Klauss, Lucas. Surprise Dinosaur! Mike Moran, Illus. Sourcebooks, 04/2025. [44]pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 978-1-72829-091-1. GRADES Preschool–2. ADDITIONAL.
The overly excited title character, a friendly green T-Rex, narrates this tale of his visit to a school: “Surprise Dinosaur! That’s me! I love surprises. Everybody loves surprises.” Unfortunately, he scares many people—so he tries to moderate his behavior, with mixed results. The text is in both short paragraphs and dialogue balloons, and the humor seems best suited to children who are beginning school. The digitally created, full-color artwork resembles classic Warner Bros. cartoons, with the children representing various racial groups. The story is somewhat uneven but will help with social emotional learning about social cues. Review based on an ARC.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool