid out clearly. The font is clear and sized to be easy to read without feeling like they were trying to fill space. There is a lot to like about this book -- there is a lot of information presented and the pictures are attractive and fun to look at. I was expecting a Where's Waldo type book, but this is more like a hidden image. Unfortunately there feels like a mismatch between the text and the images. While the language was more challenging (my first grade reader couldn't make it through, the second grade level reader needed help. Ignoring the fact that dinosaur names are beyond some adults, words like "cycad" are just not in most 6 year olds' vocabulary). On the flip side, not much effort was made to hide the images and it was more of an approach like the thing was dropped behind a bush and needed to be picked up, versus blended into the skin of a dinosaur, if that makes sense. I don't know why there is an answer key for where the images are hidden, it wasn't necessary at all. Nothing is hidden that well. The book was good for a read, but hasn't drawn my kids back to it after the first reading. And that is something that hasn't happened with a dinosaur book yet.

Riley Black has done it again. I’ve been following their writing on dinosaurs since My Beloved Brontosaurus, and with each book they makes dinosaurs more accessible to non-science readers, while at the same time keeping things interesting for those who may have been into dinosaurs since they were five. (Like, cough, me.) Indeed, this is the book which I didn’t have when I was five, or throughout the rest of my childhood. The dinosaur book options were either insultingly dumbed down, or just wrong, for any kid who had pushed herself to read adult books about dinosaurs. And speaking of insulting, there was no representation of myself in any of those books. Back then it was understood that the only kids reading about dinos were boys, so I just had to deal with that. Reading this book, with its inclusion of female dino-hunters and skin tones other than just white is such a breath of fresh air. I hope it encourages every kid who reads it further into either paleontology or another STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) field. And speaking of the “A” in STEAM, the Plesiosaurus in the Tethys sea on p.23 is just gorgeous, the Velociraptor is a delight, and my all-time-favorite, Triceratops, is shown as the fearsome warrior dinosaur that it was. Many compliments to Scott Koblish for the art in this book, which very much draws the reader into the adventure. So let’s break it down: • Great art • Inclusive characters • The most up-to-date paleontological facts for the sort of kids who love to correct grown-ups • Visual games to play within the story, which are also educational at the same time • Glossary at the end of the book, for both child and adult readers This is a perfect gift for kids in a large range of ages, and also becomes a gift to that child’s adults, because it will keep said child occupied happily for hours on the first pass, and multiple re-reads. Indeed, adults might well find themselves reading it after the child has gone to bed, because the facts sprinkled through the text are fascinating. This makes holiday shopping much easier! (Note: I was one of the lucky people who received an advance review copy. However, I would have bought this book and done a review regardless, and there are at least six kids who will be getting this from me for birthdays and Christmas in 2020.)

My six-year-old granddaughter has been reading "Did You See That Dinosaur?" to my son every night before bedtime -- and she likes it a lot. It's filled with facts about dinosaurs, a story to tie all together, and a "search the page" game that has her scanning each page for the figures she's supposed to find. It's great. I recommend getting this book. Yes, there are some big words in the book that she can't read on her own: Cretaceous, Velociraptor, Mesozoic, for example. But a lot of these have phonetic spellings just below that allow her to try to figure them out. And besides my son is right there to help her with words that are a bit tricky. But it's hard to explain dinosaurs and the time period when they roamed the earth without introducing new words and concepts. And this book does a great job of doing just that. For my 6-year-old it's a welcome introduction that she enjoys -- a world she didn't even know existed. The book's author, Riley Black, is a paleontologist. Black knows the topic well -- well enough to make it accessible and enjoyable for kids. That's great. Scott Koblish is the book's illustrator -- and did an excellent job. He's a cartoon illustrator but does a good job of making the pictures clear, accessible, and engaging. I also like that the pictures go all the way to the margins. It's a small detail but makes it far more attractive than the alternative. I have no idea whether my 6-year-old will decide to become a paleontologist when she grows up. But after reading this book, she at least has an interest in the subject. And I'm sure it'll only grow the more she opens this one in the future.

Written by my daughter aged 9. "My favorite part of “Did you see that Dinosaur” was the part to find and search for the search items. I loved that part because I can try to find certain things and tools to use in geology. It was also good fun drawing in the pages. One thing I absolutely love is that I can see whether I can find the things or not. The reason I love that part is because I can have fun but also have some learning uses for tools. I personally love that the book is so easy yet interesting for smaller kids like me. The book itself is crazy fact filled, fun filled, and geology filled too! I am crazy about geology. I love this book so much I finished it in one day! My love for this book is amazingly big. "

My 3 and 5 year old love this book! They specifically like to find the hidden objects and learn about different dinosaurs!

Great Easter gift

Our granddaughter loves dinosaurs and loves to find hidden pictures. So it was a big hit.

Grandson loves it!

Funny and light hearted

This is a great book. I got it for my 6 year old who loves dinosaurs and hidden pictures and this includes both. It follows a narrative of two explorers going through the different era of the Mesozoic period. They learn about different specific dinosaurs and there is also a hidden pictures aspect to each illustration in the guise of the narrative. The illustrations are fun and engaging. I’ve learned a lot about dinosaurs as well, and I’m a grown up! Definitely great for dinosaur lovers.

I have two six year olds. My son reads on a first grade level and my daughter on a second grade level. Both of them love dinosaurs. This book has a sturdy matte paperback cover with a sturdy binding. Pages are thick and laid out clearly. The font is clear and sized to be easy to read without feeling like they were trying to fill space. There is a lot to like about this book -- there is a lot of information presented and the pictures are attractive and fun to look at. I was expecting a Where's Waldo type book, but this is more like a hidden image. Unfortunately there feels like a mismatch between the text and the images. While the language was more challenging (my first grade reader couldn't make it through, the second grade level reader needed help. Ignoring the fact that dinosaur names are beyond some adults, words like "cycad" are just not in most 6 year olds' vocabulary). On the flip side, not much effort was made to hide the images and it was more of an approach like the thing was dropped behind a bush and needed to be picked up, versus blended into the skin of a dinosaur, if that makes sense. I don't know why there is an answer key for where the images are hidden, it wasn't necessary at all. Nothing is hidden that well. The book was good for a read, but hasn't drawn my kids back to it after the first reading. And that is something that hasn't happened with a dinosaur book yet.

Riley Black has done it again. I’ve been following their writing on dinosaurs since My Beloved Brontosaurus, and with each book they makes dinosaurs more accessible to non-science readers, while at the same time keeping things interesting for those who may have been into dinosaurs since they were five. (Like, cough, me.) Indeed, this is the book which I didn’t have when I was five, or throughout the rest of my childhood. The dinosaur book options were either insultingly dumbed down, or just wrong, for any kid who had pushed herself to read adult books about dinosaurs. And speaking of insulting, there was no representation of myself in any of those books. Back then it was understood that the only kids reading about dinos were boys, so I just had to deal with that. Reading this book, with its inclusion of female dino-hunters and skin tones other than just white is such a breath of fresh air. I hope it encourages every kid who reads it further into either paleontology or another STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) field. And speaking of the “A” in STEAM, the Plesiosaurus in the Tethys sea on p.23 is just gorgeous, the Velociraptor is a delight, and my all-time-favorite, Triceratops, is shown as the fearsome warrior dinosaur that it was. Many compliments to Scott Koblish for the art in this book, which very much draws the reader into the adventure. So let’s break it down: • Great art • Inclusive characters • The most up-to-date paleontological facts for the sort of kids who love to correct grown-ups • Visual games to play within the story, which are also educational at the same time • Glossary at the end of the book, for both child and adult readers This is a perfect gift for kids in a large range of ages, and also becomes a gift to that child’s adults, because it will keep said child occupied happily for hours on the first pass, and multiple re-reads. Indeed, adults might well find themselves reading it after the child has gone to bed, because the facts sprinkled through the text are fascinating. This makes holiday shopping much easier! (Note: I was one of the lucky people who received an advance review copy. However, I would have bought this book and done a review regardless, and there are at least six kids who will be getting this from me for birthdays and Christmas in 2020.)

