Stink-o-saurus by Deano Yipadee

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Ill. by Paul Beavis. (Book+CD). Scholastic, 2017. ISBN 9781775434733
(Age: 3-6) Themes: Sing-along Book. Dinosaurs. Rhyme. Unlike most dinosaurs who roar from their front, Stan's roar comes from his behind. This tiny little dinosaur's farts, illustrated as a starry green trail of stink, mean that none of the other dinosaurs want to play with him. When Tommy the bully T-Rex comes to town and starts picking on Stan he is so frightened he lets out a very funky fart that brings Tommy to his knees. The other dinosaurs are impressed that Stan has driven Tommy out of town.
Unlike many other sing-along books of this sort, this one actually works both as a standalone read aloud and as a song. It is also easy to sing-along with the music and there is a catchy chorus of sorts that young children will be able to join in with.
The story is ridiculous but there is a nice message in it about valuing diverse skills and character traits (even stinky ones!). It would have been a nice ending if the other dinosaurs welcomed Stan into their group rather than just celebrating the banishment of the T-Rex but as it is he still appears to be an outsider.
Nicole Nelson

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