Hi there!
Welcome back to the special Christmas Eve edition of Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.
Well, we did it. We made it all the way to Christmas Eve and managed to stay on the GOOD LIST...right? *looks around* Okay, well I did at least, here's hoping you did or I suppose you'll be finding coal tomorrow when you wake up? Anywho, it's the eve before the big day and what better way to celebrate it than with some prehistoric fellas from back in the day! Am I right? Of course I am! So, let's get right into the thick of things and welcome today's Picture Book of choice...
by
Jim Harris
9781589808508
About the book...
It’s Christmas Eve and Dad is up late, testing a game for his son. A sudden ruckus outside brings him to his feet, and when he looks into the sky, he can hardly believe his eyes. Eight gigantic dinosaurs are pulling a strange UFO across the sky!
It isn’t long before this night before Christmas turns into a nightmare. The ferocious dinosaurs—Smasher, Splinter, Crusher, Fang, Biter, Slang, Stomper and a mean, mighty T-Rex dressed like an evil St. Nick—soon start destroying the neighborhood, gobbling up the presents, and ruining Christmas.
When Dad meets the real Santa Claus, the two of them, along with some pretty amazing bubble gum, a powerful video gun, and some surprise helpers, engage in one epic battle to save Christmas. Imaginatively detailed illustrations from award-winning Jim Harris turn this hilarious and fantastic Christmas story into a larger-than-life Jurassic adventure.
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To say this is a Christmas Eve read of prehistoric proportions would be a bit of an understatement but we've got to start somewhere now don't we?
Definitely not what I was expecting going in. Here I am, seeing this cover with a jolly looking (humor me, that was MY impression!) T-Rex donning a Santa hat and wreath thinking...this is going to be so cute! A prehistoric Christmas! Something for the boys and girls enamored with these reptilian giants from our past! Yeah..... that was me; suckered in by a cover of joy. Little did I know what those toothy grin was REALLY hiding. *-*
Now that's not to say I didn't have a blast because I did...just not the way I imagined I would be. Think Jurassic Park meets The Santa Clause and you'll get something close to this adventure. In semi-classic meter and rhyme, we have the poem we know turned on its head with an ear-splitting twist! Hey, I couldn't have been the only one that was trying to clear their ears after the T-Rex roar....still trying to in fact. It seems St. Nick was answering a good child's wish and inadvertently unleashed chaos in a MASSIVE multiple-thousand-pounds sorta way. I won't go into too many details because the surprises are half the fun but let's just say that the little guy comes out on top saving the say, Christmas, and the little BIG guy in red all at once!
Recommended read for all ages, shapes, sizes, and species. Take away lessons...
Never underestimate the little guy...
Santa is one crafty dude....
...and even the most well-mannered, behaving children in the world must hear NO now and again, especially if it avoids a face to face meeting that could land one of them the role of "toothpick".
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About the author/illustrator...
Award-winning illustrator Jim Harris has delighted audiences of all ages with his eye-popping artwork. Among his many accolades are the prestigious Society of Illustrators silver medal and the Communication Arts’ Award of Excellence. Children’s Television Workshop, IBM, and the National Wildlife Federation are among the many organizations and private collectors that have commissioned Harris’s artwork. Harris is the illustrator of Librarian’s Night Before Christmas and Tuesday in Arizona, and the author and illustrator of The Three Little Dinosaurs, all available from Pelican. He resides in Nelson, New Zealand.
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Special thanks to the Pelican Publishing team for the copy for review. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, or their complete catalog, feel free to click through the links provided above. This title is available now via Pelican Publishing, so be on the lookout for it on a bookstore shelf or virtual retailer of your choosing.
Until next time...happy reading!
Joyous holidays to you and yours and a blessed New Year Many thanks to Gina for all the hard work and informative reviews hope for more
ReplyDeleteA mean T-Rex dressed like an evil St. Nick, some amazing bubble gum - ooh I do like the sound of this.
ReplyDeleteWishing you and yours all the best. Here's hoping 2016 is good to you.