Dino Mode Activated by Jen Wallace

After the success of Dinosaur Pie, award-winning author Jen Wallace returns with another hilarious and moving dinosaur adventure!

Oleg’s new camera is definitely not ordinary. It has no instructions and no buttons, but it seems to know exactly what Oleg wants it to do. When Oleg goes on a camping trip with his friends, Rory and Daria, they soon discover the camera’s most special function – Dino Mode.

Now, with dinosaurs of all sizes running about the campsite and a nosey professor poking around, Oleg and his friends commence Operation Hide the Dinos.

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🦖 “Three kids, one camera, and a campsite full of dinosaurs. What could possibly go wrong?”

PRE-READING THOUGHTS:

After Dinosaur Pie, I knew to expect utter mayhem—and that’s exactly what I was in the mood for. Wallace’s humour always has this perfect balance of mischief and heart, so I was hoping for more of that “oops, we might have accidentally unleashed prehistory” kind of energy.

POST-READING

As I thought...
Pure chaos in the best possible way. The pacing is fast, the dialogue snappy, and the dino antics absolutely deliver. It’s exactly the kind of book that keeps kids reading and laughing out loud, especially with that trio’s wonderfully unfiltered friendship dynamic.

It surprised me by...
Having some sweet emotional beats tucked between the laughter. Oleg’s excitement and nerves about the camera—and the way the group bands together when things go completely prehistoric—make it more than just slapstick. There’s heart behind the hijinks.

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MUSIC PAIRING

🎵 Featured Song: “Walk the Dinosaur” — Was (Not Was) (you know it’s mandatory)
🎶 Vibe Album: The Lego Movie Soundtrack — equally chaotic, equally charming
🎧 Artist Recommendation: They Might Be Giants — for that wonderfully weird kid energy

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VIBE CHECK

🎨 Colour Palette: Bright jungle greens and sky blues with the occasional orange scale
🎬 Soundtrack: Zany percussion and record-scratch comedic timing
☀️ Season: Summer—because chaos always thrives on a camping trip
🌈 Mood: Energetic, adventurous, and just a bit reckless
🍬 Scent: Melted marshmallows, bug spray, and mystery footprints

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TAROT PULL:

The Sun. Bright, cheerful and happy - these kids might be turning themselves and everything around them into dinosaurs, but they're having a lot of fun doing it.

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FOR FANS OF:

📚 Dinosaur Pie by Jen Wallace (of course!)
📺 The Mitchells vs. The Machines — kids versus technology, with plenty of heart and humour