What do you think?
Rate this book
Tyrannosaurus Ralph
Dinosaurs plus bullies plus aliens plus hijinks equal a wacky new graphic novel kids will love!
Ralph is just trying to get home from school without getting picked on by the local bully.
He's not trying to run smack into that bully. He's also not trying to wake up hours later in the body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. And he's DEFINITELY not trying to do battle in an alien arena in order to save Earth from the evil Cloberus Crunch.
Unfortunately for Ralph, this is exactly what happens.
Armed only with a new body (with very tiny arms) and his wits, Ralph is expected to not only defend himself and his planet in hand-to-hand combat with ferocious aliens, he must also navigate a new world filled with all sorts of creatures Ralph has never imagined, in which it can be difficult to tell friend from foe.
This zany, hilarious story will appeal to anyone who loves dinosaurs, aliens, and adventure.
Ralph is just trying to get home from school without getting picked on by the local bully.
He's not trying to run smack into that bully. He's also not trying to wake up hours later in the body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. And he's DEFINITELY not trying to do battle in an alien arena in order to save Earth from the evil Cloberus Crunch.
Unfortunately for Ralph, this is exactly what happens.
Armed only with a new body (with very tiny arms) and his wits, Ralph is expected to not only defend himself and his planet in hand-to-hand combat with ferocious aliens, he must also navigate a new world filled with all sorts of creatures Ralph has never imagined, in which it can be difficult to tell friend from foe.
This zany, hilarious story will appeal to anyone who loves dinosaurs, aliens, and adventure.
180 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2017
27 people want to read
About the author
Nate Evans
57 books14 followersNate Evans wanted to be a secret agent, a firefighter, or a magician when he was a kid. But he also loved to read and write, and he grew up to be the author of more than thirty-five children’s books, including the New York Times bestsellers Ponyella and The Jellybeans and the Big Dance, both cowritten with Laura Numeroff, and the series Humpty Dumpty Jr.: Hardboiled Detective, an IndieBound “Inspired Recommendation for Kids.” He also illustrated Laura Numeroff”s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster, among others. You can visit him online at www.nateevans.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 24, 2017
Can an ordinary kid become a heroic dinosaur?
After being taunted by a bully and getting flattened by a dinosaur, Ralph wakes up in a secret lab under a garage ... as a Tyrannosaurus Rex! Professor Overdrive tell Ralph that his brain was put into the body of the T-rex and shows Ralph a message from King Clobberus Crunch who is demanding earth send their designated champion to fight in his gladiator style arena or else the planet will be destroyed. Professor Overdrive then drops the bombshell that Ralph is going to be earth's champion!
Fights to the death with champion fighters from rival planets remind Ralph of when he and his friend Dave play video games fighting fantasy monsters, only this time it's real. Thud! Crunch! Smash! Kaboom!
With a cast including aliens, a T-rex, a hunchback, a Professor and heroic kids (male and female), delicacies like pizza and blood grub pies on the menu, atom smashing wedgies, flaming farts, time travel, the threat of barf, and intergalactic gladiator fights, kids are going to have heaps of fun reading this graphic novel.
Along for the ride with Ralph and Professor Overdrive, we meet Lugnut, the Professor's hunchback assistant, Joona, a girl alien who may be friend material, along with a host of cute, gruesome, scared and mean aliens all battling it out to save their respective planets from annihilation at the hands of evil Clobberus Crunch and his ugly minions.
Seasoned and reluctant readers alike will be drawn in by the non-stop action, the humour and the interesting facts about gladiators at the end of the story. The illustrations are brilliant - bright, full of humour and action themselves, and with the best expressions you'll probably ever see on a dinosaur.
I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
After being taunted by a bully and getting flattened by a dinosaur, Ralph wakes up in a secret lab under a garage ... as a Tyrannosaurus Rex! Professor Overdrive tell Ralph that his brain was put into the body of the T-rex and shows Ralph a message from King Clobberus Crunch who is demanding earth send their designated champion to fight in his gladiator style arena or else the planet will be destroyed. Professor Overdrive then drops the bombshell that Ralph is going to be earth's champion!
