Triceratops Stomp

Written and illustrated by Karen Patkau

Pajama Press

978-1-77278-079-6

32 pp.

Ages 2-5

For release July 2019

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. It maybe not the quietest of bedtime reads but Triceratops Stomp is certainly a picture book destined to become an action adventure of a different class.

From Triceratops Stomp by Karen Patkau

A clutch of seven dinosaur eggs begins the story with "Tap-tap. Peck-peck. Crack. Crack. Crack." After the babies hatch, under the watchful eye of a parent, making their first vocalizations of "Chirp-chirp! Cheep-cheep! Peep-peep-peep!" they learn to feed in the greenery of lush ferns and horsetails and among other prehistoric creatures. But when a voluminous roar is accompanied by "Thud-thud. Thud-thud. STOMP. STOMP. STOMP." and a T-Rex appears, Triceratops mother is ready to defend her brood and chases their potential attacker away with her ferocity. Safely back home, they rest. "Snuggle-snuggle. Sigh-sigh. Snore. Snore. Snore."

From Triceratops Stomp by Karen Patkau

While Triceratops Stomp is a playful read that will teach sounds that accompany actions like breaking out of an egg, eating plants, and sleeping, it goes beyond that in both text and art. It portrays the natural history of Triceratops with respect to babies, feeding, defence and family, as well as physical features. In fact, though a fictionalized story, Triceratops Stomp is also information book by including a page about the other genera of dinosaurs depicted in the story such as Alamosaurus, Dromaeosaurus, Corythosaurus and Pterosaur, as well as an end paper that shows the relative sizes of a variety of dinosaurs against humans. Still Karen Patkau is first and foremost an artist and her stylings in Triceratops Stomp elevate it from information book to art. Created with digital media, Karen Patkau gives Triceratops babies cuteness and authenticity, and generates landscapes lush in greens and detailed animal morphologies sufficient to instruct but never straying from captivating and entertaining.

From Triceratops Stomp by Karen Patkau

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."