A very entertaining read with lovely illustrations. Yuri learns a lesson on his first trip to the museum - and it's not only a lesson about dinosaurs but also that one should ask for help when in trouble. I loved how the story brought together the diverse museum visitors to help Yuri out as they all contributed to team work to accomplish something.

Fun story, but I know how museums work (I got a master's degree in museum studies). Everyone putting fossils sillily back together made me cringe.

“Mayhem at the Museum” is a colossal surprise. (The original german Titel of the book is ‘Colossal Catastrophy’.)

At first glance, it's a story about a visit to the Natural Science Museum at an exciting time. Just before closing time on a Thursday afternoon (we've all seen movies about what happens in museums at night...).

But it doesn't get that far, because the colossal adventure happens during opening hours. Through a chain of unfortunate coincidences, a tiny little bird, and a bit of a scare, Yuri falls against the skeleton of a large dinosaur, and WHOOSH - Yuri and lots of bones are lying in the museum's great hall.

Now what? How do you solve colossal disasters? Colossal disasters where ALL eyes are on you? When everything suddenly becomes huge, loud and overwhelming?

A start: Breathe in and breathe out. And inhale and exhale again.

A lot of things that are scary at first may not be so colossal. And many things that are colossal don't have to be dealt with alone. Whether you ask for help or people rush to help on their own initiative. Things are rarely as bad as you might think at first.

A lot of things that are scary at first may not be so colossal. And many things that are colossal don't have to be dealt with alone. Whether you ask for help or people rush to help on their own initiative. Things are rarely as bad as you might think at first.

The illustration style is reminiscent of comics. The figures have clear outlines, the coloring is limited to a range reminiscent of the aesthetics of risography or screen printing. Architectural elements (museum pillars, the employee's cabin, etc.) are used to visually divide the pages several times into panels.

The design of the body shapes is also special. All the people depicted are dressed in oversized clothing that cannot be assigned to any particular fashion trend or period.
There is a lot of room for interpretation as to how the bodies themselves are shaped or which socio-economic group the people can be assigned to based on their clothing.

I was expecting a book for dinosaur fans, but what I read was a great story about panic, coping strategies and raising awareness for mental health.

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/05/28/book-review-mayhem-at-the-museum-by-hannah-bruckner/

Anything with dinosaurs is a won with my preschooler. While he did like this short and somewhat silly story of a museum visit gone wrong, and friends working together to “fix” The catastrophe, I wish there had been a bit more content. Maybe a few peaches of Museum displays or something about the dragon not being real like dinosaurs were.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mayhem at the Museum by Hannah Bruckner (translated by Laura Wotkinson) is a humorous, lighthearted picture book about a dinosaur skeleton that meets a disastrous end one evening when a boy is startled by a parakeet. What follows is a sweet story of asking for help, remembering to breathe in times of stress, and the wonderful results of working together in times of crisis. This is a great little addition to any classroom or school library's dinosaur or growth mindset section; younger readers will be drawn in by the dinosaur theme, but then be exposed to the concept of growth mindset and working together in community. Mayhem at the Museum is the perfect combination of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (by Judith Viorst) and The Most Magnificent Thing (by Ashley Spires).

Many thanks to the author, the translator, the publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review this e-galley. I can't wait to purchase it for our school library!

When a young boy goes to the dinosaur museum a catastrophe happens. When the boy knocks into a brontosaurus display, it tumbles down into a jumble of bones. This fantastic picture book written and illustrated by Hanna Bruckner was beautifully translated by Laura Watkinson. It reflects how when things go wrong it can seem like a catastrophe. But the story shows that you can always ask for help. The community works together to fix the broken dinosaur. I love the funny ending with the remade dinosaur that is completely different from the ones that broke. But this clever illustration helps send the message that there is more than one way to solve a problem.

What a cute book! Mayhem at the Museum is such an entertaining and imaginative picture book that captures a chaotic event at the museum when when Yuri bumps into a giant dinosaur skeleton.

The book is fun and silly but there’s also great lessons here too. The story effectively illustrates how to handle difficult situations when Yuri learns to take a deep breath and ask for help, which ends up leading to some creative problem solving.

The illustrations are vibrant and engaging, really bringing the museum setting to life. I honestly couldn’t decide what I liked best about this book, whether it was the narrative or the illustration style. The illustrations definitely complement the dynamic storytelling, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading experience.

As for my 3-year-old, he loved this book! He’s not a big fan of dinosaurs but he sure does love a silly story. His favorite page is the bones all laid out visually on the page while Yuri takes a breath.

Overall, I thought this was such a charming tale that any kid would enjoy reading. I would recommend it for any kids who love museums or silly stories and any grown up looking for a fun read aloud.

Yuri is frightened by a bird flying about in the Dinosaur Museum and a disaster of bones happens. But all of the visitors work together and things come about all right. Fun book that is quite reassuring to those of us who can be clumsy at times!
Translated from the German by Laura Watkinson
The illustrations by the author are imaginative and tell much of the story in plump figures and muted colors.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on Thorium PDF from NorthSouth Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Sep 23, 2025
#MayhemattheMuseum by @hannah_brueckner_illustration @childrensbookcouncil @goodreads #kidsbook #picturebookart #kidlit #picturebook #illustration #childrensbooks #imagination #encouragement #reassurance #dinosaurbones

Mayhem at the Museum is a cute children's fiction that pairs an adventure with a life lesson. The core takeaway from the story is don't be afraid to ask for help. The lesson is conveyed in a delightful fun way that isn't scary or intimidating. Though the illustrations could use more color and detail, it still provides a teachable moment for those shy youngsters eager to venture out of their comfort zone. Four stars.

I was invited to read a DRC from NorthSouth Books through NetGalley. This review is my own and reflects my honest opinions.

Mayhem at the Museum is a short book that follows a child visiting a museum who knocks down a dinosaur skeleton when they are startled by a bird. What results is the very big catastrophe where all eyes are on the child. The breaking dinosaur skeleton acts as a metaphor for problems and how it feels that everyone sees your mistakes. Ways to approach solving problems is addressed, including calming breathes, asking for help, and working together. I really loved the colour palette and illustrations in this book.

I really liked reading this book and I thought that every piece of it was executed well! But, I will say that I was left wanting more. In other words, I felt that this book was a bit too short, and something more could have been added to the story. The author definitely got their message of teamwork when facing challenges/obstacles across, but that was really all this book was about. I think that weaving the message into a richer and more in-depth story could be beneficial and wouldn't hinder what is already written. Lastly, the illustrations were great! The best things the illustrator did were showing movement and having a high amount of detail on each page. It was clear that the illustrator put a lot of thought into this book's visuals, and really allowed the book to come to life.

Oh this was wonderful. Loved the number of breaths he took. Loved all the helpful people. And loved the messaging. Would definitely recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free from the publisher via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Poor Yuri! Frightened by a flying parakeet in the Dinosaur Museum, Yuri bumps into the skeleton of an apatosaurus (formerly Brontosaurus) and the unthinkable happens — well, not unthinkable in a TV sit-com. Yuri feels humiliated, seeing it as a “catastrophe that makes you think nothing will ever be right again. You feel so quiet. You feel so small.”

Children will love German author Hannah Brückner’s beautifully illustrated picture book because it’s humorous, but they will also learn that, in the face of catastrophe, adults will pitch in to help. A very important lesson, indeed.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and NorthSouth Books in exchange for an honest review. Special thanks to Laura Watkinson for her skillful translation.