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Rex: Dinosaur in Disguise
A comedy of errors starring the instantly-loveable Rex – the first book in a fantastically funny series for 7+ readers, from Lollies Prize winning author-illustrator Elys Dolan.
Rex is king of the carnivores want to be him and herbivores want to be eaten by him... That is, until a pesky Ice Age comes along and he winds up frozen solid in a glacier. When he wakes up, 65 million years later, human beings rule the roost – and if they get their hands on Rex, he'll wind up in a zoo. (Or, a MUSEUM.)
Lucky for him, Rex isn't the only undercover creature in town. He's whisked out of danger by the one and only Bigfoot, who has been surviving among the humans undetected for years. Bigfoot and his friends show Rex how to get by in the humans' world, and soon there's only one thing left for him to GET A JOB.
But that's easier said than done ... and with a meddling nine-year-old neighbour to deal with, and the constant risk of discovery, life couldn't be harder for a dinosaur in disguise.
Rex is king of the carnivores want to be him and herbivores want to be eaten by him... That is, until a pesky Ice Age comes along and he winds up frozen solid in a glacier. When he wakes up, 65 million years later, human beings rule the roost – and if they get their hands on Rex, he'll wind up in a zoo. (Or, a MUSEUM.)
Lucky for him, Rex isn't the only undercover creature in town. He's whisked out of danger by the one and only Bigfoot, who has been surviving among the humans undetected for years. Bigfoot and his friends show Rex how to get by in the humans' world, and soon there's only one thing left for him to GET A JOB.
But that's easier said than done ... and with a meddling nine-year-old neighbour to deal with, and the constant risk of discovery, life couldn't be harder for a dinosaur in disguise.
- GenresChildrens
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 2, 2022
3 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Elys Dolan
27 books24 followersElys Dolan grew up in a part of England that consists almost entirely of trees and cows, and she was named after a department store in Wimbledon. She’s never let either of these things hold her back and recently graduated from the Cambridge School of Art. She was awarded second place in the Macmillan Prize and was also short-listed for the Waterstone’s Picture This Prize. She lives in Cambridge, England.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 26, 2022
Rex, Dinosaur in Disguise is an amusing children's middle-grade book about a dinosaur who has survived all these years in a glacier but when it melts he awakens and finds a new world has flourished.
He is scared and worried but he is soon discovered by another creature that shouldn't be in the human world, Big Foot - Who dresses as a human and has a human job alongside looking after animals that won't to blend in with the world including Nessie and Dodo.
The story is a whole lot of fun. It will certainly have children giggle along, so will the hilarious illustrations too.
This is a fab book and one that is enjoyable from beginning to end and I can see children racing through it.
He is scared and worried but he is soon discovered by another creature that shouldn't be in the human world, Big Foot - Who dresses as a human and has a human job alongside looking after animals that won't to blend in with the world including Nessie and Dodo.
The story is a whole lot of fun. It will certainly have children giggle along, so will the hilarious illustrations too.
This is a fab book and one that is enjoyable from beginning to end and I can see children racing through it.
September 1, 2022
A laugh-out-loud book featuring a T-rex, a Yeti, and a human girl who wants to figure out what is going on.
The newest Elys Dolan and I was here for it! I love her books and been collecting and reading them for some time so I was ultra hyped to see her write a book about dinosaurs! And also other beings given we also meet Nessie and Dodo.
😍 Rex was such a wonderful character. I can only imagine how it was for him those first days. Waking up in a melted ice cube, getting to a whole new world. Figuring out money (OMG, I would have done the same as he with that card), getting a job, making friends, staying low because humans will not be kind (though there are also good humans thankfully), eating stuff (because can I eat tires or is that a bad idea?), figuring out speech, how to dress (which had me in stitches especially with the socks on every part), and more. I was rooting for Rex.
😍 Rex was trying so hard and I found myself rooting for him. He made some mistakes, but could you blame him? He has been frozen in ice for ages and all this human stuff is just so weird and strange and at times not comprehensible. I am not sure if I had done better. I loved that despite making mistakes he kept trying. Trying to find something. Trying to do his best. He made amends, said his sorries, tried to fix things. I was so proud when he finally found something that he could do. Something that just fitted him better than watching kids at the pool.
😍 On that note, can I be part of those lessons? I want to do all those activities! Much more fun than yoga or boring old fitness.
😍 I wasn’t sure about the human POV at first, mostly because I just found her a tad rude. But then I remember me at 9 year old and haha, I was the same. I also had some exciting investigations about strange things happening in my neighbourhood. XD Too bad it never turned out to be anything awesome, I wouldn’t have minded making friends with a friendly T-rex and his friends. I liked that she wasn’t just meddling, but that we got to know her as well. We learn of her broken friendship, bullying that happens now, a new friendship being made, and her standing up for herself.
😍 While the parents of our girl weren’t always my favourite, I just wish they gave her more attention, I did like that they at least tried to give her attention and at the end they did that for her which made me smile. They really do their best.
😍 The names of the triplets had me in stitches. I guess the parents weren’t prepared for triplets? XD
😍 Loved meeting Dodo and Nessie and see them do their thing. Though seriously, how blind are people to not notice. There is acting as a human, and there is a clear bird serving you food. Or a water whatever (even Nessie is unsure what they are) in the pool. Haha. I am happy that both of the characters can have a happy life now. Nessie was clearly not happy (and I can imagine, being stalked all the time when you just want to swim is no fun) and Dodo also has very clear reasons.
😍 I loved Big Foot/Yeti. I had a laugh at how serious he was about his job and about everything else. I get where he is coming from, no one wants to end up at a zoo, but I just thought it was funny he was so serious. But in the mean time had a big addiction to some snacks. I was happy to see him warm up as the story continued. See a different side to him and also see that he was seeing in that he may just have been trying a bit too hard.
😍 The ending was OMG and WHUT and NO, and then YAS and WHOOP! You will just have to read it to find out which word goes where, but I can tell you that the ending just made me smile, after being shocked first of course. I was kind of expecting it to happen, but since nothing happened I thought it wouldn’t happen anymore. Big surprise.
😍 The illustrations are just super duper fabulous. I just love the style and I loved how the characters were drawn.
All in all, highly recommended to everyone! This laugh-out-loud book is perfect. Dinosaurs, fitting in, friendship, and more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
The newest Elys Dolan and I was here for it! I love her books and been collecting and reading them for some time so I was ultra hyped to see her write a book about dinosaurs! And also other beings given we also meet Nessie and Dodo.
😍 Rex was such a wonderful character. I can only imagine how it was for him those first days. Waking up in a melted ice cube, getting to a whole new world. Figuring out money (OMG, I would have done the same as he with that card), getting a job, making friends, staying low because humans will not be kind (though there are also good humans thankfully), eating stuff (because can I eat tires or is that a bad idea?), figuring out speech, how to dress (which had me in stitches especially with the socks on every part), and more. I was rooting for Rex.
😍 Rex was trying so hard and I found myself rooting for him. He made some mistakes, but could you blame him? He has been frozen in ice for ages and all this human stuff is just so weird and strange and at times not comprehensible. I am not sure if I had done better. I loved that despite making mistakes he kept trying. Trying to find something. Trying to do his best. He made amends, said his sorries, tried to fix things. I was so proud when he finally found something that he could do. Something that just fitted him better than watching kids at the pool.
😍 On that note, can I be part of those lessons? I want to do all those activities! Much more fun than yoga or boring old fitness.
😍 I wasn’t sure about the human POV at first, mostly because I just found her a tad rude. But then I remember me at 9 year old and haha, I was the same. I also had some exciting investigations about strange things happening in my neighbourhood. XD Too bad it never turned out to be anything awesome, I wouldn’t have minded making friends with a friendly T-rex and his friends. I liked that she wasn’t just meddling, but that we got to know her as well. We learn of her broken friendship, bullying that happens now, a new friendship being made, and her standing up for herself.
😍 While the parents of our girl weren’t always my favourite, I just wish they gave her more attention, I did like that they at least tried to give her attention and at the end they did that for her which made me smile. They really do their best.
😍 The names of the triplets had me in stitches. I guess the parents weren’t prepared for triplets? XD
😍 Loved meeting Dodo and Nessie and see them do their thing. Though seriously, how blind are people to not notice. There is acting as a human, and there is a clear bird serving you food. Or a water whatever (even Nessie is unsure what they are) in the pool. Haha. I am happy that both of the characters can have a happy life now. Nessie was clearly not happy (and I can imagine, being stalked all the time when you just want to swim is no fun) and Dodo also has very clear reasons.
😍 I loved Big Foot/Yeti. I had a laugh at how serious he was about his job and about everything else. I get where he is coming from, no one wants to end up at a zoo, but I just thought it was funny he was so serious. But in the mean time had a big addiction to some snacks. I was happy to see him warm up as the story continued. See a different side to him and also see that he was seeing in that he may just have been trying a bit too hard.
😍 The ending was OMG and WHUT and NO, and then YAS and WHOOP! You will just have to read it to find out which word goes where, but I can tell you that the ending just made me smile, after being shocked first of course. I was kind of expecting it to happen, but since nothing happened I thought it wouldn’t happen anymore. Big surprise.
😍 The illustrations are just super duper fabulous. I just love the style and I loved how the characters were drawn.
All in all, highly recommended to everyone! This laugh-out-loud book is perfect. Dinosaurs, fitting in, friendship, and more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 10, 2024
This was absolutely amazing and funny!
Poor Rex just wants to fit in and make his friends proud.
His little outfits are adorable.
And of course, Sasquatch being Brian, who loves jazz to confuse the humans.
Poor Rex just wants to fit in and make his friends proud.
His little outfits are adorable.
And of course, Sasquatch being Brian, who loves jazz to confuse the humans.
November 20, 2024
A super fun, laugh-out-loud read for low to middle primary students. Great step up from series like The Bad Guys etc.; slightly longer, more complex storyline’s but plenty of humour and tons of illustrations. Would make a great read aloud for lower primary.
August 12, 2022
This is such a brilliant story, so funny and it will really make you smile! Rex was king of the dinosaurs millions of years ago until one day an ice age happened and he was frozen in the ice. Thawing out in modern times Rex now has to get used to living life in a human world. But if humans discover that Rex is a dinosaur they will lock him up. Luckily, someone decides to help Rex, someone who knows how Rex feels, and is ready to help teach Rex how to disguise himself as human.
I have loved every second of this book, it’s so brilliant! Rex gets help from another creature who’s disguising himself as a human too, and I love how Bigfoot attempts to explain the modern world to Rex who can’t even speak properly at the beginning, only able to roar. Rex eventually manages to seem human enough to be left on his own, but he really doesn’t understand anything at all and I love how silly things end up being with Rex just trying to be good. Rex ends up making a mistake and to put it right he has to get a job. The jobs he tries to go to and what ends up happening are just so funny and I love how he meets some other long thought extinct creatures too!
While the story about Rex is very good there is also a story about Sandra which alternates sometimes between Rex’s chapters. I instantly related to Sandra and what she’s going through with her former friend Maddie who out of the blue suddenly just doesn’t seem to like her anymore (something similar happened to me when I was at school!). I love how her story progresses as she tries to investigate her strange new neighbour and what happens later when the two stories finally merge.
The book is funny throughout with the illustrations on every page making it even more funny! The pictures are all in blue, black, orange and white but they are so brilliant showing you just how silly some situations are, like the coffee invention Rex comes up with at work! I love how expressive all of the characters are and how Rex looks with his little hands and his outfits! The pictures really do add to the story and it makes the book so much fun to read!
The ending is good, in fact things build to a dramatic ending and I love what happens with Rex and the others. I even enjoyed what happens to Maddie too. The final epilogue, especially those last few words, really made me smile and it warmed my heart to see how things end up for Rex and how he feels in the end. This is certainly a book I would recommend to anyone to read especially if you like dinosaurs like I do! I’m looking forward to another book in the series (I think it’s the first in a series) and overall, it’s just a lovely read and it’s a book I will definitely be picking up again!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
I have loved every second of this book, it’s so brilliant! Rex gets help from another creature who’s disguising himself as a human too, and I love how Bigfoot attempts to explain the modern world to Rex who can’t even speak properly at the beginning, only able to roar. Rex eventually manages to seem human enough to be left on his own, but he really doesn’t understand anything at all and I love how silly things end up being with Rex just trying to be good. Rex ends up making a mistake and to put it right he has to get a job. The jobs he tries to go to and what ends up happening are just so funny and I love how he meets some other long thought extinct creatures too!
While the story about Rex is very good there is also a story about Sandra which alternates sometimes between Rex’s chapters. I instantly related to Sandra and what she’s going through with her former friend Maddie who out of the blue suddenly just doesn’t seem to like her anymore (something similar happened to me when I was at school!). I love how her story progresses as she tries to investigate her strange new neighbour and what happens later when the two stories finally merge.
The book is funny throughout with the illustrations on every page making it even more funny! The pictures are all in blue, black, orange and white but they are so brilliant showing you just how silly some situations are, like the coffee invention Rex comes up with at work! I love how expressive all of the characters are and how Rex looks with his little hands and his outfits! The pictures really do add to the story and it makes the book so much fun to read!
The ending is good, in fact things build to a dramatic ending and I love what happens with Rex and the others. I even enjoyed what happens to Maddie too. The final epilogue, especially those last few words, really made me smile and it warmed my heart to see how things end up for Rex and how he feels in the end. This is certainly a book I would recommend to anyone to read especially if you like dinosaurs like I do! I’m looking forward to another book in the series (I think it’s the first in a series) and overall, it’s just a lovely read and it’s a book I will definitely be picking up again!
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy.
August 25, 2022
The Bolds mixed with California Man... for dinosaurs?
Well there's a combination for you. Brendan Fraser once played an early man frozen who was awakened in the modern world... and now that idea has been taken and applied to a Tyrannosaurus. Was only a matter of time.
This is perfect fare for children. Totally bonkers, but very funny. And a lot like Clary's The Bolds series, about animals who walk among us unseen, trying to blend in, Rex needs a lot of help to understand the new world around him (money is a particular puzzle). So it's fortunate he's found some friends to both hide and help him.
But can a dinosaur survive in the contemporary world? Get a job? What exactly could a literal dinosaur do??
Lots of illustrations, short chapters, a barmy plot and a blend of zany characters and you've got a pretty quick read for confident readers who like humour and nothing that will take them too long. It could be read aloud to younger readers as well who will have plenty to look and laugh at.
Suitable for ages 6-11.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
Well there's a combination for you. Brendan Fraser once played an early man frozen who was awakened in the modern world... and now that idea has been taken and applied to a Tyrannosaurus. Was only a matter of time.
This is perfect fare for children. Totally bonkers, but very funny. And a lot like Clary's The Bolds series, about animals who walk among us unseen, trying to blend in, Rex needs a lot of help to understand the new world around him (money is a particular puzzle). So it's fortunate he's found some friends to both hide and help him.
But can a dinosaur survive in the contemporary world? Get a job? What exactly could a literal dinosaur do??
Lots of illustrations, short chapters, a barmy plot and a blend of zany characters and you've got a pretty quick read for confident readers who like humour and nothing that will take them too long. It could be read aloud to younger readers as well who will have plenty to look and laugh at.
Suitable for ages 6-11.
With thanks to Walker Books for providing a sample reading copy.
June 21, 2022
An easy 5 stars. The presentation of this book is fantastic. It has the comic book feel that similar books have, like DogMan for instance, but plenty more narrative, plot and fun. I can't fault it at all.
In Rex, we have a dinosaur disguised as a human. I guess in that way it feels a lot like The Bolds! Rex is used to being the big man about town in pre-historic times, but in human times when he wakes up after being frozen in the ice for a literal age, he now needs to figure out how to get by when he's the odd one out for all the wrong reasons!
It's funny, beautifully illustrated and totally captivating. The easiest children's book to recommend in a very long time!
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
In Rex, we have a dinosaur disguised as a human. I guess in that way it feels a lot like The Bolds! Rex is used to being the big man about town in pre-historic times, but in human times when he wakes up after being frozen in the ice for a literal age, he now needs to figure out how to get by when he's the odd one out for all the wrong reasons!
It's funny, beautifully illustrated and totally captivating. The easiest children's book to recommend in a very long time!
ARC provided from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
December 18, 2022
Read this with my 7 year old and we have both thoroughly enjoyed! From the basic colour scheme that works throughout to the actual plot it really was fantastic!
First book in my sons monthly book subscription from Parrot Street Book Club. Absolutely fantastic start so excited for the next one and to now go through the activity pack.
First book in my sons monthly book subscription from Parrot Street Book Club. Absolutely fantastic start so excited for the next one and to now go through the activity pack.
May 4, 2025
100 stars out of 5 from Ezra!
I really enjoy the Rex books. They do a great job of teaching kids that what’s inside is much more important than what people look like (even if they’re prehistoric dinosaurs, or Bigfoot!). We accidentally read book two first, so we’re going to reread book two before we move onto the newest instalment.
I really enjoy the Rex books. They do a great job of teaching kids that what’s inside is much more important than what people look like (even if they’re prehistoric dinosaurs, or Bigfoot!). We accidentally read book two first, so we’re going to reread book two before we move onto the newest instalment.
May 19, 2022
Great middle-grade book!
It was a super easy read, so fun and even got a giggle out of me.
It's been a long time since I have read a middle-grade book but this one was so great and made me want to dive back into some young adult books!
It was a super easy read, so fun and even got a giggle out of me.
It's been a long time since I have read a middle-grade book but this one was so great and made me want to dive back into some young adult books!
April 21, 2023
This was the first chapter book I've read to my son (5). We both enjoyed this a lot. I thought it was fun. The story is mostly sweet and funny (some bullying scenes) with very bold colourful illustrations. My son said "it's great!"
June 23, 2022
Wonderful silly fun for MG readers with a great ecological & accepting differences message.
August 11, 2025
Amazing book I love it so much!
September 1, 2025
A wonderful laugh out loud book I read with my son! We can't wait to see what Rex gets up to next!
March 2, 2023
This is a quick and funny read with plenty of illustrations for emphasis.
Whatever your age, reading by yourself or with littles, this book will bring you joy!
Whatever your age, reading by yourself or with littles, this book will bring you joy!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews