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Tyrabbisaurus Rex
Tyrabbisaurus Rex doesn't appreciate being locked in a cage. Sure it has three levels and is full of scrumptious veggies, but that doesn't mean he's willing to accept his fate as a classroom pet.
Ginger's not happy about the always escaping, poopy rabbit. First he chewed the dress her mom gave her. Now he keeps staring at her favorite hat. The demon bunny has got to go!
Ginger's not happy about the always escaping, poopy rabbit. First he chewed the dress her mom gave her. Now he keeps staring at her favorite hat. The demon bunny has got to go!
180 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2016
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544 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 7, 2016
Tyrabbisaurus Rex books by author A.J. Culey is very sweet and beautiful. It is a story for children about a rabbit who thinks he's a bad predator Tyrannosaurus rex. But he is anything but a dangerous predator. He is a beautiful little bunny who lives in a school classroom and loves vegetables, but also to make a mess when he escape from the cage. The story is very well written, and often I laugh at his reflection on the people and his courage. In addition to the end of the book, you can find information how to behave when you have a rabbit for a pet. I book written for primary school children, but because we are all children at heart sympathetic even adult readers. I enjoyed reading this book.
"Copy provided courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review."
"Copy provided courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review."
September 23, 2016
Tyrabbisaurus Rex, by A J. Culey, is a hilarious story about a classroom pet, a soft and cuddly rabbit that the students and their teacher call 'Cuddles'. Only thing is that, in his own mind, 'Cuddles' considers himself a mighty, ferocious Tyrabbisaurus Rex, and hates being called Cuddles; he thinks it is beneath his dignity. He also dislikes being caged and makes several escape attempts, each one resulting in considerable mayhem.
We see the events from the different viewpoints of four students - Ginger, who, at first, seems stuck-up and snobbish and preoccupied with clothes, Derek, who seems well-grounded, Maria, who is nice and worries about the rabbit not liking it in the cage, and Jonathan, who is the irreverent naughty boy of the class and thinks the rabbit is psychotic and would have preferred a cooler animal like a snake - and their teacher, Mrs. Cavitch, who, the rabbit thinks, is called Mrs. Cabbage. You get a good idea of the personalities of each child and the relationships they have with one another.
The writing is honest, not the 'talked-down-to' kind that you sometimes see in children's books, and I particularly appreciated the sensitivity shown towards the rabbit as a distinct living creature with feelings and emotions; children - and grown-ups - need to understand this.
At the end of the story, we get a brief primer on the care of rabbits, which was quite interesting and informative.
I enjoyed the book, but I have to say I have an extremely strong anathema against caging other living creatures - it just roils my stomach - I don't even like zoos, for this reason.
We see the events from the different viewpoints of four students - Ginger, who, at first, seems stuck-up and snobbish and preoccupied with clothes, Derek, who seems well-grounded, Maria, who is nice and worries about the rabbit not liking it in the cage, and Jonathan, who is the irreverent naughty boy of the class and thinks the rabbit is psychotic and would have preferred a cooler animal like a snake - and their teacher, Mrs. Cavitch, who, the rabbit thinks, is called Mrs. Cabbage. You get a good idea of the personalities of each child and the relationships they have with one another.
The writing is honest, not the 'talked-down-to' kind that you sometimes see in children's books, and I particularly appreciated the sensitivity shown towards the rabbit as a distinct living creature with feelings and emotions; children - and grown-ups - need to understand this.
At the end of the story, we get a brief primer on the care of rabbits, which was quite interesting and informative.
I enjoyed the book, but I have to say I have an extremely strong anathema against caging other living creatures - it just roils my stomach - I don't even like zoos, for this reason.
March 11, 2017
Tyrabbisaurus Rex is a hilarious book about a megalomaniac rabbit, a classroom of children, and the friendships between them all.
The story is told from the viewpoints of several different characters -- Tyrabbisaurus Rex, four of the children, and the teacher, Ms. Cavitch. While it was interesting to see the world from these viewpoints, there is a possibility that the multiple points of view would be confusing for young children. Nevertheless, each character has a unique way of seeing the world, and more advanced readers will relish the idea of getting six different perspectives.
The illustrations are colorful, fun, and absolutely adorable. I really appreciated being able to see what all the characters look like, and I'm sure young readers will, too. There are also several minority characters depicted, which is wonderful to see, especially in kidlit.
But the thing which really impressed me about this story is the emotional arc of several characters. Ginger, Maria, and Tyrabbisaurus Rex all changed distinctly over the course of the story, and the rest of the characters changed in more subtle ways. By the end, the children and the rabbit have forged new friendships, learned new things about each other, and ultimately changed their lives for the better. This is a sophistication which is not often seen in children's books, and it really sets Tyrabbisaurus Rex apart from many other books in its age bracket.
Overall, Tyrabbisaurus Rex is an excellent book for young readers. Not only is it engaging and fun, but it provides an exciting challenge for children who are looking for more advanced stories.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told from the viewpoints of several different characters -- Tyrabbisaurus Rex, four of the children, and the teacher, Ms. Cavitch. While it was interesting to see the world from these viewpoints, there is a possibility that the multiple points of view would be confusing for young children. Nevertheless, each character has a unique way of seeing the world, and more advanced readers will relish the idea of getting six different perspectives.
The illustrations are colorful, fun, and absolutely adorable. I really appreciated being able to see what all the characters look like, and I'm sure young readers will, too. There are also several minority characters depicted, which is wonderful to see, especially in kidlit.
But the thing which really impressed me about this story is the emotional arc of several characters. Ginger, Maria, and Tyrabbisaurus Rex all changed distinctly over the course of the story, and the rest of the characters changed in more subtle ways. By the end, the children and the rabbit have forged new friendships, learned new things about each other, and ultimately changed their lives for the better. This is a sophistication which is not often seen in children's books, and it really sets Tyrabbisaurus Rex apart from many other books in its age bracket.
Overall, Tyrabbisaurus Rex is an excellent book for young readers. Not only is it engaging and fun, but it provides an exciting challenge for children who are looking for more advanced stories.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2016
Though intended for children, I have to admit I had a great time reading this story. It involves the plight of a classroom rabbit, with most of the story being told from his perspective. He sees himself as incredibly fierce, despite being called Cuddles. Though he thinks himself ferocious, he is easily distracted by food, adores things that are colored purple, and poops when he is frightened. The mini adventures created in the rabbit's mind were charming, and I laughed out loud several times reading them. I also loved his nemesis, a stuffed tiger. Even with all the fun antics, there is a touching moment between the bunny and two of the children, proving that rabbits sense emotion and are most willing to provide comfort.
There are other perspectives included in the story, that of a few students and the teacher. It was interesting to view the same situation through someone else's understanding, and I think kids will relate to at least one of the young characters involved. Also included after the story is information regarding the care of a pet rabbit and the numerous responsibilities involved in keeping a pet rabbit happy and healthy. I felt that was a good addition since this story will definitely make a child want to have a rabbit for a pet.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest an unbiased review.
There are other perspectives included in the story, that of a few students and the teacher. It was interesting to view the same situation through someone else's understanding, and I think kids will relate to at least one of the young characters involved. Also included after the story is information regarding the care of a pet rabbit and the numerous responsibilities involved in keeping a pet rabbit happy and healthy. I felt that was a good addition since this story will definitely make a child want to have a rabbit for a pet.
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest an unbiased review.
June 17, 2016
This is the story of a rabbit, a classroom pet, but it is also the story of how children learn and how they form relationships with one another. It is cleverly told with each chapter from a different character’s point of view, including the rabbit’s! The story unfolds to tell the reader a variety of things, including, how to look after your rabbit, what the world may seem like from the animal’s point of view and how people are not always as they seem.
I particularly liked the way the children’s back stories were introduced and how we find out the reasons for Ginger’s behaviour and her unwillingness to join in with the other children. The illustrations set the story off beautifully and even though in black and white they are cleverly done to evoke the mood of each scene. I particularly liked the rabbit’s encounter with the vacuum cleaner!
One of the great things is also the inclusion of the guide at the back to explain the responsibility in getting a pet with some great particle advice.
The chapters are short enough for young readers and the descriptions are vivid and clear.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I particularly liked the way the children’s back stories were introduced and how we find out the reasons for Ginger’s behaviour and her unwillingness to join in with the other children. The illustrations set the story off beautifully and even though in black and white they are cleverly done to evoke the mood of each scene. I particularly liked the rabbit’s encounter with the vacuum cleaner!
One of the great things is also the inclusion of the guide at the back to explain the responsibility in getting a pet with some great particle advice.
The chapters are short enough for young readers and the descriptions are vivid and clear.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2016
Tyrabbisaurus Rex is told from each main character's point of view, and each is uniquely different. Tyrabbisaurus is a classroom rabbit who gets lonely when the teacher leaves at night and really just wants to be out of his cage with lots of veggies at hand. It was really cute when he posed in front of the T-Rex poster. That rabbit even has a personality! The writing of this book was appropriate for the intended age group, I'd say 3rd to 5th grade depending on the child. It is a chapter book, but it is fast paced and the story flows smoothly. The illustrations are good and the characters grow through the course of the book. They all learn that many things T Rex does are out of his natural instinct. In the end, the author wraps up the book with some details about the responsibility of owning a pet rabbit.
May 22, 2016
This book was good fun! I loved it! The way it was written is so unique and engaging.
September 12, 2016
I really like the intent of Tyrabbisaurus Rex, it’s clearly meant to encourage young readers to consider different perspectives and make them laugh while doing so.
To T-Rab’s credit, it does both of these things to a certain extent. The story is simple, it’s the story of a rabbit (Cuddles) and four students as they attempt to understand Cuddles, and deal with the destruction he causes in his numerous escape attempts. With the story being told from six different perspectives we usually have at least two, if not more, versions of each event in the book. And when I say two perspectives I actually mean two perspectives, not the same perspective from different characters, a real effort has gone into giving everyone unique opinions. There was one bit I liked especially with little Maria, talking about her Mexican family eating rabbits, with the rest of the class considering rabbit as never being anything other than a pet. So yes, truly different and well-defined perspectives.
However, the books greatest strengths also leads to one of its failings, there are too many perspectives. I’m not saying there should be fewer opinions, it’s nice that there are so many from a diverse little cast, but they are perhaps iterated too many times. This is a children’s book, and I consider it to be a bit overlong for young children, but a little simplistic for older children, so perhaps a shorter style would have suited it better.
That isn’t to say there are no good ideas, quite the contrary, I really liked the ideas it had. I thought the parts told from the rabbits perspective were brilliant, and the opening chapter, written in the style of a plea for rescue note to the Tyrannosaurs Council, made me laugh out loud. The writing style was simple and humorous and helped keep the focus on the story itself and the over-arching plot was a nice straightforward conflict resolution about one of the protagonists not liking the rabbit very much. So yes, good ideas, but packed in quite a bit of padding, comedy when repeated, does start to lose its charm.
The images were a nice touch, no specific joke or moment relied on them but I like a few images scattered throughout children’s books to help more visual learners keep interested, and they were cute little stylized things, with all the characters having mouths taking up about half of their heads in big friendly smiles.
In short a good book, the concept was fresh, the writing was easy to read, the ending was satisfying, socially educational and I did have a few good laughs along the way. Yes, I felt there was too much of it, but if you like to sit and read with your children then this is a title I would encourage you to try.
To T-Rab’s credit, it does both of these things to a certain extent. The story is simple, it’s the story of a rabbit (Cuddles) and four students as they attempt to understand Cuddles, and deal with the destruction he causes in his numerous escape attempts. With the story being told from six different perspectives we usually have at least two, if not more, versions of each event in the book. And when I say two perspectives I actually mean two perspectives, not the same perspective from different characters, a real effort has gone into giving everyone unique opinions. There was one bit I liked especially with little Maria, talking about her Mexican family eating rabbits, with the rest of the class considering rabbit as never being anything other than a pet. So yes, truly different and well-defined perspectives.
However, the books greatest strengths also leads to one of its failings, there are too many perspectives. I’m not saying there should be fewer opinions, it’s nice that there are so many from a diverse little cast, but they are perhaps iterated too many times. This is a children’s book, and I consider it to be a bit overlong for young children, but a little simplistic for older children, so perhaps a shorter style would have suited it better.
That isn’t to say there are no good ideas, quite the contrary, I really liked the ideas it had. I thought the parts told from the rabbits perspective were brilliant, and the opening chapter, written in the style of a plea for rescue note to the Tyrannosaurs Council, made me laugh out loud. The writing style was simple and humorous and helped keep the focus on the story itself and the over-arching plot was a nice straightforward conflict resolution about one of the protagonists not liking the rabbit very much. So yes, good ideas, but packed in quite a bit of padding, comedy when repeated, does start to lose its charm.
The images were a nice touch, no specific joke or moment relied on them but I like a few images scattered throughout children’s books to help more visual learners keep interested, and they were cute little stylized things, with all the characters having mouths taking up about half of their heads in big friendly smiles.
In short a good book, the concept was fresh, the writing was easy to read, the ending was satisfying, socially educational and I did have a few good laughs along the way. Yes, I felt there was too much of it, but if you like to sit and read with your children then this is a title I would encourage you to try.
September 14, 2016
What a fun book!!! It was witty, funny and even hit on some more serious subjects. It was well written and I liked that the language used wasn't dumbed down even though the book was geared towards younger kids.
The story is about a classroom rabbit who believes he is a Tyrabbisaurus Rex and his many adventures in the classroom and among the kids. The book is told from many alternating POVs including the rabbit's. This allows you to learn about each child and their home life throughout the book. It also gives the story a fun and unique quality.
I really enjoyed the TRab's delusions of grandeur. His idea of his cuddly cute self as a ferocious world dominating megalomaniac was hysterical.
The narrator did an excellent job. She portrayed each character in a way that was unique so that young children listening could distinguish between them easily.
I think that children will enjoy this book a lot. It's a lot of fun to listen to and the story has a good pace that will keep kids engaged.
I hope that this book is part of a series because I look forward to hearing about more of the adventures of the Tyrabbisaurus Rex!
I would like to thank the author/narrator/publisher for gifting me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The story is about a classroom rabbit who believes he is a Tyrabbisaurus Rex and his many adventures in the classroom and among the kids. The book is told from many alternating POVs including the rabbit's. This allows you to learn about each child and their home life throughout the book. It also gives the story a fun and unique quality.
I really enjoyed the TRab's delusions of grandeur. His idea of his cuddly cute self as a ferocious world dominating megalomaniac was hysterical.
The narrator did an excellent job. She portrayed each character in a way that was unique so that young children listening could distinguish between them easily.
I think that children will enjoy this book a lot. It's a lot of fun to listen to and the story has a good pace that will keep kids engaged.
I hope that this book is part of a series because I look forward to hearing about more of the adventures of the Tyrabbisaurus Rex!
I would like to thank the author/narrator/publisher for gifting me a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 5, 2016
This kids story was unusual but creative in some way to have en entire book this length about a rabbit. I had mixed reactions to it as i found a story about rabbit to be a bit unique and kind of unusual but I guess there will be kids who will enjoy it and I need to think like a child when I read it. I thought it would be better if the illustration/pictures were in color since its a book for children. Tyrabbisaurus was a bit hard for me worse for kids. I hope kids will enjoy it for what it is. I was given a copy by the author for an honest review.
April 18, 2016
This review is from my 8yo bookworm, who read the book in a single sitting and giggled out loud several times:
"I liked it. It was funny because the rabbit thought he was a TRex. I liked Maria because she was nice. When is Ms Culey writing a sequel?? "
As a mom, I appreciated this book because the writing style was clever and interesting. A lot of books for this age group are "dumbed down" but this one was not.
"I liked it. It was funny because the rabbit thought he was a TRex. I liked Maria because she was nice. When is Ms Culey writing a sequel?? "
As a mom, I appreciated this book because the writing style was clever and interesting. A lot of books for this age group are "dumbed down" but this one was not.
November 1, 2016
This book is a precious and delightful story about a classroom rabbit who thinks he is a dinosaur. Despite his gigantic machinations, he can't help but give in to his cuddly impulses and inclinations towards carrots. I and my little ones loved the images and wished there were more. We also loved getting to know the different characters and their personalities in the classroom. I would absolutely recommend this story for anyone with little ones.
July 22, 2016
Unique & Funny :)
October 21, 2019
I picked up Tyrabbisaurus Rex for my eight-year-old at PennedCon earlier this year and read it once evening before dinner. It was such a fun book. As an adult, I really enjoyed it, and when I got home, and my son read it, he enjoyed it as well.
“Cuddles,” as the children have named him, is a class pet, a rabbit that truly believes that it is a T-Rex. The book alternates between his POV and those of the children in his classroom. The rabbit’s chapters and internal dialog are hilarious and very entertaining as he tries to escape his captivity and try new things to nibble on.
The children all have their own opinions about Cuddles, and their chapters show those very well. From absolutely wanting nothing to do with him, to thinking he’s pretty cool but not that interesting, to wanting to spend all their time snuggling him – the students and Cuddles interact along with the teacher to create an entertaining story that delicately touches on quite a few things. From making friends, death in the family, self-esteem, and self-image (of the rabbit).
I highly recommend this for boys and girls in the early grade school years. It’d make an excellent read-along for adults and children to experience and talk about together.
“Cuddles,” as the children have named him, is a class pet, a rabbit that truly believes that it is a T-Rex. The book alternates between his POV and those of the children in his classroom. The rabbit’s chapters and internal dialog are hilarious and very entertaining as he tries to escape his captivity and try new things to nibble on.
The children all have their own opinions about Cuddles, and their chapters show those very well. From absolutely wanting nothing to do with him, to thinking he’s pretty cool but not that interesting, to wanting to spend all their time snuggling him – the students and Cuddles interact along with the teacher to create an entertaining story that delicately touches on quite a few things. From making friends, death in the family, self-esteem, and self-image (of the rabbit).
I highly recommend this for boys and girls in the early grade school years. It’d make an excellent read-along for adults and children to experience and talk about together.
November 4, 2020
Listened to this book with my 5 and 6 year old children. They loved the story and it held their full attention. The perspective of the rabbit was funny and a silly perspective. The narrator did an amazing job performing numerous voices and accents. It really added to the engagement and humor.
Toward the end of the book the rabbit said "I think these kids are a little slow in the head, if you know what I mean." I don't see why this was necessary; it didn't add to the book or develop the characterization. In fact, it felt out of place and stood out to me as I was listening to the story in the background. I just found this to be an odd choice on the part of the author.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Toward the end of the book the rabbit said "I think these kids are a little slow in the head, if you know what I mean." I don't see why this was necessary; it didn't add to the book or develop the characterization. In fact, it felt out of place and stood out to me as I was listening to the story in the background. I just found this to be an odd choice on the part of the author.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are all my own.
July 10, 2019
Review by my 8 year old daughter...
I really loved the book Tyrabbisaurus Rex by A.J Culey. It was funny that the bunny thought he was a giant, fierce dinosaur. I liked how he ate everything and thought all humans were dumb. My favorite part was when he attacted the tiger. I really hope to get the next book and read them all!
~ Emma.B ♡♡♡
I really loved the book Tyrabbisaurus Rex by A.J Culey. It was funny that the bunny thought he was a giant, fierce dinosaur. I liked how he ate everything and thought all humans were dumb. My favorite part was when he attacted the tiger. I really hope to get the next book and read them all!
~ Emma.B ♡♡♡
October 2, 2021
What a great fun story.... Such a awesome tale.....
June 6, 2016
Tyrabbisaurus Rex is a touching and hysterical tale of a classroom rabbit, that will make you fall in love with this fierce little bunny. The book is well written, with short chapters that swap character POV in a way that's perfect for the 8-10 year old independent reader. As well, it works well as a humorous read aloud for a younger classroom (I'm a 4th grade teacher), or as a bedtime book (I read it with my 3 year old, she loved it and was able to follow). It reminded me a bit of the Humphrey the Hamster series, with the 1st person POV of the animal narrating, and the quick, chuckle worthy writing style. I'll be keeping my eye out for more from this author.
April 18, 2017
Firstly, I would like to thank the author for giving me the chance to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review. I am always excited to read books by new and upcoming authors as there are often interesting stories to be found that I may not find otherwise, either because they are not available in print, or because it is a genre I do not tend to read.
I will stress that this is my opinion only. I am an avid reader so always enthusiastic but as a teacher in a previous life I can be rather critical. However, I do try to see the potential in everything that I read and have discovered some great diamonds in my time reading and reviewing books by unknown authors.
What is it?
Book:Tyrabbisaurus Rex by A.J. Culey
Tyrabbisaurus Rex is a fun little book written mainly from the perspective of the title rabbit. Rex is a new pet for the classroom and he spends his days plotting his escape. The book also picks a couple of other characters to look at their perspective and how they respond to the rabbit.
There may be some mild spoilers ahead but they shouldn’t affect your enjoyment of the book.
The Good
I like the childlike nature of Rex. He’s a nice character, feisty and engaging, although his thought process seems to waver between simplistic and refined. He doesn’t understand some human things (computer mouse, stuffed animals) but can understand human language and writing, and knows other items (hats, keyboard, purses). It of course helps the reader to understand what he is talking about and makes him more relatable but I would have liked this to be a little more consistent. It would have been interesting to have him completely uncomprehending of humans and their language (whilst still incredulous that they don’t understand him), but I’m not sure how easily this would have translated to something that was still easy to read.
I also liked the rabbit stream of consciousness style of writing. It flowed well and was fun to follow, especially when Rex got distracted. However there were a few moments of self-consciousness that borderline broke the fourth wall (such as ‘they left them on the floor, what do they expect’) that were a little jarring and threatened to throw me out of the story at times. Despite this I did like the conversational style on the whole.
One thing that I really liked was the treatment of Ginger dealing with her mum passing. I am a fan of not being afraid to tackle touch topics in children’s literature and I felt that this was dealt with very sensitively. It was there from the beginning, although not overtly said until much later, and whilst prominent and shaping the character, it did not overwhelm or detract from the story. I liked Ginger’s character as a whole more than any of the others in the story, especially the little arc that she went through.
The Bad
There was however one character that I did not care for at all, Mrs Cavitch. There was far too much emphasis on her coddling of the rabbit and I feel that it went far beyond what would be expected or normal. The baby speak was excessive and cringeworthy. This may have been the intent but in my opinion it just didn’t work. Especially as there was very little else to her character.
We are shown partway through that Rex sees himself in a poster of a T-Rex. Given that he unlikely saw much at the pet store to make him think he was a dinosaur I would presume that this poster is what sparked the Tyrabbisaurus Rex personality. If so it would have been nice to touch on this as a set up. As is the reader is left very unclear as to how long the rabbit has been in the classroom. At first it seems that he has been here a little while, then there is suggestion that we are being brought in on his first day. A minor point but it did cause a little confusion whilst reading.
Worth It?
Of course these points are minor and on the whole I enjoyed the book. One thing I’m not sure about is the recommended age. The book reads rather simply but has a couple of themes that would suit older children. It also is long enough to look like it is targeted at children in the middle of primary school. If this is the case I think that it could have either further simplified the rabbit’s thought process as mentioned or refined to story a bit to go deeper into the characters without detriment.
As is, there are a lot of nice things about this story. The characters are mostly likeable and it isn’t afraid to look at non-traditional set ups with regards to family life and motivations. The rabbit is good fun and the whole thing clips along at a steady pace so that whilst the story is not particularly short, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. The pictures of each character at the start of their respective chapters is also a nice touch especially as their clothing changes to match the description (in the case of Ginger).
Would I recommend the story? It’s fun but not particularly special. There are some nice points but it is a little simplistic and I think it could have gone further and created a book a little more interesting that what we get. I have read some fantastic children’s books. I have also read some awful ones. This I think is firmly somewhere in the middle. Not sure if I would buy it for my children but I could see me borrowing it from a library.
Funnily enough I could especially see it sitting on a bookshelf in a school classroom.
Fun and with signs of something special, but overall a little shallow.
Three and a half stars
I will stress that this is my opinion only. I am an avid reader so always enthusiastic but as a teacher in a previous life I can be rather critical. However, I do try to see the potential in everything that I read and have discovered some great diamonds in my time reading and reviewing books by unknown authors.
