bilbopooh's Full Review: Laurence Brown, Marc Tolon Brown, Laurene Krensky ...
It's said that half of all marriages nowadays end in divorce. With that kind of percentage hanging over everyone's heads, it's obvious that there are many children who have to deal with their parents getting a divorce. Marc Brown, creator of the popular Arthur series (in which Arthur's best friend Buster's parents are divorced), and his wife Laurene Krasny Brown have created a helpful guide for children in this situation with Dinosaurs Divorce.
The word "dinosaurs" doesn't actually appear anywhere throughout the book, but the children in all of the pictures are dinosaurs, just as the children in the Arthur books are aardvarks, rabbits, chimpanzees, cats, dogs and the like. Using dinosaurs adds an imaginative and humorous touch to a distressing subject and puts just enough distance between the characters and the children who have actually experienced the break-up of a family.
The book begins with a glossary of words relating to divorce. These include divorce itself, family counselor, half brother / half sister, judge, lawyer, separation agreement, child custody, child support, visiting rights, alimony, stepparent and stepbrother / stepsister. Only about half of these words are specifically mentioned in the rest of the book, which is divided into 11 short sections of one to five pages. The only part of the glossary I might take issue with is the explanation of stepbrothers and stepsisters, as it states that they are the products of an earlier marriage, when that is not always the case, though it often is.
Generally, each page features several panels with a sentence or two accompanied by an illustration. All of the characters are green, with little variation in their body type. They could just as easily be crocodiles as dinosaurs. Aside from a few bodily characteristics, they act entirely human. They wear clothes, drive cars and live in houses. They do everything that everyday people do.
In Why Parents Divorce, the Browns show some of the things that can happen when parents don't get along, from noisy fights to alcohol abuse, making their continued marriage a toxic situation for everyone involved. What About You includes a list of common emotions with dinosaurs to illustrate each one, as well as tips for how children can work through those emotions in a healthy manner. It also warns that most parents will not marry each other again after divorcing.
After the Divorce discusses the changes that will occur in a child's relationship with his or her parents. On the plus side, there may be more one-on-one time with each parent; on the negative side, the parents may be tempted to vent about each other or ask the child to act as a middleman between them, and the Browns encourage children to let their parents know if this upsets them. Living With One Parent acknowledges that divorce usually means more responsibilities and less income, so children should be prepared to pitch in with chores and realize their parents can't afford to buy them as much as before.
Visiting Your Parents discusses visits with the parent who doesn't have primary custody. The Browns encourage children to talk about everything that is happening in their lives and to enjoy the time together, whatever activities the parent suggests. They also suggest calling or writing that parent, especially if visits are infrequent. Having Two Homes aims to help children feel comfortable in both places where they live. One tip is to keep special things at each place; another is to respect the household rules in each home, even if they are different.
Sharing Holidays and Special Occasions is a very short section talking about new traditions that may develop around holidays. The Browns encourage children to be flexible with the changes and to acknowledge both parents on holidays. Telling Your Friends talks about the embarrassment that can come with letting friends know about a divorce and lets children know that true friends will not reject someone because of a change in living conditions. Meeting Parents' New Friends is about giving the boyfriends and girlfriends of parents a chance.
Living With Stepparents takes it a step further by discussing a parent's marriage to someone else. They encourage children to take the time to get used to each other's way of doing things and show respect for one another, and if they're lucky enough to have an especially close relationship with a stepparent, not to feel guilty about that. Having Stepsisters and Stepbrothers concludes the book by talking about setting boundaries and learning to open up to stepsiblings while remaining confident in the fact that there's a unique place in the family for each individual child.
With simple language and engaging illustrations, Dinosaurs Divorce tackles many different facets of a difficult subject in a way that is easy for children to understand. This would be a good classroom resource, especially for children whose parents are going through a divorce; for the rest, it may help foster empathy. Either way, the Browns' book is a well-thought-out, non-threatening source of helpful information.
Laurene Krasny Brown, Lawson, Marc Brown, Rosanne Bittner, Marc Tolon Brown,Paperback, Edition: 1,Series: Dino Life Guides for Families Series, Englis...More at Barnes & Noble.com
Subscribe to More Reviews on Laurence Brown, Marc Tolon Brown, Laurene Krensky - Dinosaurs Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage:
Subscribe to bilbopooh's Reviews: Get the RSS Feed: - Add to My Yahoo!: - Add to Google Homepage:
PriceTool.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources,
so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
