From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Four complete books by Syd Hoff from HarperCollins' I Can Read series are included here. One of the dinosaurs in the museum comes to life and spends the day with a young boy and his friends in Danny and the Dinosaur (HarperCollins, 1986). In Happy Birthday, Danny and the Dinosaur! (HarperCollins, 1995), the dinosaur is back to celebrate Danny's sixth birthday. The dinosaur welcomes a vacation when Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp (HarperCollins, 1996), and he doesn't seem to mind when all the kids and the camp counselor ride on his back after a tiring hike. Sammy and the Seal (HarperCollins, 2000) tells the story of a seal on an adventure out of the zoo and into the town, including learning to read and write at school. Peter Lorangis and Charles Mintz alternate telling the stories using delightful voices and clear narration, perfect for young listeners. There are no page turn signals or sound effects, but whimsical musical accompaniment adds to the playfulness of the stories. The only thing missing is the charming and comical illustrations that make the stories so much fun to read. The wonderful narration and music make the audiocassette a joy to listen to, but if you don't want to miss out on the visual humor have the books handy for read-alongs.April R. Mazza, Wayland Free Public Library, MACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Danny and the lovable dinosaur, who leaves the museum to play with Danny and his friends, are the focus of three of four stories on this audiobook. The fourth is about Sammy the Seal's day away from the zoo. The stories are simple and cheerful, concentrating on children's quotidian activities. There is no violence, and everyone behaves well throughout. The stories are read clearly and relatively slowly by Peter Lorangis and Charles Mintz, who both add just the right number of funny voices to keep things engaging. The simple text does make one wish for an accompanying book with pictures to follow. Nonetheless, this is a nice collection, just right for the under-6 set. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Language Arts
"It is a great pleasure to see what miracles can be wrought with simple words, imagination, and understanding of children."

ANNOTATION

A little boy is surprised and pleased when one of the dinosaurs from the museum agrees to play with him.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In 1957, Harper published its first I Can Read title, Little Bear, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Large type, simple vocabulary, chapter-like divisions, and decorative pictures made Little Bear perfect for emerging readers-they could read the story comfortably and not feel overwhelmed by the text. Following suit came such classics as Peggy Parish's Amelia Bedelia series, Lillian Hoban's books about Arthur the monkey, and Syd Hoff's popular Danny and the Dinosaur. Many books in this series are special in the depth of emotion evoked - Little Bear, the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel, and Daniel's Duck by Clyde Bulla, to name a few - and all are enjoyed by children of all ages. Preschool - Grade 1.

SYNOPSIS

Danny goes to the museum where his wish comes true - a friendly dinosaur comes to life and spends the day playing with him. As the dinosaur says, after one hundred million years, it's good to play outside! The two have a monstrously good time eating ice cream, going to a ball game, and playing hide-and-seek with Danny's friends. When the day comes to an end, the dinosaur must return to the museum, even though Danny wants to keep him as a pet. After all, the museum needs him, and, Danny realizes, the dinosaur probably wouldn't fit in his house!

FROM THE CRITICS

Language Arts

It is a great pleasure to see what miracles can be wrought with simple words, imagination, and understanding of children.

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

First published in 1958, Danny and the Dinosaur has become a classic. The uncomplicated drawings look like they were colored with crayon, and look like something a child would create. The text describes Danny's daylong adventure with a dinosaur in easy to read text with audio tape. Part of the "I Can Read" series.

Children's Literature - Jeanne K. Pettenati

This selection is part of the "I Can Read" series. It tells a mildly amusing story of a dinosaur who accompanies his friend Danny to camp. The dinosaur does predictable things and the campers respond in predictable ways. Children may be interested in several readings, but it is unlikely that this story will sustain their long-term interest. The book is not up to the level of other in this series.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2Hoff's classic characters are back. This time, Danny and his friend the dinosaur go to summer camp together. They enjoy typical activities such as races, letter writing, water sports, and marshmallow roasting, and then go to sleep. Character development is limited to demonstrating that the dinosaur has a huge appetite. The full-color cartoon illustrations complement the text and show both African American and white children, but lack continuity. On one page, the dino is large enough to carry all the campers on its back; on another, it is small enough to eat at the table and hold a fork. Children may overlook details like this, but they will definitely miss the novelty and charm of the original Danny and the Dinosaur (HarperCollins, 1958). Not a necessary purchase unless you have a large early-reader collection or many fans of Syd Hoff's work.Sharon R. Pearce, San Antonio Public Library, TX

Kirkus Reviews

Danny and his dinosaur (who, although he has been Danny's friend since 1958, has never been given a name) are off again, this time to summer camp, and everyone has a wonderful time, including readers. Danny's dinosaur makes everything more fun—racing (he needs to take only one step to win), rowing (he's the boat), hiking (he can offer all the tired hikers a ride home), eating a lot of toasted marshmallows (guess who eats the most?), or sleeping under the stars (no cot is big enough for a dinosaur). Hoff's simple prose and cartoon illustrations make a delightful book for beginning readers, with enough difficult words—ketchup and pizza—to keep the story interesting, and enough clues in the illustrations to ensure new readers success. Every collection will have room for this welcome addition to the popular series.