RORY THE DINOSAUR

Rory is a young dinosaur who loves to do things with his dad, but when his father takes some time to relax, Rory decides to set off on a solo adventure.

Rory “has a lot of energy. Sometimes too much.” When his dad takes a break with a book, Rory thinks, “Everything is quiet. Too quiet.” He hatches a plan to leave their island home in search of fun. Readers will notice his father not far behind. Soon Rory encounters obstacles such as a river and a wild pig. Unbeknownst to Rory, his dad has slipped under the water so his spines can act as “stepping stones” allowing Rory to cross the river, and his unnoticed assistance doesn’t end there. As Rory’s confidence in his accomplishments grows, his poor dad becomes increasingly bedraggled. Climo uses abundant white space to set off her digitally rendered characters. Hand-lettering sets off Rory’s thoughts from the text, as when he realizes he forgot his drink: “aw, man.” (His dad helps there, too.) Returning home (one step behind dad), Rory excitedly recounts his adventure while his father patiently listens. Rory proclaims, “I’ll wait a while before I leave home again. I don’t want you to miss me too much.” Indeed.

Readers will appreciate the clean design and the warm and humorous story; they’ll hope Rory sets off again soon.