Synopsis
It's the first day of school! Harry is nervous because he isn't sure what to expect. Triceratops is even more nervous, especially when Harry must leave the dinosaurs in the coatroom. But soon Harry sees another boy who is the most nervous of all. He clings to his toy bulldozer and won't talk to anyone in the class. Harry wonders what he can do. Perhaps the new boy will talk to dinosaurs. . . .
Children's Literature
This book, part of the series "Harry and the Dinosaurs," tells of Harry's first day of school. Most of Harry's dinosaurs want to come along, but Stegosaurus feels shy. Harry packs them all into a pail and then has to leave them in the hallway outside the classroom. Later they help him befriend another boy, Jack, who is clearly intimidated by the whole experience. Even Stegosaurus gets into the fun. There are times when the rather British nature of the text may get in the way of understanding for American listeners: "Stegosaurus said he didn't want to go. Not after Triceratops told him there were no Raahhs' allowed in class," for example. What is a "Raahh"? At one point Harry is annoyed by what his sibling Sam says and he angrily pushes her breakfast plate into the older child's face. The book appears to indicate that this is justified because Sam has told Harry that he cannot take dinosaurs to school. Bright illustrations tucked in around the text or as single- and double-page spreads are better than the story itself. Unless dinosaur-connected stories are in extreme demand, this would be an additional purchase for all but the largest collections.