THERE’S A DINOSAUR ON THE 13TH FLOOR written by Wade Bradford and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes is a “just for fun” picture book about a Mr. Snore who cannot find a place to get a goodnight’s sleep.
The illustrations before the title page show Mr. Snore carrying what looks like a violin case and taking a cab from the opera house to The Sharemore Hotel. He’s very tired and requests a room from the bellhop. He is taken to room 104 but as soon as he crawls into bed he hears some squeaking! He calls the bellhop to report something sleeping on his pillow.
‘“Yes, that would be the mouse,” said the bellhop. “I believe he has had a very long day.”
“So have I,” grumbled Mr. Snore. “And I do not wish to share a room with a mouse!”’
The bellhop takes Mr. Snore to the second floor where he gets into bed only to find a pig hogging the covers! He again demands another room. The fun grows as Mr. Snore, trying one floor after another, confronts spiders, giraffes, drippy ceilings and hamsters. Eventually, he takes things into his own hands and locates a room on the 13th floor with a huge empty bed. He crawls in and falls asleep. But wait. Then the dinosaur on the 13th floor comes out of his bathroom with toothbrush in hand to find Mr. Snore sleeping in his bed! Now the dinosaur phones the bellhop. The solution to the problem is revealed on the wonderful and wordless last double-page illustration.
All illustrations are full of telling facial expressions and clever details. The book is full of visual literacy opportunities.
There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor written by Wade Bradford and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes is a perfect romp for children 4-7 years of age (Candlewick Press, 2018).
Questions/activities for The Dinosaur on the 13th Floor
Read the pictures and study the facial expressions: How do you know Mr. Snore is sleepy when he walks into the hotel lobby? How do you know Mr. Snore is angry when he calls to report a pig in is bed? How do you know Mr. Snore does not trust the bellhop when they go into the room on the third floor? How do you know Mr. Snore is running out of patience in the elevator as the bellhop takes him to the eighth floor? What is the bellhop thinking when the phone rings from the 13th floor?
Play this “I Spy” game as you study the illustration that shows the activities of the hamsters. Find hamsters: playing ping pong, playing the bagpipes, celebrating baby hamster’s first birthday, working out with weights, reading a book, watching television, swimming, eating at a special restaurant, sliding down the pipes with an umbrella and jumping on the beds? Have you ever had a pet hamster? What was its name? How did your hamster spend the day? Draw a picture of your hamster.
Why do you think this hotel is called the Sharemore? If you were to give this hotel a name what would it be? Go ahead. Play with ideas. Have fun!
