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T-Rex Trying: The Unfortunate Trials of the Tyrant Lizard King by Hugh Murphy
Poor T-Rex. It’s hard to be the Lizard King when you can’t even change a light bulb.Drawn from Hugh Murphy’s wildly popular Tumblr feed of the same name, T-Rex Trying depicts the stubby-armed tyrant in a range of hilarious—yet pathos-inducing—activities that we humans take for granted. Murphy’s 100 drawings T-Rex Trying to Paint His HouseT-Rex Trying to Use a Drive-Through ATMT-Rex Trying to Apply SunscreenT-Rex Trying to Break Into a Vending MachineT-Rex Trying to Ask for a New Roll of Toilet Paper from the Next StallLooks like the ancient beast isn’t so tough after all.
Hardcover
First published November 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
June 18, 2020
why have i been reviewing so many of these silly little books lately?
i am so glad you asked, imaginary interviewer! this whole week i have been struggling through The Abominable, not because it is bad, but because i have been so busy at/exhausted from work and i miss my daily review-writing regimen, plus goodreads has been so gloomy lately, we need a little fun, plus-plus - holiday season is upon us and who doesn't like giving/getting books like this for holiday? no one! except those poor humorless bastards who turn their nose up at anything that even smells like entertainment over intellectual rigor. to you, i thumb my adorable nose. get over your damn selves and LOOK AT THIS T-REX TRYING TO DO THINGS!
90% of the jokes are "the t rex has short arms that prevent him from doing things we take for granted!" but it never gets old!
look at this t-rex trying to put on a cardigan!
(the paper in this book is absurdly thin, so try not to be peeking ahead!)
look at this t-rex trying to clean his ears with a q-tip!
look at this t-rex trying to paint his house!
look at this t-rex trying to get the prize out of a cereal box!! his face is so sad!
look at this t-rex trying to use water wings!!
look at this t-rex trying to do a trust fall!
look at this t-rex trying to build a ship in a bottle!! cranky!!
look at this t-rex trying to ride a horse!! hahaha his arms have nothing to do with his predicament!
look at this t-rex trying to hang glide!
look at this enthusiastic t-rex trying to play red rover!
look at this t-rex trying to win at an auction!! so sad!!
jason - look at this t-rex trying to hang curtains!
look at this t-rex trying to be king of the world!
look at this t-rex trying to cross his arms in discontent!! this would be the thing i would miss most if i were a t-rex.
look at this t-rex trying to start a lawn mower! and look at that callback!
and, finally, look at this t-rex trying to use sunscreen!! awwwwww!
i love this t-rex so much!! he tries to do so many other things! but don't take my word for it!!
come to my blog!
i am so glad you asked, imaginary interviewer! this whole week i have been struggling through The Abominable, not because it is bad, but because i have been so busy at/exhausted from work and i miss my daily review-writing regimen, plus goodreads has been so gloomy lately, we need a little fun, plus-plus - holiday season is upon us and who doesn't like giving/getting books like this for holiday? no one! except those poor humorless bastards who turn their nose up at anything that even smells like entertainment over intellectual rigor. to you, i thumb my adorable nose. get over your damn selves and LOOK AT THIS T-REX TRYING TO DO THINGS!
90% of the jokes are "the t rex has short arms that prevent him from doing things we take for granted!" but it never gets old!
look at this t-rex trying to put on a cardigan!
(the paper in this book is absurdly thin, so try not to be peeking ahead!)
look at this t-rex trying to clean his ears with a q-tip!
look at this t-rex trying to paint his house!
look at this t-rex trying to get the prize out of a cereal box!! his face is so sad!
look at this t-rex trying to use water wings!!
look at this t-rex trying to do a trust fall!
look at this t-rex trying to build a ship in a bottle!! cranky!!
look at this t-rex trying to ride a horse!! hahaha his arms have nothing to do with his predicament!
look at this t-rex trying to hang glide!
look at this enthusiastic t-rex trying to play red rover!
look at this t-rex trying to win at an auction!! so sad!!
jason - look at this t-rex trying to hang curtains!
look at this t-rex trying to be king of the world!
look at this t-rex trying to cross his arms in discontent!! this would be the thing i would miss most if i were a t-rex.
look at this t-rex trying to start a lawn mower! and look at that callback!
and, finally, look at this t-rex trying to use sunscreen!! awwwwww!
i love this t-rex so much!! he tries to do so many other things! but don't take my word for it!!
come to my blog!
March 4, 2025
If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
I have no grand gripe with gimmicks, but a run on joke is a jest. A one-trick T-Rex attempting things that only those with longer arms, smaller heads, and bigger brains can do is doomed to become an act that will delight only audiences who have never seen it, and then only for an evening.
Poor Tyrannosaurus, titan of an era, the last of his kind, can’t get roles in Jurassic Park movies due to CGI, and must now perform as a fool, failing at tasks his esteemed kind had no need to perform. My sympathies, carnivorous comrade.
I have no grand gripe with gimmicks, but a run on joke is a jest. A one-trick T-Rex attempting things that only those with longer arms, smaller heads, and bigger brains can do is doomed to become an act that will delight only audiences who have never seen it, and then only for an evening.
