Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
For any child, there's little worse than having a pet die-unless, of course, one gets a dinosaur in return. After Ely's golden retriever, Tommy, is hit and killed by a car, the heartbroken 10-year-old befriends a wayward Tyrannosaurus rex while staying on his grandfather's farm for the summer. At first, it's a dream come true and a much-needed pick-me-up, but the town soon labels the predator a menace, forcing Ely to train his T. rex or risk losing another pet. To make matters worse, a local bully is targeting Ely. Expanding on a story previously published in 2004, TenNapel (Cardboard) doesn't let logic get in the way of a good time (Rex devours a herd of cattle, but doesn't go after humans-and the dino is great at farm work, too), and he isn't afraid to follow up a heartstrings-tugging moment with a poop joke. It's a premise worthy of a loony Saturday morning cartoon, complete with bulgy-eyed characters that nearly bounce off the full-color pages, but underlying the fun is a potent and affecting story about facing death and growing up. Ages 9-12. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-5-The king of the offbeat graphic novel is back with a mixture of adventure, drama, and comedy. After the death of his dog, Tommy, Ely's parents send him to live on his grandfather's farm for the summer. There, he stumbles upon a Tyrannosaurus rex in a nearby cave. When the dino damages a home, the townspeople call for "Tommysaurus Rex" to be removed. Ely and his grandpa make a deal with the mayor-pay off the damages and train Tommysaurus or he goes. The story begins fairly realistically, then makes a big jump when Ely discovers the T. rex, requiring a pretty hearty suspension of disbelief. Happiness, sadness, fear-emotions are on full blast from the start. TenNapel knows how to add some edge that delights kids, but the envelope-pushing might make some adult readers squirm a bit. Themes of life and death are handled well, but may occasionally reach over the heads of some readers. The kinetic, full-color artwork is full of expression and will appeal to children. Unpredictable and engaging, this will be a popular pick for reluctant readers and graphic-novel fans.-Travis Jonker, Wayland Union Schools, MI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
When Ely's dog is hit by a car and killed, Ely finds an unlikely replacement pet: a Tyrannosaurus rex. As Ely trains the dinosaur, he learns a little about himself, too. The premise sounds like a romp, but this graphic novel has surprising depth. Like the narrative, the detailed panel illustrations show a mix of emotion and goofiness. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
