Linus the Vegetarian T. Rex

PreS-Gr 2—Ruth Ann MacKenzie is a proud member of the Museum of Natural History. Confident in her extensive knowledge of dinosaurs, she is eager to explore the Cretaceous Surprises exhibit. Stepping behind a gold curtain, she meets a big blue Tyrannosaurus rex named Linus. He takes her on a tour while hunting for his lunch. To Ruth Ann's amazement, he attacks a patch of arugula, stalks some "yummy broccoli," and pounces on "a plump tomato." Linus is a vegetarian. Along the way, they greet some of his dinosaur friends. Ruth Ann wants to know why Linus isn't acting like a fierce predator until they are approached by some scary velociraptors, and he frightens them away with a convincing roar. Linus proclaims, "I'm just me-a very big, very brave, very vegetarian Tyrannosaurus rex!" Neubecker created the character of Linus after reading an article about the Falcarius utahensis, a dinosaur that evolved from a meat eater to a vegetarian. The illustrations are digitally colored India ink drawings of smiling dinos in their prehistoric habitat. Fans of the T. rex and triceratops may enjoy this title paired with The Dinosaur Museum (National Geographic, 2008) to learn more about these fascinating creatures.—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA