You Can't Be a Pterodactyl!

PreS-Gr 2--Tommy, a fair-skinned eight-year-old, takes it literally when his teacher announces that he can be anything he wants to be when he grows up. Tommy wants to be a pterodactyl. Unfortunately, his teacher, the lunch attendant, his friends, the bus driver, and a few older kids try to squash his dream. Fortunately, he has a patient and understanding dad and a great dog. His dad asks Tommy why he wants to be a pterodactyl. After some thought, he explains that becoming a pterodactyl would let him fly above his problems; Dad suggests that he could live like a pterodactyl but still look like himself. They spend the rest of the day playing as pterodactyls. Even the dog is now sporting a dinosaur costume. Colorful and cleverly detailed illustrations move the action along to the happy ending, but the jump to successful adult Tommy is a bit jarring. VERDICT An erratic plot makes this an additional purchase, but this gentle story will appeal to dinosaur fans with dreams of their own.--Elisabeth LeBris

Seeing [Tommy] achieve the essence of his dream is just as satisfying as watching his father join in his fantasy while, no doubt, figuring out how Tommy can realistically achieve his ambition. There's gentle humor as well as warmth in both the text and the appealing digital illustrations. An engaging picture book for reading aloud. —Booklist 

Kids will cheer the satisfying, makes-perfect-sense ending. This empowering story is all about having seemingly unattainable goals and being lucky enough to have supporters willing to help achieve them. Tommy's a sweet, realistic, albeit dreamy, character; his dad, a model, caring parent. The colorful, somewhat stylized illustrations are lively and humorous.—Kirkus Reviews