My six-year-old granddaughter has been reading "Did You See That Dinosaur?" to my son every night before bedtime -- and she likes it a lot. It's filled with facts about dinosaurs, a story to tie all together, and a "search the page" game that has her scanning each page for the figures she's supposed to find. It's great. I recommend getting this book. Yes, there are some big words in the book that she can't read on her own: Cretaceous, Velociraptor, Mesozoic, for example. But a lot of these have phonetic spellings just below that allow her to try to figure them out. And besides my son is right there to help her with words that are a bit tricky. But it's hard to explain dinosaurs and the time period when they roamed the earth without introducing new words and concepts. And this book does a great job of doing just that. For my 6-year-old it's a welcome introduction that she enjoys -- a world she didn't even know existed. The book's author, Riley Black, is a paleontologist. Black knows the topic well -- well enough to make it accessible and enjoyable for kids. That's great. Scott Koblish is the book's illustrator -- and did an excellent job. He's a cartoon illustrator but does a good job of making the pictures clear, accessible, and engaging. I also like that the pictures go all the way to the margins. It's a small detail but makes it far more attractive than the alternative. I have no idea whether my 6-year-old will decide to become a paleontologist when she grows up. But after reading this book, she at least has an interest in the subject. And I'm sure it'll only grow the more she opens this one in the future.

My great nephews love all things dinosaurs. I saw this book and was excited to get it to share with them. I’m even more excited to see their reaction after looking at it. What a wonderful book! The illustrations are wonderful and it is very well organized. The book covers Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous times and what dinosaurs lived during that time. As the reader turns the page, the left side has writing that informs the reader the name of the dinosaur, what time frame it lived in, what it ate, its size, its family, where it lived and then a short story that involves Ava and Mateo, the 2 kids traveling back in time to see the dinosaurs. The stories have educational information as well. At the bottom of the page there is a list of items for the reader to try and find in the picture to the right. The right side has a full size picture that includes what the dinosaur looks like and somewhere in the picture are the search items to find. The back of the book contains an answer section in case one doesn’t find all the objects as well as a 4 page glossary. I have nothing bad to say about this book. It deserves its 5 stars.

This book upset a certain young Dinosaur fan in my house for two reasons: 1. He never read about Tawa before (it is a dinosaur first discovered in 2004 so may not have made it to all other dinosaur books he read). 2. Plesiosaurus and Mosasaurus aren't even Dinosaurs but still made it to this book. While other Dinosaurs such as Allosaurus and Ankylosaurus, who are rightfully Dinosaurs, did not make the list. I am still giving the book four stars because it sparks conversation and shows the kid not even books could be wrong or outdated. Besides, he enjoys reading the book despite the complaints.

Riley Black, renowned science author, has successfully bridged the gap between technical writing and children’s literature. Did You See That Dinosaur? Is an intriguing and fun seek-and-find title that will keep children coming back for more. In just 56 pages, Riley covers the gamut of dinosaur diversity and also peppers in interesting facts about plate tectonics, paleogeography, and ancient climates. The book follows the time-traveling adventures of Ava and Mateo, who teach the reader about the Mesozoic world through a seemingly magic time machine. The animals they meet on their adventure were carefully chosen representations of all of the major dinosaur families (and some non-dinosaurs mixed in) ranging from recent discoveries to our own childhood favorites. The seek-and-find aspect of this book can be a great way to hook young kids, focusing largely on the colorful, dynamic illustrations. Older kids will find the taxonomic and ecological information to be just as accurate as other dinosaur titles written for teenagers or above. Besides some scientific names, the book is easy to read and written in a pleasant style as a dialogue-driven exploration between the two children. Foremost, kids and parents will be attracted to this book by the illustrations. I commend Scott Koblish for presenting dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures from a variety of angles paying close attention to the environments in which they lived. At times, the creatures appear a bit stylistic, but nonetheless details have been added to keep most scientifically up-to-date. Taken together, I firmly recommend this title to anyone looking for an educational children’s book suitable for both bedtime reading and independent exploration. (Reviewer note: I was given a free advance copy of the book by Callisto Publisher’s Club for this review)

