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In this delightfully imaginative tale, Luke and his friends have an adventurous day with dinosaurs. The book shows young readers how much fun education can be as the children learn new vocabulary and interesting dinosaur facts while having the “best-osaurus” day ever.
This is a story about friendship, problem-solving, and perseverance. When the dinosaurs prove to be too big for the playground equipment, Luke and his friend Noah improvise. They create a new playground to keep their dinosaur friends from feeling left out. Soon, they are joined by Emma, Mikey, and more dinosaur friends. It quickly becomes apparent that the dinosaurs are not familiar with the concept of gathering sticks to play fetch. So, the children pivot to playing catch and practicing yoga. When Tyrannosaurus Rex’s short arms make these activities challenging, the children band together to teach Rex proper technique. With the encouragement and support of his friends, Rex refuses to give up. He practices until he is able to overcome his physical limitations.
Wall’s book cleverly incorporates multiple important lessons into the storyline. The characters’ accommodations for the dinosaurs’ unique physical features teach young readers to accept others’ differences. Recurrent themes of helping friends and celebrating their successes model the characteristics of true friendship. The book establishes persistence and determination as the foundation for overcoming challenges. Wall also introduces the concept of mindfulness through the characters’ practice of yoga and deep breathing. With beautiful, vibrant illustrations that promote cultural diversity, this book encourages young readers to embrace each day as an opportunity for new adventures.
Wall was a 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award Category Finalist.