Book Review: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
We're ending dinosaur week with a book about a big feeling. How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague, asks a funny question: what if a dinosaur had to say goodbye to someone it loves, just like your child?
What it's about
Enormous dinosaurs live in ordinary houses with their human parents, and someone has to leave. Does a dinosaur cry, hide in the bedroom or write "DON'T GO!" on the wall? The rhyming questions list all the ways a dinosaur might fuss over a goodbye, then show how a dinosaur says goodbye the brave way: telling a grown-up how it feels and knowing that time apart can still be full of love.
Why we like it
Teague's paintings are hilarious: giant dinosaurs squeezed into ordinary rooms, making a very big fuss. Each spread sneaks in the name of a real dinosaur, which kids love hunting for. And the gentle ending gives little ones words for a hard moment, like drop-off or a grown-up heading to work.
How to read it with your little one
Pause on each page and ask, "Should a dinosaur do that?"
Look for the dinosaur's name hidden in each picture.
Talk about your own goodbyes: "What do YOU do when it's time to say goodbye?"
Good to know
Best for: ages 2–6
Read time: about 5 minutes
Pairs with: the whole week, and any day with a hard goodbye, like drop-off or leaving Grandma's house
Get the book:Get it on Amazon · It's also easy to find at your local library.
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More for this week: see all our Dinosaur activities, Letter E activities and Number 5 activities.
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