Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?

The creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn brings her original whimsy to the tale of a child’s special friend who goes missing after a bath—or does he?

Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He’s a dinosaur (not the extinct kind). He’s enormous (bigger than a panda!). He was last seen before she gave him a bath and washed off all the mud (maybe that wasn’t a good idea?). She’s tried to lure him with snacks and put up Lost Dinosaur posters, but nothing has helped. If only it weren’t such a clear day—if only it were raining, or snowing, or the leaves were falling, or . . . something. Would it help if she drew a picture? With delicate visual sleights of hand and an underlying sweetness, author-illustrator Helen Yoon invites us to see through a child’s eyes.

A joyful reunion ensues when the dinosaur’s jelly-stained mouth emerges from a meadow that seems to sparkle with flowers, proving that a best friend is usually right where one needs them to be.
—Publishers Weekly

With impeccable comedic timing, a small Asian-presenting child with pale skin and straight black hair tied into spiky pigtails explains their predicament. . . .A simple yet charming premise wonderfully executed.
—Kirkus Reviews

Gentle pacing and effective page-turns help build suspense. [Yoon’s] uncluttered mixed-media illustrations have a breeziness that matches the tone of the text, telegraphing to listeners that there’s really nothing to worry about. If you know how to look, sometimes the impossible is ­possible.
—The Horn Book

The clever premise is carried out with heaps of humor and cheer, and the mixed-media illustrations are expressive and comical, including delightful spreads that appear to be the child’s crayoned diagrams. A sweetly satisfying story with lots of laughs.
—Booklist

Yoon’s minimalist mixed media illustrations and generous use of white space activate the imagination, inviting readers into a hidden world of wonder, with the disappeared dino’s contours revealed by rain sluicing off his back or jam staining his cheeks. . . . This picture book’s concise word count and conceit of directly addressing the reader make this an excellent interactive pick for a storytime for younger audiences, just make sure there’s enough room for every child’s invisible dinosaur to find a seat.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Helen Yoon is a professional illustrator and a freelance concept designer. She attended ArtCenter College of Design and the University of California, Irvine. She is the critically acclaimed creator of Sheepish (Wolf Under Cover), Off-Limits, and I’m a Unicorn. Helen Yoon lives in the Los Angeles area.

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