• Age: 2 to 5
• Grade: p to k
• Reading age: 2 to 5

Fun sound words and cute baby dinosaurs combine for a delightfully interactive read-aloud romp

Deep in the forest is a nest full of eggs. But what could be inside? With picks, pokes, pops, and wriggles, a gaggle of baby triceratops hatches. They are quick to scamper and scramble about under Mother Triceratops' watchful eye—but careful! There's a big tyrannosaurus rex out in the lush Creataceous forest. With mother's fierce protection to keep them safe, the little dinosaurs can settle in for a much-needed nap.

Full of onomatopoeic text that will delight young listeners and readers alike, this fun and frolicsome story from lauded visual artist and author Karen Patkau is a treat for preschool and kindergarten dinosaur fans

KAREN PATKAU has been writing and illustrating picture books, with a focus on nature and non-fiction, for more than thirty years. She won the Ezra Jack Keats Memorial Medal for her first book, Don’t Eat Spiders by Robert Heidbreder, and since then her titles have appeared on lists including Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books, Children’s Literature Roundtables of Canada Information Book Award finalists, Green Book Festival Award finalists, Ontario Library Association Best Bets and White Ravens selections. Karen has also illustrated Forest: A See to Learn Book. She lives in Toronto.

Karen Patkau's profile page

• Short-listed, SYRCA Shining Willow Award finalist
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Spring

Praise for Triceratops Stomp

2020 SYRCA Shining Willow Award finalist

2022 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Selection

2020 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens Spring selection

"[D]ino fans will delight in this onomatopoeic romp...Fill your storytime with prehistoric sound."—Kirkus Reviews

"A serviceable addition for the most devoted toddler dino fan."—School Library Journal

"Young readers will find themselves stomping and romping and thudding about just like the baby dinosaurs in Patkau's lively onomatopoeic text."—The Globe & Mail

"Rating: G…This picture book is an easy introduction to dinosaurs for young readers, with repetition and fun sounds to keep them entertained. The story is followed with a ‘Dino-Search’, so kids can look back throughout the book to spot a specific dinosaur and learn a few fun facts along the way."—Resource Links

"Triceratops Stomp by author and illustrator Karen Patkau will delight, entertain and charm children ages 2-5, making it an ideal and unreservedly recommended addition to family, daycare center, preschool, kindergarten, and community library picture book collections."—Midwest Book Review

"Rating: 5...[P]erfect...for a toddler story time. The illustrations are adorable and there are plenty of sounds and movements for young children to mimic...Also, the last page of the book illustrates seven different dinosaurs along with some interesting facts."—Youth Services Book Review

"Changes to the size of the font and capitalization encourage the reader to read aloud with enthusiastic vocal variation...Extra content includes a concluding "Can You FIND ME in the Story" page that invites readers to return to the book and locate the seven dinosaurs that appear somewhere in the book....Recommended."—CM Magazine

"For children with an enduring love of all things dinosaur and of evocative text of sound and action, Triceratops Stomp will inspire countless readings with nonstop interaction....Whether you choose Triceratops Stomp as a science teaching tool, as a story to enhance language with its onomatopoeic foundation or as a fun read to share with young dinosaur fans, you can be sure to hear 'Read. Read. Read. Again. Again.'"—CanLit for LittleCanadians

"Perfect for fans of rambunctious and simple-to-follow dinosaur-centered picture books...Triceratops Stomps is solidly entertaining fare. Triceratops Stomp might work especially well as a read aloud for an under-five storytime group: the onomatopoeic lines in the story are practically calling for exuberant readers and listeners to chant and repeat!"—Fab Book Reviews

"This picture book will be great for all the dinosaur enthusiasts....There is lots of word repetition, onomatopoeia, alliteration and fun sounds to keep a youngster interested in what's happening. The drawings are simple, but have lots of movement and interest. I loved the proliferation of different greens here. A fun read."—Canadian Bookworm

"[A] cute story and I like that the author illustrates other dinosaurs in the background on each page. The end of the book, children are asked to find the various dinosaurs throughout the book."—Booktime

"I recommend this story to dinosaur lovers as well as young children who would like to learn more about dinosaurs….because it gives additional information about different types of dinosaurs in the glossary…It may even be a nice story for a big brother or sister to read to their younger sibling. The illustrations are colorful and the story is simple and easy to follow for younger readers."—Kids’ Book Buzz, Ania, Age 8