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Rory the Dinosaur #2

Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet

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In this companion to Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad, Rory learns that sometimes the things you're looking for are actually looking for you!

When Rory meets his friend Sheldon's pet crab, he realizes he wants a pet of his own. He searches high and low—from tree tops to sand pits—for a creature to love. At the end of the day, when Rory least expects it, he meets George. Liz Climo celebrates the bond between child and pet with her adorable, deceptively simple illustrations in this timeless story of a child's quest for companionship.

Don't Miss!: Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad, Rory the Dinosaur Needs a Christmas Tree

34 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 2016

3 people are currently reading
144 people want to read

About the author

Liz Climo

33 books370 followers

Liz Climo grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles after college to work as a character artist on The Simpsons. She started a comic blog, LizClimo.tumblr.com, where Rory and his dad first appeared in 2012. Liz currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Colin, and their daughter, Marlow.

Liz Climo is a character artist for The Simpsons TV series and has worked on The Lebrons and Seth Macfarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy. She also the author of Le Petit Monde de Liz, a comic collection published in France as well as a forthcoming children’s book. She lives in Los Angeles.

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5 stars
106 (24%)
4 stars
165 (38%)
3 stars
120 (28%)
2 stars
33 (7%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
7,356 reviews282 followers
August 1, 2020
The story starts out cute enough as the little dinosaur decides to search for a pet, but his selection in the end is just too nutty for me.
Profile Image for Abigail.
7,970 reviews264 followers
November 25, 2018
Rory the little dinosaur returns in this follow-up to Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad , this time finding, after a play date with his friends, that he really wants a pet of his own. Walking home, he sees a variety of creatures who might make pets, but there is always a hindrance, whether it be unwillingness to perform that role (the turtle), or being out of Rory's reach (the jungle animals). Then, when all seems hopeless, a coconut falls at his feet...

Like its predecessor, Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet pairs simple but appealing cartoon-style illustrations with a sweet story, one in which the eponymous prehistoric hero undergoes a common childhood experience - in this case, wanting a pet - and manages to resolve it happily. I'm not sure that I'm convinced that a coconut makes for the best pet, but I guess if Rory's happy, who am I to quibble? Recommended to Liz Climo fans, and to anyone who read and enjoyed the first story about Rory the dinosaur.
Profile Image for Shannon .
2,375 reviews160 followers
January 19, 2020
Rory the Dinosaur Wants a Pet

I Picked Up This Book Because: Liz Climo binge

The Story:

Really cute. I liked Rory more in this book than in the last. Definitely going to have to buy these for my niece and nephew when they are past their “tear all paper” stage.

The Random Thoughts:

#LibraryLoveChallenge

4 Stars
Profile Image for Laura.
331 reviews
January 3, 2019
This was an unexpected fun short read. Great kids book!
Profile Image for Brona's Books.
515 reviews97 followers
December 21, 2017
It's hard not to love Rory and his dad.

Their simple lives, so delicately drawn by Climo, are genuinely touching and heartwarming but Rory comes across as being a little bit too simple in this story about finding a pet.

I wasn't sure whether I wanted to laugh or cry at Rory's solution to the pet problem. Perhaps his dad's helicoptering parenting style (as seen in the first book) isn't allowing Rory to make good choices for himself?

The solution is clever and tragic at the same time.

Making do, compromise and acceptance are all good traits to develop, but some better decision making skills might help Rory achieve his goals.

I know, I know, it's a picture book for kids, right?
But I'm weirdly that invested in Rory and his dad, that I want things to turn out okay for both of them. I sincerely hope Climo is writing and illustrating book four as we speak!
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,330 reviews183 followers
September 19, 2016
After play with his friend Hank's new pet, Rory decides he wants a pet too. He looks around for a pet, but can't find one. Just when he's about to give up, though, a pet finds him.

Parents who don't want all the work of a real pet will love the pet Rory finds. It is a coconut. It's very low maintenance and Rory loves it. A cute story with an unexpected solution. Pair this one with Sophie's Squash for a compare/contrast activity about kids who love an edible friend.
Profile Image for Christina.
1,616 reviews
September 30, 2023
2.5 stars. I love Liz Climo’s cartoons, and I thought the first book in this series had a similar style as the illustrations add another level to the story. I think she tried with this one, but it just felt a bit too cliche in terms of plotting. It has the whole talk to various animal, none of whom is the right one that has been around for decades, and then the repetition as Rory does the same things with his new pet as his friend did. I guess the humor is supposed to be in the pet he chooses, but it’s too subtle.
959 reviews3 followers
January 17, 2018
I must admit that I think a coconut makes a strange pet; I'm getting major Castaway vibes, but I guess I had a pet rock as a child so maybe kids would be into a pet coconut these days. I loved the page where Rory asks if another creature wants to be a pet because a) it's important to ask for consent and b) we should consider if animals would be happy as our pet. Many creatures aren't happy as pets, such as foxes or tigers, and often end up at rescues.
Profile Image for Heydi Smith.
3,198 reviews9 followers
September 3, 2017
Honestly, I never picked up this book because the illustrations just don't appeal to me. My co- worker handed it to me and said you've got to read this. She was right! This book is amazingly cute. A definite storytime read.
26 reviews
September 5, 2019
This was a fun story to read for two reasons. First, it took me back to when I was a kid and wanting a new pet. Secondly, Rory reminded me of my kids, they are always wanting a new pet. It was great that Rory's friend had a hermit crab because we have two.
Profile Image for skcocnaH.
2,090 reviews7 followers
August 17, 2021
I really love Liz Climo’s simple illustrations. The idea that a kid can take a coconut and turn it into a pet is really cute. My only complaint and why I took a star off is because the type hierarchy was confusing sometimes.
Profile Image for Steph.
5,386 reviews84 followers
November 9, 2017
He names him GEORGE! Like my puppy George! And he has red and white striped pajamas, like my puppy does!

Oh, and I completely adore everything Liz Climo does, so there's that.
Profile Image for Katrina Clohessy.
364 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2018
Cute, funny story about a little dinosaur who has trouble finding a pet of his own, until a coconut "finds" instead and becomes his new pet.
Bright, comic-style illustrations.
1,897 reviews9 followers
March 18, 2020
The comic-strip style artwork is adorable! I'll be reading all of these!
252 reviews1 follower
February 15, 2022
Just plain fun. Good storytime or laptime book for ages 3-7. Rory looks everywhere for a pet but a pet finds him--a coconut! They play on the teeter totter, play dress up, have bathtime.
Profile Image for Melissa.
569 reviews9 followers
September 11, 2022
Cute. Maybe a bit long for storytime but could skip a page or two.
Profile Image for Sheila.
478 reviews109 followers
October 18, 2022
An animal wanted another animal to be his pet... kinda felt like....... slavery.............

Thankfully a coconut saved the day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Christine Grant.
1,951 reviews10 followers
November 9, 2022
Dinosaur Storytime

Rory wants a pet and is very excited when one follows him home. Turns out that the pet is a coconut, and he is delighted!
Profile Image for Pam.
9,815 reviews54 followers
January 16, 2023
Rory finds an interesting pet who mostly does what he wants it to do. Humorous take on pets and relationships.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews

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