Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Edna the Very First Chicken

July 3, 2017
This is alternative paleontological history played strictly for laughs. Rees (the Uncle Pirate books) and Henry (Time for Cranberries) imagine that a T-rex that terrorized the Cretaceous is finally bested by a petite, doe-eyed hen named Edna. “I am big and fierce and you should be afraid of me,” says Tyrannosaurus. “I am small and brave and you should be afraid of me,” retorts Edna, literally eye-to-eye with him. But Edna is more than just talk: as a savvy underdog, she knows that the right tools, strategically employed—sharp beak and claws, sneeze-inducing feathers, airborne nimbleness—can rout a lumbering lout. Henry’s digitally tweaked watercolors, which have an approachable vividness reminiscent of the Land Before Time films, are rendered in radiant hues and punctuated with crowd-pleasing proclamations (“Beware my pointy claws and many feathers,” says Edna) and interjections (“Schnorch!” is the sound of a T-rex sneeze). Emily Dickinson called hope “the thing with feathers”; Rees and Henry prove that “fierce” can have feathers, too. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Justin Rucker, Shannon Associates.

July 15, 2017
T. rex meets his match. Actually, he never has a chance.Roaring to the forest at large that he's after his breakfast, Tyrannosaurus sends Ankylosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and the rest of the heavily armored dinos fleeing in panic. But not Edna, who looks like a garden-variety white barnyard chicken with enormous, long-lashed eyes and a perky beak. She stands firm, responding defiantly to his blustering "I am big and fierce and you should be afraid of me," with a firm "I am small and brave and you should be afraid of me." And indeed, when he snaps her up what she does inside his mouth with her "pointy claws" and "many feathers" leaves him a sneezing, pathetic wreck: "I am Ahanasawus Ex....I am ing of e orest." With a severe "CLUCK!" she chases him away, never to be seen again--and that, children, "is why today there are no Tyrannosaurus Rexes but plenty of chickens." Using warm tones and pastels to illustrate this altogether reasonable theory (though the author discounts it in his afterword), Henry's amusing prehistoric scenes feature a variety of recognizable dinos (all save Edna sans feathers) with anthropomorphic expressions. Readers will join the chorus of grateful herbivores in proclaiming that Edna is "awesome." (Picture book. 6-8)

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July 1, 2018
Despite a Tyrannosaurus rex's fearsome reputation, he is no match for Edna, the world's first chicken. "I am small and brave and you should be afraid of me," declares Edna. A slapstick narrative--complete with guttural sounds ("Ughk. Oookh. Eegh")--plays well with Henry's digital-watercolor illustrations; see especially Edna pecking and clawing her way out of the T. rex's large mouth.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from October 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1- This prehistoric romp opens with Tyrannosaurus Rex throwing his weight around as usual, terrifying other dinosaurs as he searches of a suitable breakfast. As the other dinos flee in terror, Edna, the very first chicken, stands her ground, and when the "lord of the forest" tries to eat her, he gets a nasty surprise. This title is a delight. Edna adds a quirky element to the usual dinosaur book fare, and the voices of the various characters here-especially the T. rex after Edna sinks her pointy claws into his tongue-will make for a hilarious choice for bedtime read-alouds and library storytimes. The audience will also appreciate the colorful visual gags such as Edna's feathered behind disappearing off the page as she torpedoes from the T. rex's mouth. VERDICT Funny, colorful, and different. Try this with Rachael Mortimer's The Three Billy Goats Fluff for a pairing featuring wily animals that save the day.- Henrietta Verma, National Information Standards Organization, Baltimore

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