Wednesday, December 12, 2018

THE CHRISTMASAUSRUS by Tom Fletcher / Blog Tour: Book Review #TheChristmasaurus


By: Tom Fletcher
Illustrated by: Shane Devries
Published by: Random House Kids
Released on: October 23, 2018
Ages: 8 & up
Purchase Links
Goodreads
Rating: 5 Owlets
Thank you to RHK for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Why settle for a pony or a puppy for Christmas when you could have a dinosaur? A rollicking adventure from singer-songwriter and YouTuber Tom Fletcher.

Once upon a time--long, long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth--an egg rolled away from its mother and landed in the ocean, where it froze solid and stayed peacefully for thousands of years. Then one day Santa and his elves discover the frozen egg, and Santa sits on it to see if it will hatch. But he can't guess what's inside. . . . A dinosaur!

Meanwhile, a young boy named William Trundle has only ever wished for one thing for Christmas: a dinosaur! So when Santa accidentally gives William the real Christmasaurus instead of a stuffed replica, it's the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! Until an evil man known as the Hunter decides a dinosaur will be the perfect addition to his collection.

A wild and hilarious adventure ensues. An instant Christmas classic!


"Believing is the most powerful magic of all."

Why settle for any other Christmas story when you can read one about a Christmas-aurus? If you've not heard of a Christmasaurus before, I hadn't either until I read Tom's book. Now I want one. This one of a kind Christmas dinosaur definitely steals the show in this sweet holiday story.  

Tom Fletcher is a fantastic story teller! He has created a story that captures the essence of Christmas, while at the same time creating the perfect laugh out loud families / classrooms will enjoy. It's a fun mix of a kid friendly Christmas caper, mixed with a North Pole adventure, complete with elves (not the kind you're thinking), a villain who is not nice at all, and another who turns out to not be so quite as bad as she thinks she is, and a boy named William Trundle whom you can't help but love. 

I loved that Tom Fletcher created a main character who is in a wheel chair. It's not often you find a character in a wheelchair in kid books. William is a character so many readers will love, and identify with. Despite how amazing he is, he's a kid who does get bullied. He doesn't let that stop him from being who he is, or believing in what he believes in (Santa). There's an interesting turn of events with William and the person who bullies him that ties into the Christmas part of this story. 

Rich in family friendly humor, this story paired with beautifully illustrations is a must read. I absolutely loved it! I highly recommend picking this book up! Don't forget to look at the extras at the end of this book. It's totally worth it. I'm hoping this will be the first of many books from Fletcher and Devries.

I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~