Peter the infant parasaurolophus doesn't want to come out of his shell, despite the encouragement of two older brothers who are standing nearby.

Stanley the stegosaurus and Amy the apatosaurus are learning to play and hope that several winged pterosaurs will join in.

Elsewhere in "Baby Dinosaurs: A Prehistoric Playground," an interactive exhibit that launches this weekend at the Bishop Museum, a father pteranodon is tending to his hungry hatchlings; and Tommy the Tyrannosaurus rex and cute-as-a-big-button Tina the triceratops are posturing as turtles keeping watch.

Welcome to the kid-friendly world of robot-animated, screeching and hooting critters from a time long, long ago — but with the contemporary and universal theme of growing up.

The traveling dinos, from WonderWorks Exhibits Co. of Abilene, Texas, will reside on the first floor of the Castle Memorial Building though Dec. 11. They're the centerpiece of this weekend's Family Sunday event, which features food booths, entertainment and dino-sized discounts on admission.

But back to the beasts.

There are four dino-centric portions of the display — "Nest Side Story" (starring shy Peter and his brothers); "Play is Practice for Life" (playmates Stanley and Amy); "Food for Thought" (dad and his hatchlings); and "Exploration and Discovery" (Tina, Tommy and the turtles). Each is illustrated with a comics-like tale and a read-aloud fable about the characters.

Other highlights include a T. rex in cutaway form: Half of it shows the metal and tubing mechanics that make it move when visitors manipulate the controls. And there's a make-your-own dino: Through the modern miracle of Velcro, you attach colorful horns, triangular scales, legs, tails and heads to a standing body of a fabric creature.

Bishop Museum has hosted a number of dino-might displays, including "Dinosaurs!" in 1990, followed by a return visit in 1995; "A T. rex named Sue" — a life-sized replica of the largest and most complete rex discovered — in 2000; "Life Through Time: From T. rex to Sabretooth" in 2002; and "The Dinosaurs of Jurassic Park: The Life and Death of Dinosaurs," also in 2002. "Reptiles: Real and Robotic," which included a dino, closed in September.

Reach Debra Yuen at dyuen@honoluluadvertiser.com.