Tommysaurus Rex

An enjoyable mixed bag of potty humor, insightfulness and the powerful bonds between a pet and its owner. (Graphic fantasy. 9-12)

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)

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