I have 2 paleontology loving children (ages 3 and 6) who also adore Where's Waldo? So this seemed like the perfect book for them. The writing is top notch it manages to be readable/understandable, informative, and interesting all at the same time. The search and find pictures are okay. They are very similar in both style and difficulty to the search and finds in the highlights for children magazines. My daughter (the Waldo expert) found the search and find to be a bit easy, but my son loved it. It turned out to be the perfect book for them to read together. I think the ideal age range for this book is probably 4-8. The writing of this book should make this a 5 star book, but the illustrations just aren't as good as we'd hoped and they bring it down a star.

I have so so many feelings about this book. I remember the excitement of leafing through the Golden Guide Dinosaur book in the mid-80s and National Geographic kids books about ice age mammals. How awesome to be on the other side as a vertebrate paleontologist and read a book that makes me excited for kids about what they can learn about the amazing beasts of the Mesozoic Era. Riley Black, science writer supreme, crafts a fabulous children's book here that brings together at once hints of these early books to me, Aliki, Where's Waldo, the Berenstain Bear dinosaur adventures and some other modern dinosaur kids classics. The content and execution of illustrations is very well done, not to mention that Riley hits the high points of some of my favorite Mesozoic beasts. One major improvement in my opinion is the inclusivity of this book that other prior iterations lacked. To be at once retro in feeling and firmly rooted in today is wonderful. My kids are excited to learn with Ava and Mateo. If that wasn't enough, this book hits multiple points including time scale, environment, physiology, behavior, paleobiogeography and even paleobotany so there's something for everyone, even for kids who look in the background and say to themselves 'are those giant conifers?'. Thank you Riley, for bringing your expertise from 'Written in Stone', 'Skeleton Keys', and 'My Beloved Brontosaurus' to bear on a subject that can always inspire. You don't have to be a paleontologist, or even a future one to love whats here. Also- very cool to have a guide to the spot it pages in the back so kids can find the things they missed. I loved this book, but don't listen to me, order a copy and read it yourself!!

This is a great Dino-themed book for children. Especially for those who are already into dinosaurs, as it contains more info, and deeper info than a lot of other dino-themed books intended for this age range. That said, I don't see why it couldn't serve as an intro, either. The book is structured by time period, with each section prefaced by an intro to that period, generally, and with each page focusing on a different dinosaur. As our two child explorers use their time machine to visit different eras and settings, each spread pushes the "narrative" along, introducing a different Dinosaur, viewed in its habitat, and including some stats for each. And each spread contains a seeking element, encouraging readers to really absorb the bright, bold illustrations. Recommended for the exciting illustrations, dense, but age-appropriate information, and the extra value found by including the item search games on each spread.

I have read Riley Black’s books for adults (WRITTEN IN STONE, MY BELOVED BRONTOSAURUS, and SKELETON KEYS [as Brian Switek]) but DID YOU SEE THAT DINOSAUR? is the first of her children’s books that I have read. “Did you see that dinosaur?” is a phrase that probably every American kid has uttered at least once. In this seek-and-find book, Ava and Mateo are lucky kids with a time machine to take them to the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. There they see dinosaurs and not-dinosaurs, and carefully note the difference (Mosasaurus and pterosaurs show up in the Jurassic World movie, but are not actually dinosaurs). Each two-page spread has a bit of solid science, a cool illustration of the prehistoric critter in its habitat, and a list of objects to find hidden in the picture. My kids are teenagers now, but they would have loved this book when they were younger. Even at age 14, my youngest couldn’t resist searching for the hidden objects in the pictures. Riley Black is an accomplished paleontologist and science writer. The species featured include old favorites like Stegosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, but also some less well-known species like Tawa and Ouranosaurus. The illustrations by Scott Koblish are fantastic. My favorite is an underwater view, looking up at the belly of a hunting Plesiosaurus while Ava and Mateo watch from the shoreline. Recommended for kids ages 4 to 12, or for paleontology nerds of any age. Review based on a free advanced reading copy provided by the publisher. Reviewer assisted by Katelyn, age 14.

This is such a fun and informative little book! We learned some new dinosaurs, which is great because it includes dinosaurs everyone knows about and some less common prehistoric creatures as well. The time travel aspect of the book is lots of fun, as is the search and find game on every page.

Paleontology is a lifelong passion of mine; "Did You See That Dinosaur?" is the kind of book I wish I'd had growing up. Riley Black has woven a cozy little adventure story about two young time-travelers named Ava and Mateo. On their Mesozoic journey, the duo meet beast after wondrous beast, from a grazing Brachiosaurus to some adorable Utahraptor chicks. (Don't worry parents; pronunciation guides are included throughout.) At every turn, these animals are presented with dignity and grace. You'll find no movie monsters lurking in these pages. The dinosaurs and other reptiles in Scott Koblish's beautiful illustrations would much prefer a tranquil watering hole to a violent romp through the countryside, thank you very much. Bonus points must be awarded for the inclusion of several animals--like Tawa and Calestiventus--that rarely show up in popular science books. Even paleo-savvy adults are likely to learn a thing or two from "Did You See That Dinosaur?" It never, ever talks down to its audience. Not even once. In closing, I think this would make a fine addition to any curious child's library.

I had a think hardcover version of a similar type book as a kid several decades ago. The pictures were cool even before I could read. My mother read to me about the Dinosaurs, and I bugged her again many times to repeat that experience. Even years later in High School when we took a field trip to the Fields Natural History Museum in Chicago, I still remembered all the names and details when I saw the complete or partial skeletons on display. That was perhaps the first time I had some perspective, although, maybe it was that old movie "Lost World" that gave me that. Each critter has some pictures, text about size, eating habits and the age they roamed the Earth. One thing I picked up here I didn't remember from my childhood, was that they started small, then got larger over time. I do mean time tens or hundreds of millions of years time. They were pretty huge prior to the extinction level event that did them in. I don't know the ultimate cost of this, but in a nice hard cover version costing under 20 bucks this will be a dino loving kids treasure for years to come. Recommended.

This is actually an informative book for young ones who are interested in dinosaurs. My kids have always loved dinosaurs as long as I can remember and at age six, nothing has changed except their ability to pronounce more complicated dinosaur names. This book covers the Mesozoic era with the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous species. It goes through a number of the more popular dinosaurs from each, and takes two kids on a journey through the wilderness back then. They learn lots of things about not only dinosaurs but plants. On each new dinosaur you get to do a search and find roughly the same number of ten items (ish) in the different pictures. For an adult, you'll get them in a matter of seconds but for younger elementary or preschoolers you will let them spend a few minutes finding things. My daughters took a pencil and checked off the items as they found them. Overall, very informative adventure book with detailed illustrations and things that keep them interested. I've been reading the hard parts and then they find the pictures.

I have read my fair share of dinosaur books, and after the first 10, they all start to sound the same. Not this one. This is still a dinosaur fact book, full of colorful pictures about dinosaurs and information about their era, their characteristics, and where their fossils were found. But it is tied together nicely with two time traveling children telling the story and a "seek and find" on every page, which made this a fun read with my 5-year-old dinosaur lover. Even my 11-year-old enjoyed looking for the hidden items. This works as a great read aloud and also a good book for perhaps a 7-year-old reader.