Fights to the death with champion fighters from rival planets remind Ralph of when he and his friend Dave play video games fighting fantasy monsters, only this time it's real. Thud! Crunch! Smash! Kaboom!
With a cast including aliens, a T-rex, a hunchback, a Professor and heroic kids (male and female), delicacies like pizza and blood grub pies on the menu, atom smashing wedgies, flaming farts, time travel, the threat of barf, and intergalactic gladiator fights, kids are going to have heaps of fun reading this graphic novel.
Along for the ride with Ralph and Professor Overdrive, we meet Lugnut, the Professor's hunchback assistant, Joona, a girl alien who may be friend material, along with a host of cute, gruesome, scared and mean aliens all battling it out to save their respective planets from annihilation at the hands of evil Clobberus Crunch and his ugly minions.
Seasoned and reluctant readers alike will be drawn in by the non-stop action, the humour and the interesting facts about gladiators at the end of the story. The illustrations are brilliant - bright, full of humour and action themselves, and with the best expressions you'll probably ever see on a dinosaur.
I received an ARC from NetGalley (thank you so much to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity) in exchange for honest feedback.
July 29, 2021
A boys brain in a t-rex - intergalactic gladiatorial games where you have to fight for your planet to survive - and trying to out smart the bully at school - this one has it all!
August 30, 2017
I can see kids enjoying this as they read comic panels whose story flows well with bright, detailed illustrations that exude a sense of fun and action. There are dinosaurs and aliens, how can this not be fun? There’s a good mix of characters to appeal to a wide audience and situations kids can easily see themselves having to face.
That youngish middle school crowd will surely eat this up with the targeted humor, jokes that will make adults shake their heads, and questionable science that is crazy enough to make them wish it could be true.
As a parent I liked the story with it giving the bullied kid a chance to gain some self-confidence to take on the world. Doing so using dinosaurs, aliens and a good supporting cast will just make that theme all the more fun.
What kid hasn’t wished they could be a dinosaur?
That youngish middle school crowd will surely eat this up with the targeted humor, jokes that will make adults shake their heads, and questionable science that is crazy enough to make them wish it could be true.
As a parent I liked the story with it giving the bullied kid a chance to gain some self-confidence to take on the world. Doing so using dinosaurs, aliens and a good supporting cast will just make that theme all the more fun.
What kid hasn’t wished they could be a dinosaur?
October 18, 2017
Tyrannosaurus Ralph is a bright and colorful graphic novel that will appeal to upper grade school/youngish middle school boys. Ralph is a young skateboarder who after getting bullied, has his brain put into a Tyrannosaurus Rex by a mad scientist and then is expected to fight aliens in a gladiator-style arena to save his planet. There is plenty of fun slap-stick humor, but a huge cast of characters made the book hard to follow in spots. While the goofy illustrations will be appealing to some, I am on the fence on recommending it due to feeling that the plot was overly busy.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 2, 2017
This comic book is so silly, but I can't deny how fun it is. It is quick paced and action packed. It's just all around weird and not realistic at all, but that hardly matters. I think kids and adults of all ages could like it. I wonder where the series will go from here. I love the characters we have met so far.
I enjoyed the artwork.
Disclaimer: I received this from Netgally in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the chance to read this!
I enjoyed the artwork.
Disclaimer: I received this from Netgally in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the chance to read this!
December 21, 2019
'Tyrannosaurus Ralph' by Nate Evans with art by Vince Evans is a fun romp (pun intended!) of a graphic novel.
Ralph is in fourth-grate and tends to get bullied a lot. When a freak accident puts his brain into the body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, he now has the power, but will he find the courage? He will need to because he is on an alien planet being forced to fight for the fate of the Earth in a gladiator arena.
This book took a ludicrous premise, then made it more so, and nailed the idea. The story is fun. The art is fun. Ralph is a completely likeable character. They even answered the question I had nagging me in the back of my head for the whole book, so kudos.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
Ralph is in fourth-grate and tends to get bullied a lot. When a freak accident puts his brain into the body of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, he now has the power, but will he find the courage? He will need to because he is on an alien planet being forced to fight for the fate of the Earth in a gladiator arena.
This book took a ludicrous premise, then made it more so, and nailed the idea. The story is fun. The art is fun. Ralph is a completely likeable character. They even answered the question I had nagging me in the back of my head for the whole book, so kudos.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
August 27, 2017
Good Fun
To be honest, I didn't expect much from this. I figured it would be a comic with a single obvious storyline, computer generated cheap cartoon graphics, and a lightweight message or two. Well, please excuuuuuse me for being such a dishrag. Turns out this is an upbeat, though still awfully silly, adventure with a nice feel to it.
Our hero Ralph is trying to avoid a bully when he accidentally gets stomped by a T-Rex that's just been transported to our time line by a mad scientist. Squashed like a bug, Ralph's mind is transferred to the T-Rex. Just in time, because the scientist had kidnapped and transported the T-Rex so it could be sent to a distant planet to fight as Earth's champion. Got that? Now Ralph, as a T-Rex, has to be Earth's gladiator champion; if he loses, Earth will be disintegrated.
The rest of the book follows Ralph to the alien arena, and we share with him the desperation he feels as an inexperienced gladiator with Earth's fate on his shoulders. Ralph has to find the hero within. He's joined by the mad scientist, the scientist's assistant, and a whole crew of other alien gladiators from all over the universe. One of those aliens is a youngster who can switch from being a nice alien girl around Ralph's age to being a fearsome troll. So, Ralph gets to have a friend, gets to act out against all of the bullies in the universe, and gets to face a formidable challenge. All as a T-Rex.
That's a lot more substance than I expected, and it makes for a pretty fast-paced and appealing story. There are some sub-plots that come together at the end, and lots of one or two page long funny bits that punch up the narrative. There are also many farty, smelly, boogery, gross jokes, just to add atmosphere.
The upshot is that this was better drawn, better written, smarter, and wiser than I expected, and circled around to a satisfying and upbeat conclusion. It's also not a tie-in to a movie franchise or video game or TV show, (as best I know), so it's sort of handmade instead of a stale knock-off. I like that in my silly kid comix. A fun find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
To be honest, I didn't expect much from this. I figured it would be a comic with a single obvious storyline, computer generated cheap cartoon graphics, and a lightweight message or two. Well, please excuuuuuse me for being such a dishrag. Turns out this is an upbeat, though still awfully silly, adventure with a nice feel to it.
Our hero Ralph is trying to avoid a bully when he accidentally gets stomped by a T-Rex that's just been transported to our time line by a mad scientist. Squashed like a bug, Ralph's mind is transferred to the T-Rex. Just in time, because the scientist had kidnapped and transported the T-Rex so it could be sent to a distant planet to fight as Earth's champion. Got that? Now Ralph, as a T-Rex, has to be Earth's gladiator champion; if he loses, Earth will be disintegrated.
The rest of the book follows Ralph to the alien arena, and we share with him the desperation he feels as an inexperienced gladiator with Earth's fate on his shoulders. Ralph has to find the hero within. He's joined by the mad scientist, the scientist's assistant, and a whole crew of other alien gladiators from all over the universe. One of those aliens is a youngster who can switch from being a nice alien girl around Ralph's age to being a fearsome troll. So, Ralph gets to have a friend, gets to act out against all of the bullies in the universe, and gets to face a formidable challenge. All as a T-Rex.
That's a lot more substance than I expected, and it makes for a pretty fast-paced and appealing story. There are some sub-plots that come together at the end, and lots of one or two page long funny bits that punch up the narrative. There are also many farty, smelly, boogery, gross jokes, just to add atmosphere.
The upshot is that this was better drawn, better written, smarter, and wiser than I expected, and circled around to a satisfying and upbeat conclusion. It's also not a tie-in to a movie franchise or video game or TV show, (as best I know), so it's sort of handmade instead of a stale knock-off. I like that in my silly kid comix. A fun find.
