Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny tale of kids and dinosaurs on a camping trip.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A girl, her little brother, and their dinosaur friends consult a wilderness guidebook and hike off to go camping. Though the guidebook provides tips on what to enjoy and what to avoid, it's often at odds with their actual experience. They stumble into poison ivy, get chased by bees, and tip over in their canoe. In the end, they hike back to their own backyard and roast marshmallows more comfortably over a grill.
Is It Any Good?
CAMP REX is funny, and the humor stems from the disconnect between the chipper description of camping with the uncomfortable or hapless scenes depicted in the art. On some pages kids may have to look twice to figure out how the illustration comments on the text, but on most, the humor's evident. For instance, the girl stuffs marshmallows in her ears to muffle the off-key songs around the campfire.
Overall,Camp Rex has a warm, upbeat feel, and the characters and scenes are really appealing. The mishaps are minor, camping looks like rollicking fun, and the friendship between the kids and dinosaurs is clear.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about camping and the skills necessary to camp in the wild. How do you stay safe?
If you read Tea Rex, how does this book compare? Is it as funny? How does the outdoor setting compare with the indoor one for laughs?
What are some of the modern conveniences you have in your home that you wouldn't have if you went camping?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Molly Idle
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking
- Publication date : April 22, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 5
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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