Poor Tyrannosaurus, titan of an era, the last of his kind, can’t get roles in Jurassic Park movies due to CGI, and must now perform as a fool, failing at tasks his esteemed kind had no need to perform. My sympathies, carnivorous comrade.
December 2, 2023
With his little arms - all the things he has problems doing - will make you smile! You would think that life would be wonderful as a T-Rex; top of the food chain and all - but when you have little arms there are many things that become very challenging! Really fun book that any dino lover will enjoy very much!
September 21, 2014
I'm wavering between 2.5-3 stars on this. It's a cute, amusing little book. Some of the images made me laugh out loud but some I passed by without much of a reaction.
I wonder if this is because I'd seen a lot of the images before and was very familiar with the blog (T-Rex Trying started out as a Tumblr blog), so the novelty factor wasn't there for me. I do remember the first time I came across the blog and some of the images, I couldn't stop laughing. The t. rex's tiny arms are a joke for eternity.
[This is despite recent research that shows that the dinosaur probably didn't even need its arms for anything because its neck was powerful enough to do all the work when it came to, you know, rippingyou its food to shreds.]
And I will never not crack up over this:
Okay, so my rating might be a bit unfair to this book. But you have my reasons. I would definitely recommend this book if you haven't heard of the concept before (and I'd probably have rated it higher myself if that had been the case with my reading). And really, if you can't laugh at this, then we can't be friends:
I wonder if this is because I'd seen a lot of the images before and was very familiar with the blog (T-Rex Trying started out as a Tumblr blog), so the novelty factor wasn't there for me. I do remember the first time I came across the blog and some of the images, I couldn't stop laughing. The t. rex's tiny arms are a joke for eternity.
[This is despite recent research that shows that the dinosaur probably didn't even need its arms for anything because its neck was powerful enough to do all the work when it came to, you know, ripping
And I will never not crack up over this:
Okay, so my rating might be a bit unfair to this book. But you have my reasons. I would definitely recommend this book if you haven't heard of the concept before (and I'd probably have rated it higher myself if that had been the case with my reading). And really, if you can't laugh at this, then we can't be friends:
January 30, 2013
An unsolicited copy of this showed up at my house and, ordinarily, I review unsolicited books when I can and don't give them priority. With my current schedule, had this not been a picture book, it would not have gotten reviewed so soon. However, it is a picture book, and it's about a dinosaur, so there really was no reason not to go ahead and read it.
T-Rex Trying is pretty much exactly what it sounds and looks like. It's a T-Rex trying to do various mundane tasks that humans can accomplish with ease. For the most part, he finds them quite difficult for four reasons: his massive size, his taste for creatures, his intimidating appearance, or his tiny little arms. Basically, if you are endlessly amused by the following gif, you will snort with laughter at T-Rex Trying:
There are various samples of these on the internet, so I'll share a couple of my favorites:
Some of the pictures reference others. On the first page, the T-Rex tries to paint his house, and here, you can still see his attempt in the background. Don't you just feel bad for the poor guy? At least until you see the ones where he's eaten the horse he was trying to ride or the flock of sheep he was watching over...
In his mind, he has the most muscular arms. He can do anything. Very cute.
There may be nothing happier than that T-Rex having finally found a wheeled vehicle he can ride. Just look at him go!
T-Rex Trying is good for a laugh, for children and adults alike.
T-Rex Trying is pretty much exactly what it sounds and looks like. It's a T-Rex trying to do various mundane tasks that humans can accomplish with ease. For the most part, he finds them quite difficult for four reasons: his massive size, his taste for creatures, his intimidating appearance, or his tiny little arms. Basically, if you are endlessly amused by the following gif, you will snort with laughter at T-Rex Trying:
There are various samples of these on the internet, so I'll share a couple of my favorites:
Some of the pictures reference others. On the first page, the T-Rex tries to paint his house, and here, you can still see his attempt in the background. Don't you just feel bad for the poor guy? At least until you see the ones where he's eaten the horse he was trying to ride or the flock of sheep he was watching over...
In his mind, he has the most muscular arms. He can do anything. Very cute.
There may be nothing happier than that T-Rex having finally found a wheeled vehicle he can ride. Just look at him go!
T-Rex Trying is good for a laugh, for children and adults alike.
August 16, 2018
With such short arms, being a T-rex can be hard. This book is filled with illustrations of a T-rex trying to do things that are impossible to do with short arms. The illustrations are really funny. My kids liked the illustration of a T-rex trying to do horseback riding. Basically, the T-rex is just eating the horse. I'm afraid that my kids have a dark sense of humor. The nice thing about this book is that kids and adults can both enjoy it.
February 12, 2013
Love it! Hugh Murphy's T-Rex is laugh-out-loud funny, great to share with friends, and always puts a smile on my face. Worth picking up and keeping as a coffee table book.
December 26, 2017
LOLed... a lot :D
January 22, 2023
Pretty funny. And even endearing.