(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
October 23, 2017
Ralph is a typical 5th grader with bully problems. Until the day he wakes up to find his brain is inside a T-Rex and that he’s been chosen as the representative from Earth to participate in an intergalactic gladiator battle so Earth doesn’t get destroyed by the insane King Clobberus Crunch. Oh, and if he doesn’t win his battle, the Earth will be destroyed and his new alien friend will be enslaved to a colossal jerk. No pressure or anything. Can a weakling from Earth learn how to fight in a T-Rex body with no training…or is the Earth pretty much doomed?
This is definitely designed to appeal to those kids who like the concept of monster fights and laugh at slapstick comedy. There is a teensy bit more to this than just a boy in a T-Rex body fighting giant monster aliens. There’s a little lesson on how to respond to bullies (i.e. make sure you don’t respond by turning into one yourself) and to not judge others by appearances. There’s also some historical info in the back about Roman gladiators. So adults can enjoy the messages, and kids can eat up all the scifi, monster smashing goofiness. I personally enjoyed how the author & illustrator solved the issue of Ralph's tiny arms being useless in a fight. There's an opening left at the end so that there could certainly be future volumes in Ralph's fighting career to save the Earth. Definitely a good pick for reluctant readers. I’m considering purchasing this for our library. The middle school boys would probably love it.
Notes on content (in the ARC): No language issues. No sexual content or decency issues. There are a couple monster alien fights shown, but no one seems permanently damaged (just knocked out). Destruction and slavery are threatened, but the good guys win the day. Bullying happens, but it is relatively tame and as mentioned, Ralph learns some things. Some fart and wedgie humor.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is definitely designed to appeal to those kids who like the concept of monster fights and laugh at slapstick comedy. There is a teensy bit more to this than just a boy in a T-Rex body fighting giant monster aliens. There’s a little lesson on how to respond to bullies (i.e. make sure you don’t respond by turning into one yourself) and to not judge others by appearances. There’s also some historical info in the back about Roman gladiators. So adults can enjoy the messages, and kids can eat up all the scifi, monster smashing goofiness. I personally enjoyed how the author & illustrator solved the issue of Ralph's tiny arms being useless in a fight. There's an opening left at the end so that there could certainly be future volumes in Ralph's fighting career to save the Earth. Definitely a good pick for reluctant readers. I’m considering purchasing this for our library. The middle school boys would probably love it.
Notes on content (in the ARC): No language issues. No sexual content or decency issues. There are a couple monster alien fights shown, but no one seems permanently damaged (just knocked out). Destruction and slavery are threatened, but the good guys win the day. Bullying happens, but it is relatively tame and as mentioned, Ralph learns some things. Some fart and wedgie humor.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2017
Oh man, I would love to give this graphic novel a higher rating, but perhaps it is because I am not the market that I found this plodded on and on without making the point.
As usually happens, the concept, which is a boy who is picked on has to become champion of his world, by being changed into a T-Rex. OK, so perhaps that is not what usually happens, or at least not quite that way, but Ralph gets squished by a T-Rex, so a local time-traveling professor puts his brain into the self-same T-Rex, to be the earth's champion in an interstellar arena.
That's it. Ralph has to fight. And I find fighting, and talking about fighting, and thinking about fighting very boring, so that part of the book was a complete waste for me.
There are probably kids out there that will enjoy this. I found after the opening bit, that the ending was telegraphed, as the saying goes, and I was just waiting for that outcome.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
As usually happens, the concept, which is a boy who is picked on has to become champion of his world, by being changed into a T-Rex. OK, so perhaps that is not what usually happens, or at least not quite that way, but Ralph gets squished by a T-Rex, so a local time-traveling professor puts his brain into the self-same T-Rex, to be the earth's champion in an interstellar arena.
That's it. Ralph has to fight. And I find fighting, and talking about fighting, and thinking about fighting very boring, so that part of the book was a complete waste for me.
There are probably kids out there that will enjoy this. I found after the opening bit, that the ending was telegraphed, as the saying goes, and I was just waiting for that outcome.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
September 2, 2017
Teen skateboarder is about to be crushed by a bully with a tuba—aka honk-kazoo—then has to be rescued by a barrio inventor, who puts his brain into a t-Rex so he can save the planet by participating in an intergalactic gladiator competition. Got it?
Best named alien: Lord Knuckle-Dragger. Best line: “I don’t think the red food likes you. It’s trying to get away.”
I love the faces drawn on the scared dinosaur; not exactly king of the giant lizards here. And his versions of “Yikes!” are “Oh crudsicles! Crud monkeys! Crud crumbs!” Sensing a theme. . . but you gotta draw the line at “crud-waffles.”
Lugnut has to be the most submissive human being ever to refer to himself in the third person.
I would have liked to see Joona’s story instead. It was okay, though went too far into silly at times. The big fight was surprisingly entertaining, but his lack of emotional control got tiring quickly.
Seven pages of extras.
Best named alien: Lord Knuckle-Dragger. Best line: “I don’t think the red food likes you. It’s trying to get away.”
I love the faces drawn on the scared dinosaur; not exactly king of the giant lizards here. And his versions of “Yikes!” are “Oh crudsicles! Crud monkeys! Crud crumbs!” Sensing a theme. . . but you gotta draw the line at “crud-waffles.”
Lugnut has to be the most submissive human being ever to refer to himself in the third person.
I would have liked to see Joona’s story instead. It was okay, though went too far into silly at times. The big fight was surprisingly entertaining, but his lack of emotional control got tiring quickly.
Seven pages of extras.
October 11, 2017
*thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
3 stars.
This has massive appeal to children. Its brightly coloured, has the right type of humor for them and it has dinosaurs. Its a fun read but unfortunately not quite my type of graphic novel. Saying that though, I can easily see how others would like it. A boy gets bullied by another boy and next thing you know, he wakes up in a laboratory and hes a T-Rex dinosaur! Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it. While it wasnt my favoutire, I would recommend it to others in hopes that they would get alot of enjoyment out of it.
3 stars.
This has massive appeal to children. Its brightly coloured, has the right type of humor for them and it has dinosaurs. Its a fun read but unfortunately not quite my type of graphic novel. Saying that though, I can easily see how others would like it. A boy gets bullied by another boy and next thing you know, he wakes up in a laboratory and hes a T-Rex dinosaur! Be careful what you wish for, because you might just get it. While it wasnt my favoutire, I would recommend it to others in hopes that they would get alot of enjoyment out of it.
September 3, 2017
I have to start by saying I know Nate Evans and his wonderful sense of humor, and even so I was surprised at just how much fun this graphic novel is!! It's a must for young middle-schoolers who love action, adventure, laugh-out-loud (and groan-out-loud) humor and an underdog who becomes a hero. Ralph is a bullied fourth grader when a mad scientist turns him into a T-Rex and he's sent to outer space to battle aliens with earth's survival on the line. Ralph faces all sorts of monsters along the way--including his own insecurities--and kids will love every colorful page! Highly recommend.
October 13, 2017
The Evans brothers have written and illustrated a winner! The Illustrations are gorgeous and the text is incredibly funny. My boys could not put it down until they finished it. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars because it actually goes to 11.
November 1, 2017
A must read for kids 8 to 10 who love dinosaurs, jokes, or action packed fantasy. The artwork is dynamic and eye-catching. The plot will keep kids turning pages and laughing out loud.
December 31, 2017
Review forthcoming - to be posted on No Flying No Tights.
November 1, 2018
Thought this was a bit too silly and some parts just flat out didn't make sense to me.
June 2, 2021
Fantastic graphic novel.
October 20, 2024
A young boy's brain is transplanted into Tyrannosaurus Rex, then he must save the earth.
Good fun for reluctant readers, boys will love it.
Good fun for reluctant readers, boys will love it.
Read
February 16, 2018This was cute! A good discussion on bullying and stereotypes for the 2nd/3rd/4th grade crowd. Art was fun, storyline was my jam (dinosaur wrestling competitions in outer space, natch), and there's even some funny potty humor! My guys loved it.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews