The Trouble with Tyrannosaurus Rex

Cauley's latest picture book is an imaginative departure from the more traditional, factual genre of books on dinosaurs. She has written a story in which dinosaurs are depicted not as sterile, lifeless reptiles from the past but instead as engaging personalities possessing human characteristics and concerns. The neighborhood bully, Tyrannosaurus Rex, is terrorizing the smaller dinosaurs, making them feel helpless and miserable. But with a combination of courage, brains and teamwork, they scheme to teach Tyrannosaurus Rex a lesson. The dinosaurs catch Rex off guard and take advantage of his clumsiness, knocking him down and hurling mud in his eyes. Shamed, Rex retreats into the woods and is never seen by the other dinosaurs again. The colorful, muted pastel illustrations feature dinosaurs with animated facial expressions. The last page provides simple dinosaur illustrations, accompanied by phonetic spellings of each name. Ages 4-8. (April)