What is it?
Book:Tyrabbisaurus Rex by A.J. Culey
Tyrabbisaurus Rex is a fun little book written mainly from the perspective of the title rabbit. Rex is a new pet for the classroom and he spends his days plotting his escape. The book also picks a couple of other characters to look at their perspective and how they respond to the rabbit.
There may be some mild spoilers ahead but they shouldn’t affect your enjoyment of the book.
The Good
I like the childlike nature of Rex. He’s a nice character, feisty and engaging, although his thought process seems to waver between simplistic and refined. He doesn’t understand some human things (computer mouse, stuffed animals) but can understand human language and writing, and knows other items (hats, keyboard, purses). It of course helps the reader to understand what he is talking about and makes him more relatable but I would have liked this to be a little more consistent. It would have been interesting to have him completely uncomprehending of humans and their language (whilst still incredulous that they don’t understand him), but I’m not sure how easily this would have translated to something that was still easy to read.
I also liked the rabbit stream of consciousness style of writing. It flowed well and was fun to follow, especially when Rex got distracted. However there were a few moments of self-consciousness that borderline broke the fourth wall (such as ‘they left them on the floor, what do they expect’) that were a little jarring and threatened to throw me out of the story at times. Despite this I did like the conversational style on the whole.
One thing that I really liked was the treatment of Ginger dealing with her mum passing. I am a fan of not being afraid to tackle touch topics in children’s literature and I felt that this was dealt with very sensitively. It was there from the beginning, although not overtly said until much later, and whilst prominent and shaping the character, it did not overwhelm or detract from the story. I liked Ginger’s character as a whole more than any of the others in the story, especially the little arc that she went through.
The Bad
There was however one character that I did not care for at all, Mrs Cavitch. There was far too much emphasis on her coddling of the rabbit and I feel that it went far beyond what would be expected or normal. The baby speak was excessive and cringeworthy. This may have been the intent but in my opinion it just didn’t work. Especially as there was very little else to her character.
We are shown partway through that Rex sees himself in a poster of a T-Rex. Given that he unlikely saw much at the pet store to make him think he was a dinosaur I would presume that this poster is what sparked the Tyrabbisaurus Rex personality. If so it would have been nice to touch on this as a set up. As is the reader is left very unclear as to how long the rabbit has been in the classroom. At first it seems that he has been here a little while, then there is suggestion that we are being brought in on his first day. A minor point but it did cause a little confusion whilst reading.
Worth It?
Of course these points are minor and on the whole I enjoyed the book. One thing I’m not sure about is the recommended age. The book reads rather simply but has a couple of themes that would suit older children. It also is long enough to look like it is targeted at children in the middle of primary school. If this is the case I think that it could have either further simplified the rabbit’s thought process as mentioned or refined to story a bit to go deeper into the characters without detriment.
As is, there are a lot of nice things about this story. The characters are mostly likeable and it isn’t afraid to look at non-traditional set ups with regards to family life and motivations. The rabbit is good fun and the whole thing clips along at a steady pace so that whilst the story is not particularly short, it doesn’t outstay its welcome. The pictures of each character at the start of their respective chapters is also a nice touch especially as their clothing changes to match the description (in the case of Ginger).
Would I recommend the story? It’s fun but not particularly special. There are some nice points but it is a little simplistic and I think it could have gone further and created a book a little more interesting that what we get. I have read some fantastic children’s books. I have also read some awful ones. This I think is firmly somewhere in the middle. Not sure if I would buy it for my children but I could see me borrowing it from a library.
Funnily enough I could especially see it sitting on a bookshelf in a school classroom.
Fun and with signs of something special, but overall a little shallow.
Three and a half stars
April 18, 2017
Kindle Unlimited, not sure which age group this was directed to maybe more than one, but found certain parts just caused the story to drag, I'm a natural speed reader and had to actually read this in 2 parts because it was dragging on seemingly just to lengthen the page count, although the end portion about rabbits and their cages/habitat was interesting. There were parts was not sure at all who was supposed to be speaking as well. Since my grandkids were no longer around could not 'test' it on them.The illustrations were nice.
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