Review - Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex

Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex
by Eva Chen
illustrated by Matthew Rivera
Date: 2020
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Instagram superstar and New York Times bestselling author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes Eva Chen embarks on an all-new picture book venture of jurassic proportions, vibrantly brought to life by Matthew Rivera's rainbow watercolors.

Dinosaurs are awesome. Unicorns are, too. So what happens when you combine the best parts of each?

Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex!

Join Roxy in all her sassy, steak-loving, glittery glory as she learns about the importance of staying true to yourself, celebrating your differences, and finding friends who love you for who you are.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Aside from the colour-popping illustrations and the nice little rundown of various dinosaurs in the back, I'm not sure what this book has going for it. After the initial gimmick of a dinosaur crossed with a unicorn, there's not much else. Roxy has trouble fitting in because she's not like all the other dinosaurs at her school. Apparently, her mom was getting frisky with her food and got pregnant with... wait a minute. It's probably best not to overthink this one. Anyway, Roxy is the only dinosaur-unicorn hybrid... or so she thinks.

I'm not sure what the message is here. It's not quite "be yourself", because that just led to loneliness. It's not "there's a friend out there for everyone", because what are the chances of finding a second creature that shouldn't exist in the first place? Okay, the premise is kind of funny, but it doesn't really go anywhere.

The idea is creative. But it's not quite enough to sustain a whole picture book (at least, not the way it's done here).

Premise: 2/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.33 out of 5

Review - Fussy Flamingo

Fussy Flamingo
by Shelly Vaughan James
illustrated by Matthew Rivera
Date: 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Lola, a young flamingo, knows that eating shrimp will make her feathers pink, but when her parents look away she tries different foods and turns a series of wild colors.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Aside from some iffy speech tags, this is a cute picture book about a young flamingo who just won't eat the shrimp that will turn her a distinctive pink. Instead, she defies her parents and tries all sorts of other foods, from avocados to melons, with colourful results. Can her parents convince her to try a new food?

The story is amusing and the illustrations are colourful and engaging. There are also a couple of pages at the back with some real-life flamingo facts, which is a nice touch.

This would be a good book for kids who are interested in these fascinating birds and their plumage... or for picky eaters who need a little nudge to try something new.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 2/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3 out of 5