A dinosaur book that doesn't star a white kid? FINALLY! And this gal has seriously prehistoric taste in pets. Luckily she has the smarts to back it up. I'm not sure why any grownups would sign off on this plan, but really, if you were a kid and saw a box labeled "free raptors" wouldn't you at least be tempted? It's a simple story, but O'Connor's drawings of this little girl and her large companion are cute, sweet, and clever.

This book is so flippin cute!

My 3.5yo daughter and 1.5yo son think this book is hilarious. It's fun to read aloud, and the sarcasm makes it entertaining for adults, too. Adorable pictures!

Lots of kids would agree with the adorable, poofy-pigtailed heroine of this book when she declares that having a dinosaur for a pet would be "the best thing ever." The imaginative little girl daydreams about how she'd pluck a fluffy blue baby dino out of a box labelled "Free Raptors," and how she and "Dinah" would be the best of friends, no matter how big Dinah grew (or how early the nocturnal raptor woke her up).

Picture books newsletter July 2014