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Where's Rex: A Story about Friendship and Teamwork
Rex loves to explore, go on adventures, and discover surprises. Unfortunately for him, his latest escapade has become one sticky and scary predicament.
Rex is literally stuck in the muck. He’s trapped with no way to free himself. Thankfully, he does have a caring group of dino-buddies who look out for one another. When Rex doesn’t return home, Dac (a persistent Pterodactyl) and Steg (a headstrong Stegosaurus) set out to find him.
The two ask everyone they meet if they’ve seen Rex. Ig says he saw Rex at the bridge. But he’s not there anymore. Anky claims to have seen him by the waterfall. But nope! He’s not anywhere around there. Rex isn’t at the cave or the canyon either.
Where could he be?
With simple sentences and richly colored illustrations, young and beginning readers are taken on a quest that involves much more than a rescue. It is a tale filled with life lessons about teamwork, problem solving, friendship, and gratitude.
Michael Garland is the author of the award-winning storybook Get Off My Lawn! and is the author and illustrator of Widgets Go Walking and Zombie Phone Kids. He has had multiple books on the New York Times bestseller list.
Rex is literally stuck in the muck. He’s trapped with no way to free himself. Thankfully, he does have a caring group of dino-buddies who look out for one another. When Rex doesn’t return home, Dac (a persistent Pterodactyl) and Steg (a headstrong Stegosaurus) set out to find him.
The two ask everyone they meet if they’ve seen Rex. Ig says he saw Rex at the bridge. But he’s not there anymore. Anky claims to have seen him by the waterfall. But nope! He’s not anywhere around there. Rex isn’t at the cave or the canyon either.
Where could he be?
With simple sentences and richly colored illustrations, young and beginning readers are taken on a quest that involves much more than a rescue. It is a tale filled with life lessons about teamwork, problem solving, friendship, and gratitude.
Michael Garland is the author of the award-winning storybook Get Off My Lawn! and is the author and illustrator of Widgets Go Walking and Zombie Phone Kids. He has had multiple books on the New York Times bestseller list.
31 pages, Paperback
Published January 27, 2024
About the author
Michael Garland
159 books34 followersAuthor and illustrator Michael Garland was born in Manhattan in 1952. He studied art at Pratt Institute and soon after graduating, he sold his first illustration to True Confessions magazine. He has written or illustrated over 40 books.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 27, 2023
I received a free copy of, Where's Rex, by Michael Garland, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Rex is a dinosaur, his dinosaur friends are looking for him. This is a cute story for kids, always tell someone where you are going, and have a great support system if you can.
October 17, 2023
I have a few grandchildren that love dinosaurs and know them by name. They would love this book about all the different dinosaurs that are good friends with Rex. I love the names that that each of these good friends have. Rex is a Tyrannosaurus Rex and his good friend Anky is an Ankylosaurs and their are 6 more. It is a clever story of friends concerned about their good friend Rex and how they worked together to get Rex out of a jam.
The illustrations are well done. A great gift for your dinosaur fan.
A special thank you to Boys Town Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
The illustrations are well done. A great gift for your dinosaur fan.
A special thank you to Boys Town Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
January 16, 2026
This is a NetGalley arc review and I would like to thank the author for this opportunity.
Owning My Space is an accessible and reassuring guide that helps teens understand and set healthy physical, emotional, and digital boundaries. Using relatable examples, reflection questions, and practical activities, the book empowers young readers to recognize boundary-crossing behavior and respond with confidence. A helpful resource for teens navigating relationships, school life, and online spaces.
Written in an approachable, down-to-earth tone, the book addresses real situations teens encounter at school, at home, with friends, and online. It does a particularly strong job of helping readers recognize when something doesn’t feel right and offering practical language and strategies for responding in healthy, assertive ways. The inclusion of physical, emotional, and digital boundaries makes the content feel current and relevant, especially in the context of social media and online interactions.
The reflection questions and hands-on activities encourage self-awareness without feeling overwhelming or preachy. Rather than framing boundaries as rules or restrictions, the book consistently presents them as tools for emotional well-being, self-respect, and meaningful relationships. This framing makes the message accessible and affirming for middle-grade and teen readers.
This would be a valuable resource for teens, parents, educators, and counselors looking to support young people in developing communication skills, emotional literacy, and a stronger sense of personal agency. Overall, Owning My Space is a thoughtful and practical guide that meets teens where they are and equips them with skills they can use immediately.
Owning My Space is an accessible and reassuring guide that helps teens understand and set healthy physical, emotional, and digital boundaries. Using relatable examples, reflection questions, and practical activities, the book empowers young readers to recognize boundary-crossing behavior and respond with confidence. A helpful resource for teens navigating relationships, school life, and online spaces.
Written in an approachable, down-to-earth tone, the book addresses real situations teens encounter at school, at home, with friends, and online. It does a particularly strong job of helping readers recognize when something doesn’t feel right and offering practical language and strategies for responding in healthy, assertive ways. The inclusion of physical, emotional, and digital boundaries makes the content feel current and relevant, especially in the context of social media and online interactions.
The reflection questions and hands-on activities encourage self-awareness without feeling overwhelming or preachy. Rather than framing boundaries as rules or restrictions, the book consistently presents them as tools for emotional well-being, self-respect, and meaningful relationships. This framing makes the message accessible and affirming for middle-grade and teen readers.
This would be a valuable resource for teens, parents, educators, and counselors looking to support young people in developing communication skills, emotional literacy, and a stronger sense of personal agency. Overall, Owning My Space is a thoughtful and practical guide that meets teens where they are and equips them with skills they can use immediately.
December 5, 2023
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review this book!
5/5 stars - Dino-mite!
I dove into the prehistoric world of this delightful picture book with my dino-obsessed 3-year-old, and let me tell you, it was a roaring success!
My little one, who can barely pronounce "spaghetti" but knows every dinosaur by heart, was absolutely hooked. The storyline about Rex, the adventurous T-Rex, going missing had him on the edge of his kiddie seat. He was genuinely concerned when Rex's friends set off on a quest to find him.
What really stole the show were the nicknames given to the dinosaurs based on their scientific names. My son, being the tiny paleontologist he is, insisted on calling the triceratops "ceratops" – and he made sure I got it right every time we read the book. It's the small victories, right?
The book is a cute exploration of friendship and teamwork. As the dinosaurs dash around seeking Rex, be prepared for your little reader to jump up and join the search party. The climax, where they find Rex in a sticky situation (literally, in a tar pit), had my son giggling and pointing at the funny illustration.
The best part? The story wraps up with all the dino friends rallying together to rescue Rex. The teamwork theme hit home, and my son loved the camaraderie among the dinosaurs.
In the end, we not only enjoyed a tale of prehistoric friendship but also added one more book to our bedtime stories pile. Trust me, if your kiddo dreams of dinosaurs, this book is a must-have!
5/5 stars - Dino-mite!
I dove into the prehistoric world of this delightful picture book with my dino-obsessed 3-year-old, and let me tell you, it was a roaring success!
My little one, who can barely pronounce "spaghetti" but knows every dinosaur by heart, was absolutely hooked. The storyline about Rex, the adventurous T-Rex, going missing had him on the edge of his kiddie seat. He was genuinely concerned when Rex's friends set off on a quest to find him.
What really stole the show were the nicknames given to the dinosaurs based on their scientific names. My son, being the tiny paleontologist he is, insisted on calling the triceratops "ceratops" – and he made sure I got it right every time we read the book. It's the small victories, right?
The book is a cute exploration of friendship and teamwork. As the dinosaurs dash around seeking Rex, be prepared for your little reader to jump up and join the search party. The climax, where they find Rex in a sticky situation (literally, in a tar pit), had my son giggling and pointing at the funny illustration.
The best part? The story wraps up with all the dino friends rallying together to rescue Rex. The teamwork theme hit home, and my son loved the camaraderie among the dinosaurs.
In the end, we not only enjoyed a tale of prehistoric friendship but also added one more book to our bedtime stories pile. Trust me, if your kiddo dreams of dinosaurs, this book is a must-have!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and opportunity to review this book.
“Owning My Space: A Teen's Guide to Physical, Emotional, and Digital Boundaries”
4 stars
This guide starts with a story that is supposed to be an example of two teens’ relationship. The story is very “cringe” and full of sentences that will turn off any teen starting to read it, as they are so off-base compared to how teens in 2026 speak and behave. I even had my 15 yo read the story and they broke apart every paragraph, laughing the whole time. So, needless to say, I wasn’t hopeful that the rest of the book would be much different from that beginning.
BUT, it did turn the corner and has some very solid information about personal boundaries, online activities, friendships, romantic relationships, and toxic behaviors (a lot labeled “grooming” which is not necessarily that, but definitely still toxic).
This is a solid book for any life skills class or parent looking for a resource for their teen.
“Owning My Space: A Teen's Guide to Physical, Emotional, and Digital Boundaries”
4 stars
This guide starts with a story that is supposed to be an example of two teens’ relationship. The story is very “cringe” and full of sentences that will turn off any teen starting to read it, as they are so off-base compared to how teens in 2026 speak and behave. I even had my 15 yo read the story and they broke apart every paragraph, laughing the whole time. So, needless to say, I wasn’t hopeful that the rest of the book would be much different from that beginning.
BUT, it did turn the corner and has some very solid information about personal boundaries, online activities, friendships, romantic relationships, and toxic behaviors (a lot labeled “grooming” which is not necessarily that, but definitely still toxic).
This is a solid book for any life skills class or parent looking for a resource for their teen.
October 14, 2023
Thank you netgalley for the chance to review. The opinions are my own.
I read this book with my 2 year old.
This is a cute story about friendship with dinosaurs. I do think however Rex would not have this many friends because they would be his lunch. Both my son and I enjoyed this book. It was adorable and the illustrations were hilarious.
I read this book with my 2 year old.
This is a cute story about friendship with dinosaurs. I do think however Rex would not have this many friends because they would be his lunch. Both my son and I enjoyed this book. It was adorable and the illustrations were hilarious.
October 9, 2023
Cute book about dinosaurs and friendship. I don’t necessarily understand why the trex has all these friends because he’d have eaten them all but it’s cute.
December 5, 2023
This is a pretty easy read for young readers all about the missing Rex. I thought the illustrations could have been better I didn't find my 2 year old was attracted to the pictures at all.
December 7, 2023
Great for your dino loving kiddos! Mine is obsessed with this one! He loves "looking for rex" saying where is rex where did he go? Highly recommend!
March 22, 2024
This was a great story to read with my dino loving three year old. Wonderful pictures and a fun adventure! Perfect for any dino collection.
Read
May 19, 2026Oh, FFS - for the review of the book with this ISBN concerning dinosaurs, I said this - and gave it two stars, back in 2023:-
Oh, dear. This spends too much time introducing a whole host of dinosaur characters, puts one of them in trouble, immediately gets it out of trouble, the end. The plot is shoddy, the artwork is almost unsettling – and not in an uncanny valley way, either – and if you want a book to highlight friendship and cooperation, get one of millions that do it better than this.
But this ISBN is also for the book Owning My Space, which definitely deserves a write-up, for obvious reasons.
Hmmm… It would probably be best left to the professionals to rate a book like this, for while it had a lot of common sense in it I felt it had issues. The text seemed pitched very well at 'teens', encompassing probably twelve year olds up to those thinking of getting their first part-time job, and certainly had a clarity and assuredness about its information. Most chapters come with a case study of two people whose boundaries – emotional and/or physical – are or are not complying with each other's wishes, and some worksheets for us to fill in. But to suddenly ask to write a page about when someone thought of as a friend disrespected our physical boundaries, without any real warning – could that not be triggering in a really nasty way? Later questions ask in a nut-shell if we've been groomed or not, and for details. You know, the kind of details it would probably be completely nuts to write in a workbook and just potentially let others see.
In truth, I felt a lot was left off these pages – and that includes colour. Noting this is given an "edit" credit only, and we're told this was first published as something else – and that way back in 2000, apparently – the plainness of the page, with the unjustified text and many times a lump of white space to foot the page when a list was actually continuing on overleaf – gave this the feel of the plain text dump signed off by said "editor" ready for the designer, and nothing else. The box-outs for the case studies are barely noticeable; the only work on the page look is for the worksheets and the chapter headers.
So this looked cheap, and as a result felt unappealing. It doesn't need snazzy layout and copious stock photos, but this too often was a plain bullet list, and therefore lacking. Which is a shame – not a damaging problem for the reader, per se, but a shame nonetheless – for the useful content, the way every prose page seems to me to carry common sense advice and deliver it well – looks off-putting to the teen that potentially needs this, and yesterday.
I think this has a way to being a great publication – I just think it needs a rethink about what surprises it holds. I'm not virtue signalling – I react to trigger warnings the way a gymnast would to a wagyu mukbank invite – but I fear that experts might agree with me here that this might be just too risky. Until they assure me otherwise, I refuse to give this a star rating that matters.
Simply put, should you trust a publisher who uses the one and the same ISBN for two books like this? I rest my case.
Oh, dear. This spends too much time introducing a whole host of dinosaur characters, puts one of them in trouble, immediately gets it out of trouble, the end. The plot is shoddy, the artwork is almost unsettling – and not in an uncanny valley way, either – and if you want a book to highlight friendship and cooperation, get one of millions that do it better than this.
But this ISBN is also for the book Owning My Space, which definitely deserves a write-up, for obvious reasons.
Hmmm… It would probably be best left to the professionals to rate a book like this, for while it had a lot of common sense in it I felt it had issues. The text seemed pitched very well at 'teens', encompassing probably twelve year olds up to those thinking of getting their first part-time job, and certainly had a clarity and assuredness about its information. Most chapters come with a case study of two people whose boundaries – emotional and/or physical – are or are not complying with each other's wishes, and some worksheets for us to fill in. But to suddenly ask to write a page about when someone thought of as a friend disrespected our physical boundaries, without any real warning – could that not be triggering in a really nasty way? Later questions ask in a nut-shell if we've been groomed or not, and for details. You know, the kind of details it would probably be completely nuts to write in a workbook and just potentially let others see.
In truth, I felt a lot was left off these pages – and that includes colour. Noting this is given an "edit" credit only, and we're told this was first published as something else – and that way back in 2000, apparently – the plainness of the page, with the unjustified text and many times a lump of white space to foot the page when a list was actually continuing on overleaf – gave this the feel of the plain text dump signed off by said "editor" ready for the designer, and nothing else. The box-outs for the case studies are barely noticeable; the only work on the page look is for the worksheets and the chapter headers.
So this looked cheap, and as a result felt unappealing. It doesn't need snazzy layout and copious stock photos, but this too often was a plain bullet list, and therefore lacking. Which is a shame – not a damaging problem for the reader, per se, but a shame nonetheless – for the useful content, the way every prose page seems to me to carry common sense advice and deliver it well – looks off-putting to the teen that potentially needs this, and yesterday.
I think this has a way to being a great publication – I just think it needs a rethink about what surprises it holds. I'm not virtue signalling – I react to trigger warnings the way a gymnast would to a wagyu mukbank invite – but I fear that experts might agree with me here that this might be just too risky. Until they assure me otherwise, I refuse to give this a star rating that matters.
Simply put, should you trust a publisher who uses the one and the same ISBN for two books like this? I rest my case.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews