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    Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?

    Author Helen Yoon
    Illustrated by Helen Yoon
    Look inside
    Hardcover
    $18.99 US
    Candlewick
    10.25"W x 9.31"H x 0.36"D   | 14 oz | 32 per carton
    On sale May 09, 2023 | 32 Pages | 9781536226256
    Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
    Reading Level: Fountas & Pinnell J
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    The creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn brings her original whimsy to the tale of a child’s special friend who goes missing after a bath—or does he?

    Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He’s a dinosaur (not the extinct kind). He’s enormous (bigger than a panda!). He was last seen before she gave him a bath and washed off all the mud (maybe that wasn’t a good idea?). She’s tried to lure him with snacks and put up Lost Dinosaur posters, but nothing has helped. If only it weren’t such a clear day—if only it were raining, or snowing, or the leaves were falling, or . . . something. Would it help if she drew a picture? With delicate visual sleights of hand and an underlying sweetness, author-illustrator Helen Yoon invites us to see through a child’s eyes.
    • WINNER | 2024
      Children's Book Council - Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards
    • SELECTION | 2024
      ALSC Notable Children's Books
    • SELECTION | 2023
      Junior Library Guild Selection
    A joyful reunion ensues when the dinosaur’s jelly-stained mouth emerges from a meadow that seems to sparkle with flowers, proving that a best friend is usually right where one needs them to be.
    —Publishers Weekly

    With impeccable comedic timing, a small Asian-presenting child with pale skin and straight black hair tied into spiky pigtails explains their predicament. . . .A simple yet charming premise wonderfully executed.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    Gentle pacing and effective page-turns help build suspense. [Yoon’s] uncluttered mixed-media illustrations have a breeziness that matches the tone of the text, telegraphing to listeners that there’s really nothing to worry about. If you know how to look, sometimes the impossible is ­possible.
    —The Horn Book

    The clever premise is carried out with heaps of humor and cheer, and the mixed-media illustrations are expressive and comical, including delightful spreads that appear to be the child’s crayoned diagrams. A sweetly satisfying story with lots of laughs.
    —Booklist

    Yoon’s minimalist mixed media illustrations and generous use of white space activate the imagination, inviting readers into a hidden world of wonder, with the disappeared dino’s contours revealed by rain sluicing off his back or jam staining his cheeks. . . . This picture book’s concise word count and conceit of directly addressing the reader make this an excellent interactive pick for a storytime for younger audiences, just make sure there’s enough room for every child’s invisible dinosaur to find a seat.
    —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
    Helen Yoon is a professional illustrator and a freelance concept designer. She attended ArtCenter College of Design and the University of California, Irvine. She is the critically acclaimed creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn. Helen Yoon lives in the Los Angeles area.
    Helen Yoon View titles by Helen Yoon

    About

    The creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn brings her original whimsy to the tale of a child’s special friend who goes missing after a bath—or does he?

    Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He’s a dinosaur (not the extinct kind). He’s enormous (bigger than a panda!). He was last seen before she gave him a bath and washed off all the mud (maybe that wasn’t a good idea?). She’s tried to lure him with snacks and put up Lost Dinosaur posters, but nothing has helped. If only it weren’t such a clear day—if only it were raining, or snowing, or the leaves were falling, or . . . something. Would it help if she drew a picture? With delicate visual sleights of hand and an underlying sweetness, author-illustrator Helen Yoon invites us to see through a child’s eyes.

    Awards

    • WINNER | 2024
      Children's Book Council - Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards
    • SELECTION | 2024
      ALSC Notable Children's Books
    • SELECTION | 2023
      Junior Library Guild Selection

    Praise

    A joyful reunion ensues when the dinosaur’s jelly-stained mouth emerges from a meadow that seems to sparkle with flowers, proving that a best friend is usually right where one needs them to be.
    —Publishers Weekly

    With impeccable comedic timing, a small Asian-presenting child with pale skin and straight black hair tied into spiky pigtails explains their predicament. . . .A simple yet charming premise wonderfully executed.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    Gentle pacing and effective page-turns help build suspense. [Yoon’s] uncluttered mixed-media illustrations have a breeziness that matches the tone of the text, telegraphing to listeners that there’s really nothing to worry about. If you know how to look, sometimes the impossible is ­possible.
    —The Horn Book

    The clever premise is carried out with heaps of humor and cheer, and the mixed-media illustrations are expressive and comical, including delightful spreads that appear to be the child’s crayoned diagrams. A sweetly satisfying story with lots of laughs.
    —Booklist

    Yoon’s minimalist mixed media illustrations and generous use of white space activate the imagination, inviting readers into a hidden world of wonder, with the disappeared dino’s contours revealed by rain sluicing off his back or jam staining his cheeks. . . . This picture book’s concise word count and conceit of directly addressing the reader make this an excellent interactive pick for a storytime for younger audiences, just make sure there’s enough room for every child’s invisible dinosaur to find a seat.
    —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

    Author

    Helen Yoon is a professional illustrator and a freelance concept designer. She attended ArtCenter College of Design and the University of California, Irvine. She is the critically acclaimed creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn. Helen Yoon lives in the Los Angeles area.
    Helen Yoon View titles by Helen Yoon

    Other Books by this Author

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