KIRKUS

“A Best Book of 2023”

“A Best Pick of November”

“Starred Review”

Two pals prove differences don’t interfere with best friendships.

Easygoing, reliable Rex and playful, impetuous Drag are the closest of companions; both live together contentedly in a small woodland house. Rex is a square-faced T. rex; Drag is a winged, toothy, fire-breathing dragon. Rex has many talents. He’s a keen baker, an accomplished pianist, and a skillful knitter—no mean feats, given his short arms. Drag, who’s a tad slower on the uptake, often gets up to mischief, but he also likes to see the bright side of things. This appealing, humorous charmer, the first in a winning new series about a pair of endearing BFFs, consists of three stories, each made up of three short chapters. Each chapter relies heavily on warm, humorous dialogue that reveals characters bursting with personality, their friendship based on mutual respect and caring, as well as touches of laugh-out-loud silliness—as all forever-friendships should be. Young readers will be delighted by these two and will clamor to join them for forthcoming adventures. The cozy, lively illustrations portray Rex and Drag’s tight bond. Interestingly, the pals’ different natures are also demonstrated via their sartorial choices: Casual Drag likes sweatshirts and jeans, occasionally with rips at the knees, while conservative Rex prefers pullovers, business shirts, and smart slacks. An especially cute new duo to the series scene. (Chapter book. 6-8)

BOOKLIST

Best friends Rex (a T. rex) and Drag (a dragon) are roommates who do everything together. Their daily activities, misunderstandings, and caring attitudes fill the short stories in this illustrated chapter book for independent readers. Each themed section (“Full of Surprises,” “Winter Fun,” and “The Scary Story”) is broken into three easy-to-digest chapters that utilize limited vocabulary and darling, full-color illustrations. The gentle action and silly escapades are just right for youngsters, who will have no trouble following these friendship stories. “Full of Surprises” is set in the duo’s kitchen, where they debate what to have for breakfast and bake a cake (with mixed success) for a friend. “Winter Fun” sees Rex and Drag go through the hard labor of suiting up for a day of playing in the snow, which includes building a snow bear and iceskating. Lastly, “The Scary Story” takes an amusing approach to monster stories when Drag realizes the frightening book he’s reading is actually about a dragon like him and not scary at all. A promising start to a sweet new series.

Horn Book

In spite of their differences, Drag, a relaxed, spontaneous dragon, and Rex, a more serious and somewhat stiff dinosaur, are the best of friends. When they make a snowbear together, Drag accidentally melts it by breathing fire a bit too close; but then Drag encourages Rex to recover from disappointment and skate on the ice that forms. Later, Rex, wearing a button-down shirt and a sweater with elbow patches, helps Drag, in his T-shirt and jeans, calm down enough to notice that the scary story he is reading can’t actually be too scary, since it is about a dragon. The book is divided into three sections, and each section is further divided into three chapters. The stories have plenty of humor; in “Snow Day,” readers may empathize with the friends’ exhaustion when they finally conquer all the buttons, zippers, buckles, and laces involved in getting dressed to go outside—and instead they take a nap. Russo’s lighthearted cartoon-style illustrations on every page and the abundance of white space and attention to layout all work well together to make the book approachable for young chapter-book readers. Give this to fans of Cordell’s Cornbread and Poppy (rev. 3/22) and Snyder’s Charlie and Mouse (rev. 7/17) and their sequels.

Elizabeth Bird’s Fuse #8 31 Days 31 Lists

This one slips oh so slightly onto the early chapter book rather than easy book list, but just barely. I’m also going to give it some extra points for figuring out early on that when looking for new duos to pair as friends in a book series, a dino and a dragon is super fun. I mean, just look at that cover. Do you notice how Drag has a stuffed princess doll while Rex has a stuffed triceratops? Lubner goes for the odd couple groove in this book, with Rex being the careful, practical one and Drag being the impulsive wild child. Their adventures are split neatly into three little stories, and each little story has its own chapters. So for a kid that doesn’t think that they’re quite ready for chapter books yet, this title makes for excellent transition material. The stories are good, but full credit must be handed to Blythe Russo who is able to bring such charm to the watercolor art. Let me put it this way: Haven’t you always wanted to see a T.rex wearing a sweater with patches on the elbows? Well, now you can.

School Library Journal Post-it Reviews

A perfect book for emerging readers. Little episodic chapters, big and bright (and adorable) illustrations, and great friends who are kind and just a little silly. I can’t wait for more stories of Drag and Rex!