FICTION

My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur

illus. by Richard Fairgray & Terry Jones. 32p. Sky Pony. May 2016. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781634506328.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 2—By most standards, Wanda's family is pretty odd, but to young Wanda, they're not so strange. Except for her grandpa, who she's pretty sure is a dinosaur. He has a tail and scales, and paleontologists follow him around; he just seems to fit the bill. Thing is, no one else believes her. So, with only one option left, she asks her grandpa directly, "Are you a dinosaur?" The answer may surprise. Fairgray and Jones take the often derogatory term and repurpose it to good effect. Their portrayal is at once comical and respectful; this is one grandpa who has an active lifestyle and even rides roller coasters. Humor springs from the discrepancy between Wanda's serious inquiry and the thought of this anthropomorphized dinosaur doing such commonplace activities. The art only emphasizes this with its comical character designs, serious expressions, and sedate hues.
VERDICT Children, parents, and grandparents alike will find much to amuse them in this frankly funny picture book about perception and family.

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