Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Macmillan Children's Books publish Ten Terrible Dinosaurs!

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland, published by Macmillan Children's Books 2017

The wonderful Macmillan Children's Books have just published a brand new remastered 2017 edition of my children's dinosaur picture book, Ten Terrible Dinosaurs.

I'm really pleased to see this book back in print as part of the wonderful new World of Dinosaur Roar!
Originally created as a companion book for the bestselling Dinosaur Roar! which Macmillan Children's Books are publishing in many exciting new formats.

Writing Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

I wrote the text for this book sitting on another publisher's stand at the 1996 Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy.
I spent many years visiting and working at Bologna and the atmosphere and company of colleagues from all over the world of children's books was always a stimulating environment for an author and illustrator.
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs was one of those lucky texts that just arrived, fully formed, all I had to do was write it down. Remarkably little editing and that doesn't often happen...
The same thing happened with One Bear One Dog and also Bears. I'd love to know how that works...
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs is a crazy colourful children's counting book but a counting book in reverse.
The simple story follows a bunch of naughty dinosaurs, as their mischievous antics and silly japes slowly diminishes their numbers until we're left with just one weary one...
...before his friends live up to their name once again!

Drawing Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

I had great fun drawing and painting all those naughty dinosaurs! 

It was one of those rare books where I sat down with a my favourite pencil and a miniature paper dummy of the book and started drawing on page one. 

I then drew every single spread, in order, in one fell swoop. Again, that very rarely happens!

Usually, I have to make some changes to the characters as I progress through the book but this time I started off with the full cast of characters on page one and for some reason it went right first time. Love it when that happens! 

I wanted to the book to be as bouncy and rhythmic as possible to match the rhyming text, so it was really important to get as much energy into this cast of silly saurians. It was a good day and the whole lot just flowed out and onto the pages of this little paper book.

The miniature paper dummy has 48 pages, hand sewn, drawn in pencil and only 105mm x 148mm

Here are all the rough drawings for Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Reviews of Ten Terrible Dinosaurs:

 Winner of the Practical Parenting Best Book Award
"..the whole book has an exciting, energetic pace."
"..a funny and beautiful picture book that will make learning to count a very pleasurable task." 100 Best Books
"..an ingenious and entertaining way of introducing counting and subtraction..uproariously funny.." Early Years Educator
"What a welcome return of the wonderfully exuberant dinosaurs so much enjoyed in Dinosaur Roar! and Swamp Stomp... the text is terrific, full of rhyme and rhythm and delicious words to talk about.." Child Education
"..a must.." Parent Magazine

"This is a welcome reissue of a counting down, rhyming dinosaur romp and a companion volume to Dinosaur Roar. The vividly coloured creatures get up to all manner of lively, child-like activities such as dancing, stuffing themselves, playing tricks and more, as one by one they exit or are eliminated from the line-up (Not too sure about one sent off for being ‘too spiky’ what’s wrong with being different?) until just one dozing dinosaur remains. But then …
Great fun, with counting opportunities aplenty and perhaps even better, a chance to let rip with that grand finale."  Red Reading Hub

Dinosaur Roar! and Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

Cover of Paul Stickland's Ten Terrible Dinosaurs

by Paul Stickland