'Maybe together it'll only be half as scary'

Aww, this is a sweet little story about how to believe in yourself, even when you're shy and nervous and don't feel up to public speaking. A great message for kids! And the drawings are adorable.

This book was adorable! Norman is a tiny dinosaurs with BIG fears! He is shy but wants to be included. His classmates try to engage with him but he always runs away.
He find out that his friends also have fears and he realizes it’s ok to be shy. It is part of who he is but does not define him.

Kids loved this story. The story touches nicely on the theme of using your peculair and unique things to your advantage in a safe environment. Colorful. Finding Norman on each page is fun.

This was such a sweet book. As an adult, who is still shy, I really appreciated that the book wasn't trying to change Norman, but instead helping him accept who he is with the help of supportive friends. I also liked the friends helping him find ways to use the talents he has with all of them. I wish I had read a book like this as a kid, and I think it will be perfect for shy and not shy kids alike to just learn other aspects of people's personalities.

Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Norman's first day of school and he is very nervous. Norman is very shy and great at hiding. Will Norman overcome his fears and make some new friends?

Cute story for shy kids who are starting school for the first time and are a little wary about making friends.

*This book was given to me as an eARC by NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

Nothing sweeter than a dinosaur daycare! The book follows little Norman, who is very shy, on his first day at daycare and how he has to overcome his fears. Such a really cute book with bright colorful illustrations. I definitely recommend this one. Thanks so much #netgalley for the early review copy. I just loved it.

I adored this book! The illustrations are cleverly done leaving the reader a chance to find hidden stories within the story. Any child (and adult too,) can relate to poor Norman's first day jitters. Themes of not fitting in, abandonment, struggling with social interactions, peer relations are all present in this cute story. In the end, Norman makes new friends and has fun experiences in a way that will make any child heading off to a new school or daycare feel more confident. This would be a great book to add to your back-to-school fall display. If I had young kids, I would add this to my personal library.

This is a cute book about a dinosaur who is shy and doesn’t feel comfortable around others. By the end of the book he’s teamed up with a friend and he finds that it’s not so bad being shy and quiet.
I enjoyed the dinosaur aspect, for a children’s book I think this was a fun idea since kids love dinosaurs.

A great book to use as a teacher to help students explore and understand feelings related to being nervous about starting school, being shy, and struggling to make new friends. It's a cute story with great illustrations and a good lesson. It is also perfect for little fans of dinosaurs.

Norman's First Day at Dino Day Care is a great story about what it is like for a shy dinosaur to experience their first day at a new day care. Norman is so very shy and half the fun of the story is finding where on the page Norman might be hiding. It's a touching story, where by the end of the book Norman comes to accept his shyness and use it to help others. In my house, we get almost any book that has dinosaurs in it and this book did not disappoint. It was sweet and fun and taught a valuable lesson. It is a book that I will gladly recommend to others!

Got a shy child that's about to change schools? This is the book for them. Shy Norman just wants to hide from everyone and everything but over the course of the day he realises that he can keep his shyness whilst still recognising other aspects of his personality.

A great book for preschoolers transitioning to primary school, or simply as some bedtime reading for young ones. The pictures are fairly good and provide enough detail for children who want to 'read' the pictures to create their own narrative. My own preschooler enjoyed it very much and it opened up a conversation about feelings, patience and kindness.

Book and illustrations by Sean Julian! Just the most precious and beautiful children's book.

A little like finding Waldo, but in the most adorable and fun way for children! Sweet.

I plan to purchase for my niece and nephew once it is available.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Sean Julian and the publisher NorthSouth Books for the opportunity to review the advance copy of this book. Publish date is July 6, 2021.

Norman’s First Day at Dino Day Care is about a shy dinosaur experiencing his first time in a classroom. He’s so nervous that he spends most of his first day hiding! First behind his teacher and later from a well-intentioned classmate who wants to play with him. Norman desperately wants to be part of the group, but he feels uncomfortable. His teacher, Miss. Beak, helps him to see his shyness as a strength and pairs him with Jake for a talent show. Norman’s partner, Jake, is big and loud, the complete opposite of Norman! So it comes as a surprise when Norman finds out that Jake is nervous too! They find their courage by performing in the talent show together and build friendships with classmates big and small.

This was a sweet, delightful children’s book with a message that screams, “Come as you are because who you are is okay!” I loved this sweet interaction between Norman and Miss. Beak:

“I really want to join in, Miss Beak, but I feel shy.”
“It’s okay to be shy,” Miss Beak replied.
“It’s a special part of who you are.”
“Really?” Said Norman.
“Absolutely,” Miss Beak replied. “And I wonder if this afternoon we can discover what other amazing qualities you have hidden inside.”

This book would be great for discussions about individual strengths/personalities and inclusion. It tells a meaningful story through a combination of beautiful illustrations and strong text by the author.

I do not have any critiques about this book. This was an appropriate length, well-illustrated, and it provided a narrative and a message. I love the idea of embracing all personality types as special, from introverts to extroverts and everything in between. I am a pediatric speech-language pathologist and am very picky about children’s books. This is one that I will definitely be purchasing this book for my classroom and recommending to others! Would be appropriate for ages 4-7.

I received a free digital copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A cute book with a good story kids will enjoy. This book will help small children feel more comfortable going to daycare/school or just new situations in general. They will be able to relate to the feelings Norman has and hopefully make them feel better when realizing their own feelings are normal. An important type of book, especially at a time when things don’t feel so normal.

Awwww this book is super cute!! I love children’s books that are not written in rhyme. Norman is struggling to fit in with his new school, but once he finds that other dinos have things in common with him, it’s not so scary.
Love it.

This is a great book about overcoming shyness at school or daycare for little dino lovers. It's a cute story with great illustrations and a good lesson making this a great addition to any home library.
Thanks to NorthSouth Books and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I don't use this word often but this book was ADORABLE! This is a great book to read to little ones who might have fears about entering daycare or school. It has a positive message around shyness, how it's not a bad thing and that's not the only thing that defines a person (or dinosaur). This book is a great example of how a shy young dinosaur made a friend and found other characteristics that define who he is.

I would deem this a success – the moral of the shy kid new at school, with every intent to hide from attention, run from plaudits and ignore the chance of showing off, works just as well as ever with baby dinosaurs called Zoe and Jake. And even Rodney. It has dual purposes, to convey the issue and to entertain, and it does both equally well. Easily four stars.

Norman has the first day jitters, but between his new classmates and teachers, he discovers something special about himself. A very relatable story for children in new situations. The illustrations in this book really add to this clever story.

I thought this book could have had a better title. Not sure what it would be, but it’s title seems blah. This book was cuter than I thought it would be. I think a lot of kids could relate to it with being shy or nervous. It was good to see a larger character have issues too, because people sometimes assume that bigger or older kids don’t have fears or nervousness or anxiety.