Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Holiday havoc and merry mayhem when dinosaurs are guests.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SANTA REX, Cordelia and her little brother welcome their Christmas guests: their old friends the dinosaurs, who've arrived determined to help with all the traditional preparations. They deck the halls with holiday decorations, bake Christmas cookies, hang stockings, trim the tree, and "go to bed early ... because Santa Claus won't come until you're fast asleep." The dinosaurs wreak holiday havoc, of course, though in the morning, there are presents under the T. rex tree. "But the real magic of the season is how Christmas brings everyone together."
Is It Any Good?
Like the previous picture books in this series, this one has straightforward text and raucous art. While the texts of previous books were written to mimic a manners book, a guidebook, and safety guidelines, Santa Rex is written as simple advice for celebrating the holiday, so it's not as clearly a send-up of a genre, and the humor feels a bit softer.
But the art's as fun as ever. While little brother wears an understated holiday sweater, there's nothing understated about the dinosaurs as they systematically destroy the house in the spirit of Christmas. When hanging stockings, they knock down the fireplace. When cutting snowflakes, T. rex shreds the curtain to make a dinosaur-sized design. And when setting the star at the top of the tree, he topples it, smashing ornaments and lights. So where will Santa leave the presents? On Christmas morning, the tree's back up. It's Christmas magic! Or is it? Kids can open the fun foldout page to see who's now standing in for the tree.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Christmas preparations in Santa Rex. Does your family celebrate Christmas or another holiday? What are your family holiday traditions?
Is the text funny? Are the pictures? How many funny jokes can you find in the art?
Have you read other stories about Cordelia and T. rex? Which are your favorites and why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Molly Idle
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Holidays
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking
- Publication date : October 17, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 5
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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