Experience an enthralling performance that blends music, storytelling, puppetry, and magic, while digging into the 2026 summer reading theme:
Unearth a Story: Desentierra una Historia.
Paleontology has never been this entertaining!
Safari Sam (aka David Black) explores the mysteries, science, and wonders revealed through reading both fiction and non-fiction about prehistoric times.
This Exciting Journey Begins Before the Show
The fun kicks off even before the performance as Safari Sam gets the kids grooving to the dance moves from Sandra Boynton’s Dinosaur Dance. Adults are also invited to join in on the fun with a lively **Shimmy Shimmy Shake** and a **Quivery Quake**.
This Exciting Journey Begins Before the Show
The fun kicks off even before the performance as Safari Sam gets the kids grooving to the dance moves from Sandra Boynton’s Dinosaur Dance. Adults are also invited to join in on the fun with a lively **Shimmy Shimmy Shake** and a **Quivery Quake**.
A Super Awesome Sticker Adventure
Safari Sam captures everyone’s attention as he unveils his Super Awesome Dinosaur Sticker Book! When he discovers that some stickers are missing, the audience helps him magically transfer them from the sheets to the book.
The Canine Companion Joins In
Bentley, Safari Sam’s loyal canine friend, engages the audience to unscramble letters for a term that forms the basis of paleontology. Along this entertaining journey, young readers learn how organic matter transforms into fossils.
Tools of the Trade
Inspired by the Reading Rainbow® book, Digging Up Dinosaurs by Aliki, Safari Sam and Bentley attempt to identify the tools needed for a dinosaur dig. A child selects one that magically appears in their tool bag, surprising everyone with the reveal! Next, they work to assemble a dinosaur skeleton but quickly realize that fitting the bones together isn’t as easy as it seems. After some humorous fails, the audience shouts a few magic words, and everything falls into place perfectly.
Pre-Show Fun
About 10 to 15 minutes before the show begins, David engages the audience by teaching them “dance moves” inspired by Sandra Boynton’s book, Dinosaur Dance.
Optional Pre-Show Activity
As an added touch, consider having a staff member or adult volunteer welcome attendees dressed in the “riding a dinosaur” costume shown in the accompanying picture, which we are more than happy to provide.
A Hilarious Time-Traveling Adventure
In a nod to the famous film series, Safari Sam 
tries to teleport dinosaurs from millions of years ago to his Jurassic Zoo. However, a tenacious pig named Penelope hilariously complicates the situation. The audience enjoys making various dinosaurs appear in the Time Machine and then chooses which one will teleport into a sealed chamber.
A Scientific Mystery to Solve
Safari Sam then takes the audience on an adventure to solve a scientific mystery. The audience is invited to help determine whether dinosaurs were more akin to lizards, as their name implies, or more like birds, using a magical egg similar to the one found at the end of Lois G. Grambling’s Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please? Safari Sam explains that the dinosaur in the egg will magically transform from a lizard to a bird—if, indeed, dinosaurs were more avian. The dinosaur shifts back and forth, demonstrating that they were both lizards *and* birds. The audience begins to suspect his magical method, questioning if he’s merely flipping the picture. Shocked by this notion, Safari Sam emphasizes the importance of “always believing in magic”; otherwise, the dinosaurs will vanish, leaving us with only fossils. He then astounds the audience with an unexpected boney surprise.
The Grand Finale
Before wrapping up the show, Safari Sam embarks on one last adventure inspired by the book How to Catch a Dinosaur by Adam Wallace & Andy Elkerton. He invites several volunteers to assist him in catching a dinosaur. Hilarity ensues as they decide which dinosaur to choose and what clever disguises it will use. With a sprinkle of paleontological magic, they ultimately manage to pick the correct hiding spot.
“After seeing David’s show several times, I can say it is interactive, fun, and has unexpected surprises for children and adults that make it easy to watch again and again.”
Dino-Tastic Adventure is an engaging 45-minute performance. David provides a backdrop*, sound system, and all necessary equipment and props for the show.
*Indoor shows only
“David Black provided a magical and engaging magic show for our children during the Storybook Carnival. He has the perfect mix of humor and awe to keep every child mesmerized by magic.”