The Christmasaurus

by Tom Fletcher (Author) Shane DeVries (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

Why settle for a pony or a puppy for Christmas when you could have a dinosaur? A rollicking adventure from singer-songwriter and YouTuber Tom Fletcher!

Once upon a time--long, long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth--an egg rolled away from its mother and landed in the ocean, where it froze solid and stayed peacefully for thousands of years. Then one day Santa and his elves discover the frozen egg, and Santa sits on it to see if it will hatch. But he can't guess what's inside. . . . A dinosaur!

Meanwhile, a young boy named William Trundle has only ever wished for one thing for Christmas: a dinosaur! So when Santa accidentally gives William the real Christmasaurus instead of a stuffed replica, it's the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! Until an evil man known as the Hunter decides a dinosaur will be the perfect addition to his collection.

A wild and hilarious adventure ensues in this instant Christmas classic!

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Publishers Weekly

In this quirky Christmas outing, William Trundle--a dinosaur enthusiast who is being teased by a bully because he uses a wheelchair--requests a real dinosaur from Santa. Luckily, a prologue explains, a single frozen dinosaur egg happens to have survived. Santa's elves dig it up in the North Pole, and Santa reluctantly agrees to sit atop it (his "bum" is the only one big enough). Out hatches Christmasaurus: in Devries's charming, grayscale art, the dino appears as a friendly creature with horns and a featherlike fringe around his neck. Christmasaurus--who doesn't feel like he fits in among the elves, reindeer, and Santa--accidentally hitches a ride on the sleigh. Readers will guess that Christmasaurus and William are destined for one another--but first, a dastardly villain with a pipe and a pup intervenes. Making his middle grade debut, songwriter Fletcher offers a goofy-humored fantasy about differences, friendship, and holiday magic. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6—Meet William Trundle, a 10-year-old boy who loves dinosaurs, Christmas and his father. William begins his story a happy-go-lucky boy who uses a wheelchair, has lots of friends, and believes in Santa. But the school bully, Brenda Payne, torments William so that he becomes unhappy, friendless, and worried that he is a burden to his father. After a particularly bad day at school, William's father explains the power of belief and reminds William to write his letter to Santa, suggesting he ask for something that would make William happy. Nothing would make William happier than a dinosaur but in no way does he imagine that Santa would bring him a real one. So, when a mix up in the North Pole lands Christmasaurus in William's home on Christmas Eve, the face-to-face encounter is startling to them both but an instant friendship is formed. An adventure begins with the two trying to get Christmasaurus home to the North Pole and Santa; on the way they make an unlikely friend and realize that believing in something is powerful. They are also being chased by the dastardly and evil Hunter, a renown marksmen who only hunts the most unique and rare creatures in the world. Black-and-white illustrations throughout. VERDICT The book starts slow; between the backstory of the Christmasaurus and the rhyming, singing elves, it takes a while to become invested in William's story; but in the end, it is a satisfying feel-good Christmas caper.—Lisa Nabel, Kitsap Regional Library, WA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Tom Fletcher is a creative and magical storyteller who is guaranteed to make readers laugh!" —James Patterson

"A sweet holiday story that would work well as a family read-aloud." —Booklist online

"Making his middle grade debut, songwriter Fletcher offers a goofy-humored fantasy about differences, friendship, and holiday magic." —Publishers Weekly
Tom Fletcher
TOM FLETCHER is one of the UK's bestselling authors for children and creator of the incredibly successful Who's In Your Book? picture-book series. His first book The Christmasaurus was the biggest debut middle-grade novel of 2016, and The Creakers was a number one bestseller. The Dinosaur That Pooped picture books, written with his bandmate Dougie Poynter, have sold over a million copies. For older readers, Tom co-authors the Eve of Man series with his wife, Giovanna Fletcher. Tom's books have been translated into more than thirty-five languages and counting.

GREG ABBOTT is an illustrator and graphic designer. He created the adorable illustrations for There's a Monster in Your Book, There's an Elf in Your Book, and There's a Dragon in Your Book. In addition to children's books, Greg has created apparel, prints, toys, greeting cards, and other merchandise. He lives in West Sussex, England. Visit him on Tumblr at gregabbott.tumblr.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781524773335
Lexile Measure
840
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 06, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002060 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures
JUV037000 - Juvenile Fiction | Fantasy & Magic
JUV017010 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Christmas & Advent
Library of Congress categories
Humorous stories
Dinosaurs
Fathers and sons
Adventure and adventurers
Adventure stories
People with disabilities
Christmas stories
Adventure fiction
Christmas
Santa Claus
Christmas fiction

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