How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?

How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? by Jane Yolen
Illustrated by Mark Teague
2009
Age 4-8
     
      "You woke in the morning in such a bad mood...then sat at the table and fussed with your food. But then you blew kisses and waved from the door.  I love you, I love you, my dinosaur."  If you're not familiar with the How Do Dinosaurs...? series, dinos take the place of children in classic situations, displaying typical child behaviors.
     There are many books in the How do Dinosaurs... series but there is something special about How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?  It might be the fact that I find it calming to read out loud with my son after a difficult day, or the fact that this is the book in the series that my son seems to identify with the most:  "Mami, I do that too...and I'm also cranky in the mornings, just like the dinosaurs."  It's a great book to share with your kids to let them know that as parents, our love is unconditional, and that even when they make mistakes and misbehave, at the end of the day we'll always love them. It also shows that our children might drive us crazy but then they always find a way to show us how much the love us. The illustrations by Mark Teague are wonderful and there is a side lesson on dinosaurs since their scientific name is included on each illustration.