PreS-Gr 2—Tobias's father is a lot like other dads...well, except for the fact that he's "forty feet long and fifteen feet high," has "teeth as sharp as steak knives," weighs "as much as a steam locomotive," and is soon revealed to be a T. rex. There are advantages and disadvantages to having a dinosaur dad, but the worst is that his work keeps him so busy that he can't come to his son's big Field Day at Elmwood Elementary. But when the baseball game is almost taken over by the rough and tough Chickenbone Gang, Tyranosaurus Dad comes unexpectedly to the rescue, and soon all the kids are playing together under his firmly benevolent direction. The quirky, retro full-color illustrations are filled with details that are simply hilarious: dino dad, stuffed into a shirt and tie, delicately taps his computer keyboard; cracks the bathroom ceiling as he scrunches in to brush his teeth; and shelters kids in a rainstorm beneath his massive body. The flowing art, varying between full pages and spreads, features surprising perspectives and an inner logic that show a human boy and a dinosaur dad as a natural, loving family. This twist on a great dad/son relationship will be appreciated both as a read-along and a read-aloud and will have dinosaur lovers and dads going back for more.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Like many dads, Tobias's father works all the time; unlike other dads, Tobias's father is a (grumpy) T-rex. At Field Day, the dino dad ends up saving the day after a gang of bullies descends. The story's focus is scattered; however, the painterly illustrations of the tie-wearing, newspaper-reading, lawn-mowing suburban T-rex are almost worth the price of admission.
Be the first reader to comment.
Comment Policy:
Comment should not be empty !!!