We Are the Dinosaurs

by Laurie Berkner, Ben Clanton (Illustrator)

Overview

Laurie Berkner, “the queen of children’s music,” (People) pairs the lyrics of her beloved hit with Ben Clanton’s whimsical illustrations in this winning, adorable picture book—a must-have for fans of Laurie, dinosaurs, and all things cute.

We are the dinosaurs
Marching, marching
We are the dinosaurs

Laurie Berkner’s chart-topping, beloved hit “We Are the Dinosaurs” is now a picture book! Featuring an adorable cast of characters and vibrant, playful art by Ben Clanton, We Are the Dinosaurs transports readers back in time to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth.

WHADDAYA THINK OF THAT?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481464635
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	03/21/2017
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	147,653
Product dimensions:	10.20(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Recognized as “the queen of children’s music” (People), Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records. She has released twelve bestselling, award-winning albums, was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr., and appeared regularly on the network’s Jack’s Big Music Show. Laurie helped develop the short-form animated series, Sing It, Laurie!, on the twenty-four-hour preschool television channel Sprout, and has written music and lyrics for three Off-Broadway children’s musicals. A project close to her heart has been designing the curriculum and training teachers for Laurie Berkner’s The Music in Me, an early childhood music program based on her music and classroom philosophy. Learn more at LaurieBerkner.com.

Ben Clanton is an author and illustrator whose books include It Came in the Mail; Something Extraordinary; Rex Wrecks It!; Mo’s Mustache; The Table Sets Itself; Vote for Me!; Rot, the Cutest in the World!; and Rot, the Bravest in the World!. He lives with his wife and son in Seattle, Washington. Learn more at BenClanton.com.

Editorial Reviews

01/23/2017
Popular children’s musician Berkner (The Story of My Feelings) brings another of her songs to the picture book crowd with this vibrant adaptation. Berkner’s lyrics provide a rowdy framework for the story—“We are the dinosaurs,/ marching, marching./ We are the dinosaurs—/ whaddaya think of that?”—and Clanton’s (Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea) zippy cartoons create a parallel visual adventure that brings Berkner’s words to life. Rainbow-colored young dinosaurs, outlined with a chunky black line and wearing neckerchiefs like a kind of Mesozoic scouting troupe, bid farewell to their parents and march over a hill, through a river, and up a mountain. All along their trek, dialogue asides in the art keep readers in the action: “Uh-oh! Time to go!” says a yellow triceratops as the mountain they’ve been resting in starts to rumble, sending the dinos on a quick march home. Berkner’s fans and newcomers alike should find much to enjoy about in these boisterous, independent-minded dinosaurs’ adventure. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Marietta Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"The lyrics to Berkner's 1997 dinosaur marching song are kitted out with a plotline, dialogue, additional sound effects, and big, very simply drawn prehistoric scenes...young audiences will have no trouble chiming in as they march about and roar in chorus."

March 2017 Booklist

04/01/2017
PreS-Gr 1—The marching rhythm of Berkner's hit tune comes through in this playful picture book adaptation. The simple, repetitive lyrics ("We are the dinosaurs,/marching, marching. We are the dinosaurs—/whaddaya think of that?") are transformed through brilliant illustrations by Clanton into a story about a troop of young dinosaurs going on an explorative adventure. While some of the lyrics don't quite match up with the illustrations (the visuals depict the dinos napping in a volcanic cave, not in a nest), the plot contains enough of an arc that it makes sense as a whole. The mixed-media dinosaurs are part David Ezra Stein's Dinosaur Kisses, part Gus, the Dinosaur Bus, with a big dose of Clanton's bold and adorable style. He includes just the right touch of anthropomorphism and accessories to give each dinosaur and parent unique personalities without making the book over-the-top. The simple lyrics are supplemented heavily by animal asides, which can sometimes overwhelm the page. Upon first read, the excess words may present a challenge and disrupt the natural and fun rhythm of the lyrics. But once the reading flow is established, this title will be read over and over. VERDICT A catchy narrative that will stick in readers' heads. A great purchase for most picture book collections, and a fun choice for preschool storytimes.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2016-12-21
Here be dinosaurs. When adapting a song to a picture-book format, the source material should have the same natural rise and fall of action as a literary text. Some songs take to their newfound formats like a fish to water, while others, like Berkner's here, are left gasping for air. Working a plot onto the plotless lyrics of the titular song, pictures and added dialogue send five little dinosaurs on a hike up a mountain. The cartoony crew stomps, stops to eat, climbs, and goes to sleep in a mountaintop cave before running heck-for-leather back down to avoid a volcanic demise. Plenty of dialogue assists the text, though the lyrics of the song provide the story's backbone. Readers already familiar with the music will enjoy the lively adaptation, but for new fans, the lure of dinosaurs may not be enough to sustain their interest. Much of the heavy lifting is performed by Clanton, whose wide-eyed, perky dinosaurs attempt to hang a plot on Berkner's upbeat, repetitive lyrics, with limited success. Though there is initial lip service paid to the repeated assertion that the dinosaurs "make the earth flat," depiction of the dinosaurs on the lumpy incline of the mountain will puzzle readers. Oddly, for a book so reliant on familiarity with Berkner's song, no CD or online link to the music is included (though "We Are the Dinosaurs" sheet music is printed on the book's back cover, where it will likely be inaccessible to library users). In a market teeming with terrible reptiles, this book earns itself a big di-NO. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews