Dogosaurus Rex

When Ben and his mom go to the animal shelter to pick out a dog, there are many choices available (shown in an illustration full of adorable canines), but "none of them were quite right." Then Ben spots a giant cage and immediately connects with the creature inside, clearly a Tyrannosaurus rex, whom he names Sadie. "'ROAR!' said Sadie, wagging her tail. 'That dog sure has a strange bark,' said Ben's mom." While everyone in town seems either too polite or too obtuse to point out that the "dog" Ben walks (using a garden-hose leash) is a dinosaur, they do notice that Sadie is unusual. There is no end of trouble while Ben struggles with the logistics of keeping Sadie, and just when Mom starts making noises about returning her to the shelter, Sadie and Ben work together as a team to stop a robber. The grateful town undergoes a paradigm shift that leaves everyone acknowledging that the usefulness of having a dinosaur around might outweigh the difficulties. Using a soft palette and a variety of spot art and spreads, the sepia-toned-pencil, watercolor, and acrylic illustrations capitalize on Sadie's size and the outrageousness of the story's plot to create added humor and pleasurable incredulity. julie roach