Stegothesaurus by Bridget Heos, T.L. McBeth
Published by Henry Holt & Company on June 12th 2018
ISBN: 1250134889
Pages: 40
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“Stegothesaurus,” by Bridget Heos and illustrated by T. L. McBeth, follows three stegosaurus brothers as they go about their lives. But one brother is not a simple stegosaur. He is a stegothesaurus! Whenever his brothers use one word, Stegothesaurus uses three different words to say the same thing. When an allosaurus jumps out to attack them, his brothers run away, but Stegothesaurus is frozen, thinking of different ways to describe the allosaur’s pointy and terrifying teeth!

McBeth’s illustrations are simple and colorful and very humorous! Kids will repeat the words that Stegothesaurus uses to describe things (don’t be surprised if the next time it’s hot out, your child says it is “blazing, blistering, broiling!”) Heos takes an idea that has been done in the past (“Thesaurus Rex” comes to mind) and makes it original and very funny. This book is a must-buy for a library’s picture book collection, or for kids who enjoy funny read-aloud books. With the hilarious plot, quotable dialogue, and simple and silly illustrations, I can see this book becoming a favorite for many children.

Reviewed by Kate Radke, Walker Memorial Library, Westbrook