Ally-saurus & the First Day of School

Ally has a dinosaur alter ego, Ally-saurus; Torrey gives the girl a dinosaur T-shirt, fountainlike pigtails—and a pink, crayonlike tail and spikes, which reveal the depths of her obsession and imagination. At school, Ally discovers that her classmates’ interests are just as prominent: a group of “princesses” (whose yellow gowns and crowns are overlaid atop their school-day outfits) are initially unfriendly, while Ally finds like-minded friends in students who love spaceships, lions, and dragons. The children’s make-believe accouterments create a fun visual effect, delivering bright pops of color against Torrey’s b&w pencil drawings while simultaneously demonstrating the way children’s passions loom large in their lives. Ages 3–6. Agent: Ronnie Ann Herman, Herman Agency. (May)