Read
November 2, 2023Jakie to było słodkie 🦖
July 6, 2015
It is very dangerous to read this book while invigilating a class test: one could be quite disruptive while the students are trying their best! Murphy's visual jokes are beyond funny. In this amusing, irreverent way he makes me consider the plight of disabled people in our society, although I don't think he intended his jokes to have such a deep social impact. Amidst all the failures (T-Rex trying to pull the rip-cord on his parachute ...) the tiny (literally!) successes are part of the fun.
Murphy se visuele grappies oor die arme enorme T-Rex wat met sy superkort armpies sukkel om in die moderne lewe reg te kom, laat my kliphard lag - en 'n bietjie nadink.
Murphy se visuele grappies oor die arme enorme T-Rex wat met sy superkort armpies sukkel om in die moderne lewe reg te kom, laat my kliphard lag - en 'n bietjie nadink.
February 7, 2013
I received this on my door step today, I won this with goodreads giveaways. This afternoon I needed to take some.... "alone time" on the golden throne, and this was my companion. I had so many emotions during the absorption of this book, most I don't want to have while on the pooper. I laughed, I cried, I felt entirely sad for the t-rex... but it ended on a high note... bada chhhh! ( ... get it? get it?) This book has rightfully become a permanent fixture in my bathroom, for all to enjoy while doing their business.
December 29, 2013
So funny that I laughed out loud on every page! This series of 1 page comics features T-Rex trying/failing to do something modern such as painting the house or counting to five on his fingers.
Comics are black and white line drawings with highlights of red.
This is one of those books you reach for when you need a good laugh or need a little cheering up. There's nothing here kids couldn't handle, but this title appeals to adults. Great for gift giving.
Comics are black and white line drawings with highlights of red.
This is one of those books you reach for when you need a good laugh or need a little cheering up. There's nothing here kids couldn't handle, but this title appeals to adults. Great for gift giving.
February 6, 2013
This is great! Really funny to flip through, and really well done! I couldn't wait to turn to the next page and see what little adventure/misfortune was waiting for our friend. I laughed out loud so many times :)
A must read - especially if you are already a fan of the blog T-Rex Trying!
A must read - especially if you are already a fan of the blog T-Rex Trying!
February 11, 2013
Great book for kids and adults alike. A masterstroke.
February 23, 2013
I'm biased because I love dinosaurs, but still, such a unique and clever idea for a collection :)
March 13, 2013
I love exactly this kind of dumb humor! Read this in the bookstore to save myself $14 on buying!
January 19, 2015
Thoroughly hilarious!
Read
February 4, 2015The best ones are when he just eats the problem and the end.
April 12, 2016
Cute. But not laugh out loud.
November 8, 2016
Just there to make you smile and laugh...
December 29, 2016
T-Rex tries so hard
June 27, 2017
this was adorable. especially liked the one about the bicycle, the king of the world one and the one where he tries to paint.
January 18, 2018
Hahahaha. T-Rex trying to hitchhike HAHAHA. This book was very very amusing.
September 18, 2018
read this book at work today, loved it so much because it was everything i could ever want in a book that i'm going to buy it and be able to read it whenever i need to smile. 5 STARS!!!
January 23, 2021
I've been contemplating writing and illustrating a kids book recently. As a result I've been picking up and reading through children's books to get inspired.
What I found was, that as an adult it's really easy to read into things when really what a children's book is trying to do is tell a fun, easy to read story with a premise that is easy to digest.
On my first read I thought, "oh this is fun" A Tyranosaurus Rex trying to do simple things that are really difficult for him because he had small arms." Very simple, what more could there be to it? However, the following read I saw a narrative that was ablist and seemed to be mocking the T-rex's struggle and failed to explore the struggles of being disabled in a contemporary society.
So the difficulty I'm seeing is how do you create a narrative that is clear in its message and timeless? Maybe I just need to turn off my brain.
What I found was, that as an adult it's really easy to read into things when really what a children's book is trying to do is tell a fun, easy to read story with a premise that is easy to digest.
On my first read I thought, "oh this is fun" A Tyranosaurus Rex trying to do simple things that are really difficult for him because he had small arms." Very simple, what more could there be to it? However, the following read I saw a narrative that was ablist and seemed to be mocking the T-rex's struggle and failed to explore the struggles of being disabled in a contemporary society.
So the difficulty I'm seeing is how do you create a narrative that is clear in its message and timeless? Maybe I just need to turn off my brain.
November 12, 2021
A very cute written book. Just wanted a quick read that didn’t cause a lot of upkeep. Been a bit busy and haven’t had the time to read longer novels. I need to get back asap!
Its been hours later, and Im still thinking about T-Rex. It resigned with me that even though we are all different we try and enjoy the same things, but for some it may be more difficult to do. But the persistence builds character.
Its been hours later, and Im still thinking about T-Rex. It resigned with me that even though we are all different we try and enjoy the same things, but for some it may be more difficult to do. But the persistence builds character.
February 7, 2023
The joke got really old really fast it was cute for about two or three pages and then it just got super repetitive this is just a hard pass for me
January 30, 2023
cute krótki komiks o t-rexie który próbuje cokolwiek zrobić bshshs
April 22, 2020
Very insightful look into T-Rex's disappointing life, we're just all glad he finally was happy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews