Tommysaurus Rex

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