Review by Booklist Review
After mastering the art of etiquette in Tea Rex (2013), our tea party host has decided to turn her attention to camping. With a troupe of humongous dinos in tow, the little girl in a giant hat follows a trail, pitches a tent, learns about local flora and fauna, canoes down a quiet river, and builds a perfect fire. Except, not quite. The illustrations reveal that the dinosaurs got distracted on the path, their tents ended up more like handkerchiefs draped across their heads, their rambunctious splashing in the river capsized her canoe, and the T. rex contributes an entire tree trunk that does not fit in the campfire. The delightful mismatch between the dry, reasonable text the seasoned camper enjoys gathering wood and the madcap mishaps in Idle's soft and colorful pencil drawings is sure to elicit giggles from the picture-book set. And for grown-ups worried about a little girl going camping in the woods by herself, never fear: they were in the backyard the whole time.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The big green tyrannosaurus rex from Caldecott Honor artist Idle's Tea Rex has some prehistoric friends with him this time around, and they're all going camping. The decorum-minded girl from the previous book remains in charge-with her oversize taupe hat, kerchief, and tailored jacket, she's channeling some serious Juliette Gordon Low-and her guidelines and instructions go hilariously awry. "Refrain from disturbing the natural landscape," she says as T. rex presents a beehive to the group, forcing them into the lake to escape the angry swarm ("There's nothing more refreshing than a dip in a mountain lake"). Once again, the deadpan writing and careful compositions work in tandem for maximum comic impact. Ages 3-5. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
In the tongue-in-cheek follow-up to Tea Rex, Cordelia and her fellow scout, along with their dinosaur pals, tout the attributes of camping outdoors: fresh air, exercise, and sticking together. Humorous grainy-textured illustrations show the real story as the troupe skirts poison ivy, handles a beehive, engages in questionable fire safety practices, and more. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Fresh from the pages of Tea Rex (2013), Cordelia, her younger brother and his teddy this time join their dino pals for a camping expedition. Again limiting the text to sage words of wisdomwhich sound remarkably like a true outdoorsy book about camping mightIdle lets the illustrations tell the tale. Once the hike and pitching of tents (most too small for dinos) are accomplished, things quickly degrade with "Learning about local flora and fauna can be great fun!" Berries, poison ivy and a hive of bees all play a role. A "refreshingdip in a mountain lake" leads to some broken canoe paddles and a few fish for the campfire, where the singalong prompts Cordelia to stuff marshmallows in her ears. Especially hysterical for seasoned campers is the suggestion that "Before you fall asleep, it's lovely to listen to the soothing sounds of the forest all around you." And adult readers will have trouble containing their laughter when the book says, "In the morning, you'll awake refreshed." The final spread of "camping" in the backyard will soothe wee ones nervous about the wilds of nature. While the pictures are tongue-in-cheek funny, some are difficult to make out due to the flat colors and the hugeness of the dinosthey often exceed the size of the page. Still, this is certain to raise more than a few giggles from the camping enthusiasts in any audience. What adventure's next? (Picture book. 4-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
