Hello, friends! Our book today is When I Was A Dinosaur by Tatsuhide Matsuoka, a charming little tale of a dinosaur-obsessed boy unexpectedly swept into the adventure of a lifetime.

As a birthday gift, the young boy’s grandpa gives him his very own dinosaur suit! He rushes to the park to show the other kids, but his growling and roaring scare them off. Saddened, he sits alone until another offer to play comes by… from a pack of real live dinosaurs! They play with the boy, then bring him back to their home in Dinosaur Land, showing him the special islands that the herbivores and carnivores live on and all the fun things that dinosaurs do. That is, until a pack of hungry Tyrannosauruses begin making their way toward Herbivore Island! What can the boy and his new friends do to defend themselves?

A fun flight of imagination, especially for those who love dinosaurs (and, as you can see from her own dinosaur suit, JJ fits the bill!). There are definitely some notes of The Nutcracker or Where The Wild Things Are – where an imaginative child is swept into a fantasy world, becomes a hero, then is returned home – though I wish we had spent more time in Dinosaur Land so the reader could have been immersed in its magic a bit more. Still, there’s a fun story and some lively detailed art that brings a heap of species and their environments to life, and the ending is adorable. The pace seemed a bit quick, but the length was fine and JJ enjoyed it. This one would be best for dinosaur fans, but most children will likely enjoy their journey into the land of dinosaurs. Overall, Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)