This is a great book for children who love to give their family members a scare. This is a humorous book about a child who likes to shout, "Boo!"

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute book about a boy who loves dinosaurs and acting like them! He wants to scare his family, but they just keep saying "Not scary, Jonathan". The story unfolds and Jonathan finds a dinosaur who can scare his family! The dinosaur is his......(you will have to read the book)! I will be buying this book for my family as it centers around a child's love for dinosaurs, but also the family dynamic. Thank you to NetGalley and New Frontier Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

So cute and what a twist at the end. I was not expecting that! This will be a fun family read with the little ones. Nice illustrations as well!

This is a sweet, "traditional" feeling picture book (I think Francey's illustrations really help establish that feel--her style is reminiscent of Usborne's Poppy & Sam series, with rounded, soft, somewhat stylized but not totally cartoon-y people) follows Jonathan as he tries (and fails) to scare his family members using various disguises, before finding someone (a dinosaur, but there is more than meets the eye) who can help really give his family a scare!

I like the rhyming at the beginning, where each attempt to scare a family member rhymes with the noise Jonathan makes to surprise them ("Jonathan's father was sweeping the floor..." "ROAR!" / "Jonathan's sister was having a nap..." "SNAP!") Once the narrative moves past these initial attempts and towards the end of the story, I felt like the rhyming phrases were a little more stilted. Still, I think this would be a fun story for preschoolers.

I did not expect the twist at end of this little book! Jonathan keeps trying to scare his family, with no success-- until he finds the dinosaur! This is really cute.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a good book for young children as it utilizes repetition, adjectives, and a clear beginning/middle/end.

As an adult I can say I was also surprised by the plot twist at the end, so it leaves some fun for everyone!

The art is simple but still beautiful and tells the story well.

This is a good book for young readers ages 2-6.

I recommend you check it out if you know a young children in need of a new picture book.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

Jonathan is a young boy who likes to try and scare his family. However, he is not usually successful. That is until he meets a dinosaur!

This was a cute book! I liked the pictures and the story. I think a lot of kids will enjoy this one and relate to Jonathan! It had a fun little twist at the end too. My two year old enjoyed reading this one!

Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

This was an adorable book about Jonathan, who liked to go around scaring his family. The catch - they didn't think he was scary. Then he runs into a dinosaur...will the dinosaur be enough to scare his family? A relatable kids story!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!

My four year old enjoyed this, and was excited to tell my husband all about it - and made him listen in the next night after insisting we read it again.

The illustrations reminded me of the books I read as a child, they were very cute! The little twist at the end of the book made my child laugh ❤️

This was a cute book. Jonathan wants to scare his family but he's just not quite scary enough! Thankfully he gets some help from a friendly dinosaur but is told that was a little "too scary."

The illustrations are very classic looking and reminiscent of books I grew up with.

The rhythm of it was awkward at times for me if were to read aloud at first. However, there weren't a lot of pages which makes it ideal for a bedtime book when your kid wants to read 20 books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are truthful and my own.

Not Scary, Jonathan! is a children’s book about a little boy, Jonathan, who tries different tactics to scare his family. He finds a dinosaur and takes it home, effectively scaring his family but giving him a little surprise too!

This book was very cute, my daughter loved the sound effects that came along with Jonathan’s shenanigans. I’ll be adding this book to my daughter’s little library!

Not Scary, Jonathan! is a delightful, playful picture book that’s perfect for young readers and their families. Written by the award-winning Australian author Peter Carnavas, with charming illustrations by Amanda Francey, this book strikes the ideal balance between fun and creativity, inviting readers to dive into the quirky world of Jonathan—a boy on a mission to be "scary."

Jonathan is all about dressing up and giving his family a good scare. Whether he’s donning a monster costume or sneaking around like a ghost, his goal is clear: to spark an “eek!” from his family. But each time he tries, they just laugh it off and tell him, “You’re not scary, Jonathan!” His persistence is endearing, but what happens when Jonathan actually does manage to be too scary?

The story is simple, yet full of heart. It’s an easy read with a rhythm that makes it perfect for read-aloud sessions. Jonathan’s antics are lighthearted, and young readers will likely see themselves in his imaginative efforts to impress others (even if that means a little bit of mischief). The gentle narrative builds up to a fun twist, which keeps things engaging without being overwhelming.

What truly stands out, though, are the illustrations. Amanda Francey’s artwork complements the text wonderfully, with lively and whimsical images that bring Jonathan’s world to life. The vibrant colors and playful details in the illustrations provide an extra layer of enjoyment for children, and there’s plenty to explore on each page.

At its core, Not Scary, Jonathan! is about the joy of imagination and the bonds of family. It encourages kids to embrace their creativity and explore different ways to express themselves. The gentle humor and non-scary approach to "scaring" also make it a fantastic book for bedtime or any moment when kids need a boost of fun energy.

This book is a perfect choice for families looking for a lighthearted, entertaining read that will spark laughter and creativity. It's not too scary, but it’s definitely just right for young readers who enjoy a bit of mischief, imagination, and family time.

My three-year-old absolutely love this book! He is at that age where he likes to pretend to scare people and being as this is what this book is about he ate it up. There’s also a dinosaur in the book added another element of fun. Highly recommend for older toddlers!

Not Scary, Jonathan! is about a little boy who always tries to scare his family members. He doesn’t successfully scare them…often. This is a fun and entertaining picture book, great for toddlers. My 3yo liked it a lot. And it has a great surprise twist!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Jonathan sneaks up and scares his family, but none of them or impressed or scared by his attempts. Feeling down, Jonathan goes outside and is startled to find the green hill he thought he was climbing was actually a dinosaur. The dinosaur agrees to help him scare his family, which is a success when they all go running and hiding. In the end, it was grandpa in a dinosaur suit all along.

I would recommend this funny, playful book to young readers and use it for my readaloud programs.