Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?
Age 3+
Picture Books
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.
Creators
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.
Reviews
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
