The Christmasaurus

In this quirky Christmas outing, William Trundle—a dinosaur enthusiast who is being teased by a bully because he uses a wheelchair—requests a real dinosaur from Santa. Luckily, a prologue explains, a single frozen dinosaur egg happens to have survived. Santa’s elves dig it up in the North Pole, and Santa reluctantly agrees to sit atop it (his “bum” is the only one big enough). Out hatches Christmasaurus: in Devries’s charming, grayscale art, the dino appears as a friendly creature with horns and a featherlike fringe around his neck. Christmasaurus—who doesn’t feel like he fits in among the elves, reindeer, and Santa—accidentally hitches a ride on the sleigh. Readers will guess that Christmasaurus and William are destined for one another—but first, a dastardly villain with a pipe and a pup intervenes. Making his middle grade debut, songwriter Fletcher offers a goofy-humored fantasy about differences, friendship, and holiday magic. Ages 8–12. [em](Oct.) [/em]