DINOSAUR PIE

What to do when you suddenly find yourself turned into a dino?

Rory is having the weirdest week ever. It starts off normally: He’s psyched about a new update to his favorite online game but arrives late to school despite his mum’s best efforts. Then he gets in trouble when he falls asleep in class, which leads to a panic attack—a common occurrence due to his ADHD, which he takes in stride (“Just a glitch,” as he tells his friends). That night, his mum serves him “dinosaur pie” for dinner, which tastes pretty good but makes him sleepy. When Rory awakens, he’s a feathered, square-jawed Deinonychus. Concerned, Rory’s mum checks the package label: “CAUTION: MAY CAUSE DINOSAUR TRANSFORMATION.” Now Rory is stuck as a dino until they can figure out what to do. For the rest of the week, he and his friends take a lot of selfies, his mum writes him a note explaining his odd appearance to his teachers, and they all try to investigate the store where the dinosaur pie came from. Though Rory deals with the ramifications of having a tail and not being able to talk, overall, this is a goofy story sure to inspire laughs. The tone stays light throughout, and the first-person narration offers readers a window into Rory’s thoughts. Amusing, blocky illustrations depict Rory and his mum with pale skin; several secondary characters are dark-skinned.

A roar-ing good time!