Disney/Pixar's The Good Dinosaur

What if the asteroid that was supposed to destroy the dinosaurs missed? It would lead to an interesting friendship between a little boy named Spot and a dinosaur named Arlo. This is the premise for Disney/Pixar’s newest film, The Good Dinosaur. If your child can’t get enough of Spot and Arlo, here are some books to keep the dinosaurs alive in your home.

A Berry for Arlo – Jerrod Maruyama

Spot finds a branch of berries and wants to share it with his friend Arlo. His only problem is that he needs to GET to Arlo and there are many obstacles in the way (and many of them like berries too!). In this die-cut board book you will meet all kinds of dinosaurs and children will love joining Spot on his adventure to get a treat to his friend. With bright pictures that resemble the movie, children will want to read this over and over again. (Ideal for preschoolers ages 3-5.)

A Friend in the Wild – Brandi Dougherty

Spot and Arlo live in the wild and share their tips for survival in this adorable story about true friendship. The advice is actually relevant, like having sturdy shelter and knowing your plants (leaves of three – let them be). The message of working together, having fun and sticking together is helpful in guiding any friendship both domestically and in the wild. The pictures compliment the text beautifully and the facial expressions on Spot and Arlo really bring life to every page. You will love this manual for life! (Ideal for children ages 6-8.)

"Inside Out" for Every Age

   

Unless you are living under a rock, I am sure you are aware that Disney and Pixar are about to release a film about the mind. A twelve year old girl’s mind to be exact and I am sure after you watch the trailer you too will believe that Amy Poehler controls the joy in your life. Disney Press has made sure that no matter how old your readers are, there is an Inside Out book tailored just for them.

For Your Toddler:

The Box of Mixed Emotions – Brittany Candau

My son’s preschool does a unit on emotions. For about two weeks they go over all the different feelings a person can have and when or what would make a person’s mood be a certain way. I wish I had received this box in the mail sooner because it beautifully illustrates in five books the five emotions depicted in Riley’s mind, the protagonist in the movie. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust all explain to the youngest readers the definitions of their feelings and when they feel that way. The box itself has an open circle and below it says “the emotion in charge today” so a child can highlight their feelings by choosing which book is put on top of the pile. My favorite part of this set is that the last page of each book is a picture of a different feeling that makes each book feed into one another. This is definitely the perfect set of small books to help children learn all about their emotions.

For Your Kindergarden-1^st Grader:

Sadly Ever After? – Elise Allen

The feelings take turns telling a story about a day in Riley’s life. It is so much fun to see how each emotion tells their perspective of the same story. Each feeling is written in a different background color Yellow for Joy, Purple for Fear, Red for Anger, Green for Disgust and Blue for Sadness. This picture book is a great springboard to analyze both different points of view and how a memory can trigger multiple emotions for a person for a younger child.

For Your Chapter Reader:

Driven By Emotions – Elise Allen

This book is the plot of the movie broken down into five chapters. Each emotion (Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger and Sadness) each tell the story of Riley’s move from Minnesota to San Francisco from their point of view. I have not seen the movie but the story is written so well that I am very much looking forward to seeing how this translates on to a screen. This book is definitely going to get children wondering about how their minds really work and what makes them feel a certain way at any given time.

Inside Out will be in theaters on June 19^th and stars Amy Poehler, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader and Phyllis Smith. It’s definitely something to get excited about!

Check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRUAzGQ3nSY