"Did you see that dinosaur" is filled with facts about three ancient periods of time and the dinosaurs which existed during each period. It is about two adorable kids, a white boy and a black girl, who travel to the past and see 15 dinosaurs and reptiles and learn about their life, habits, and environment. The three periods occurred 252 to 201 million years ago, 201 to 145 million former years, and 145 to 66 million years in the past. The book explains information about each period, followed by facts about the dinosaurs and reptiles that flourished at the time with drawings of them. The name of each animal is given together with a guide on how to pronounce the name. Each of the 15 drawing contains at least five partially hidden objects, usually more, and the book asks how many of the objects can you find? The answers are given in back of the book. There is also a glossary of four pages with names of many of these creatures.

I love how accurate this book is and the little item searches makes it fun and engaging. A perfect book for any little kid that loves dinos.

Every kid goes though a dinosaur phase and this is the ideal book to indulge them. Full of nice pics, fun facts, and good information. Have had to read it to our kid several times through already!

As a parent of two children and someone who actually studies dinosaurs, I was incredibly impressed with Riley Black's latest "Did You see That Dinosaur?". Following the characters Ava and Mateo as they travel through time to learn more about some of the more famous (and not so famous) dinosaurs was a lot of fun; my children enjoyed the search-and-find activities and the dino-facts were accurate and engaging. My six year old just loves this book! Scott Koblish's colorful artwork brings each page to life, and the thorough glossary at the end was a wonderful touch. Riley Black's enthusiasm for the content is obvious with the turn of every page, and its hard to resist sharing her enthusiasm... even for professional paleontologists! -Joseph E. Peterson Vertebrate Paleontologist

Some books for children entertain, others instruct. This book does both in an engaging and accessible manner. DID YOU SEE THAT DINOSAUR manages to win as a book for both a young reader's first foray into fossils and as an adventure to dig for new info for current dinosaur lovers (and adults/parents may also learn a thing or two along the way)! I was also thrilled with the illustrations by Scott Koblish (comic art lovers will know his work and recognize the mastery he brings to this project). Riley has a successful track record writing for adults and this book expands the audience who will eagerly await a next book from her pen.

My little one is about to celebrate his dinosaur birthday and this is a perfect present. Can’t wait to give this to him. Very child-friendly book!

From the engaging note to parents to the children's return home, this book is a total WOW! As an early childhood educator, I realize the interest that many children have in dinosaurs, as well as the need for books on this subject that are both factual and age-appropriate. This book delivers on both counts. Children (and parents) will find the illustrations inviting, and the idea of children meeting real dinosaurs will definitely strike a chord with the target audience. While the book is factual, it is not overwhelming, and the addition of a pronunciation guide will help both children and adults with unfamiliar words. The ending where the doors open to the present, where new discoveries await is hopeful and inspiring. As the holidays approach, this would make a great gift for any dino lover on your list!

I've read Riley Black's books aimed towards adults before, and deeply enjoyed them (especially Skeleton Keys!). This is Black's first children's book, and she does not disappoint. The text is easily accessible and readable, yet details enough information that it is appropriate for a wide age range. Black also does a great job of bringing in some lesser-known taxa and including non-dinosaurs as well! And this isn't even to mention the illustrations, which are amazing. If this book had come out when I was younger, I would've held onto it just for the art style. Overall, a great kids' book that I highly recommend to any young dinosaur lovers.

This book has been so much fun for both me and my four year old. The book takes a story-telling approach to exploring dinosaurs. Mateo and Ava go on a time-traveling adventure to discover the Mesozoic. They run into a variety of strange and interesting dinos on their way. Some we've never heard of (which is unusual for this dino-loving family). Each page is filled with fun facts about the dinosaurs they encounter and the habitats they lived in. And, hidden among each page are Ava and Mateo's lost field equipment. Both my daughter and I love to search for them in the beautifully illustrated pages. This book is perfect for kiddos - factual, story-based, and interactive. We highly recommend it!

Everyone knows kids like dinosaurs. And Riley is a kid at heart when it comes to dinosaurs. Each page is beautifully illustrated and has fun - and FACTUAL - information about each dinosaur. Rather than just reading the page, kids will be engaged on each one in a hunt to find hidden objects.

