Party Rex

February 1, 2024
Preschool-Grade 1 It's time for a dinosaur birthday bash! In this latest installment of Idle's ongoing series, Rex is turning a year older, and everyone is invited. After a (human) sister and brother arrive for the celebration, the book acts as a step-by-step guide to party etiquette. The children greet the celebrant, join the throng of dinosaur guests, and help themselves to just one party favor and hat, though readers will be amused to note that the stegosaurus has taken a hat for each plate on its back. Games are played, songs are sung, cake is devoured, and all of the attendees go merrily on their way, eager for the next birthday. The slight story is inviting and instructive, and while most children may not be mingling with dinosaurs, the book will be particularly helpful for a child anxious about attending an upcoming event. Immensely appealing Prismacolor pencil illustrations glow with vivid colors and good cheer, and enormous dinosaurs in tiny hats can't help but delight. Don't forget to RSVP to this prehistoric party with plenty of panache.

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February 1, 2024
Learn the ins and outs of birthday party etiquette with two young kids and their prehistoric pack of pals. Reprising a familiar cast with more sage advice, this time on how to behave politely at a birthday, the story reads charmingly like an old-school advice handbook. Youngsters who might be anxious about attending a birthday bash will find timeless, clear advice like "thank your host for a wonderful time" to be legitimately helpful. A blond child with an unfailingly positive spirit, whom readers will recognize from previous titles, makes an excellent guide, even when the massive, childlike dinosaurs make a few faux pas. Drawn in glowing Prismacolor pencils, the vintage-inspired, sherbet-colored illustrations have a warmth and effervescence just right for afternoon festivities. Light touches, including a stegosaurus hogging a few too many party hats, are whimsical and cheekily demonstrate what not to do. At points, though, the friendly, oversized dinosaurs are so big that it can be difficult to decipher the action. Many gags, such as Rex trying a little too hard to blow out all the candles, will inspire giggling. An emotionally resonant ending, in which the protagonist's younger sibling gives Rex a teddy bear, is a Jurassic highlight. Both children are light-skinned. Warm and silly: a perfectly pleasant party. (Picture book. 4-8)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 29, 2024

PreS-Gr 2-It's time for a posh birthday party with the dinosaur gang! In an Emily-Post-for-the-preschool-set, readers are addressed as "you" while two white siblings, one with blond hair and the other a redhead, plus dinosaur friends from other titles in this series, are together again to celebrate a birthday. A tongue-in-cheek primer on how to behave at birthday parties, Party Rex, like Idle's Tea Rex and Sea Rex, is aimed squarely at affluent, able-bodied children. In keeping with Idle's formula, the humor is in the dichotomy between the elegant directives issued by the narrator and the visual antics of the children and dinosaurs. Idle's eye for form and her ability to draw movement with colored pencils shows up again in her remarkable lines and composition. This veteran's undeniable talent for illustration remains evident, and her ability to expand representation shows growth in the last spread that encourages readers to behave how they want others to behave "at YOUR birthday party!" It's just unfortunate that children who do not have pink skin have to wait to the very last spread to find themselves reflected in this gathering. The energy of the party scene practically bounces off the page and may remind readers of Sendak's wild rumpus. VERDICT The same audiences who enjoyed Idle's other books will find more to love here. A visual treat to accompany reminders around birthday party behaviors mixed with dinosaur silliness.-Jessica Fenster-Sparber

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