What a great book! Can pick and choose to read what you want as its not a "story" more like facts and learning. Colorful pages and very interactive.

So cute. Lots of activity and fun-facts. Also a search book too. Kids like it.

Densely packed with information, the left side of each spread has lots of facts about dinosaurs in their time periods, while the righthand side has fun illustrations with hidden objects to find, adding to the interactive all-ages approach. It’s just the right amount of information to educate and entertain!

This is a great kid’s book for dinosaur lovers! It’s good for adults to read to kids or for a 2nd-3rd to read independently. It has great illustrations and fun facts with fun “item search” themes.

We subscribe to Highlights Magazine for my kids (2 and 5). Each magazine has a section for finding items which is one of their favorite parts so I thought they would enjoy this book. I really like the concept of this book with the time machine and information about each of the dinosaurs told as a story rather than just a list of facts. It helps to keep the reader engaged. However, I feel that 2 things are problematic with this book: 1) Some of the items you are supposed to find are printed almost along the fold so you have to completely flatten the book in order to find them. My son was disappointed to not be able to find them while we were reading on the couch holding the book up, but once I saw where they were in the answer key at the back of the book, we reread it at the table and I flattened it out so he could find them. As a result, the binding is already starting to come apart. 2) I think the text level and level of difficulty of finding the hidden items (aside from those in the fold mentioned above) are mismatched. The items you need to find are mostly the same on each page, and they are not well-hidden or camouflaged. Some, like the watch, are bright colors. This is fine for my 2-year-old, but there is a lot of text on each page with large words for an older child. My 5-year-old enjoys the text, but finding the items is not a challenge at all. The description says the book is for grade level 1-2, meaning ages 6-8. Overall, we will continue to read this book because the information is presented in such a fun and interesting way, but I think it fell short on the search-and-find feature.

I'm not impressed. Mostly because I find the drawing not fancy, not real, not vivid, not my taste. We enjoy Highlights hidden pictures and this book put little tools in the pictures for you to find, that I wouldn't consider them hidden since it's just, say, a book on the ground, which I guess is an attempt to stay focused on the dinosaur and not hard at all. We were able to talk about the dinosaur during the find, but so could we with other books with fancy pictures, which usually my kids are more encouraged to flip through. There's about 1-4 dinosaurs each era introduced. For the price I guess it's nice.

This has a big narrative to each page. It tells a story the way through the different periods of the dinosaurs. The look and finds are maybe 6 small things you can find but nothing fun. A few are binoculars, pens, and such. Overall I thought the book idea was great but my dino loving kid spent a whole 5 minutes maybe looking before moving onto a different book. Maybe if you want to tell a story while interacting this may work for you.

My son really enjoys dinosaurs and he also likes hidden picture puzzles, so in theory this book should have been a hit with him. In actuality, he wasn't overly impressed with the book. It didn't really capture his attention. He looked at it for a few minutes and then was done with it. So I would say this book isn't dinosaur obsessed kid approved.

You may want to peruse the pages of Did You See That Dinosaur before purchasing. We were disappointed with this dinosaur book because of the lackluster drawings and ridiculously easy hidden objects. The recommended age range, according to the product description, is 1st through 3rd grades. We thought it would be an ideal book for our five year old twins. The reading material is appropriate, but the book is not as interesting as other dinosaur books we already own. The biggest disappointment comes in searching for hidden objects—even our three year old can easily spot everything on each page. And it gets boring looking for the same items over and over—a rock hammer is listed ten times out of the fifteen search pages. And the hammer is always sticking out like a sore thumb. We’ve looked over this book once or twice, but it hasn’t been picked up since then. I’ve included a sample page of reading level, search items and drawing content.

My kids like dinosaus. They like the searching. They thought it was a lot of fun. This is a cute children’s book. The pictures are very sweet. It was good to read at bedtime. My kids enjoyed it. I thought it was well written. It is very nice to read to kids and this was a great book to read with. I enjoyed it a lot, and so did I. The pictures added to it. I would recommend it.

6 year old grandson loved it...