Vacation for Dexter!
by Lindsay Ward
Two Lions (April 16, 2019)
Fiction * Dinosaurs *
Audience: 4 to 7 years
IndieBound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads:
Dexter T. Rexter is on a plane—for the very first time.
Dexter can’t wait to go on vacation with his best friend, Jack. Supercool orange sunglasses? Check. Nifty travel hat? Check. Plane tickets? Uh, what? Dexter may be the toughest, coolest dinosaur around, but everyone knows T. rexes don’t fly! If anyone could do it, he could. It’s just that he’s suddenly feeling a little hot. And maybe a little nervous. But just as he starts to melt down, he notices Jack looks upset. Dexter realizes he has to be brave enough for both of them. And maybe, just maybe, he’ll start to have a bit of fun in the air.
Both nervous and funny, Dexter tells the readers what he’s feeling and even asks their advice as he comes to understand that being brave with a friend makes everything a little better. And hey, those cookies during the flight don’t hurt, either!
Quick thoughts on the book:
Everyone who has flown on a plane has a crying baby or toddler story. You don’t need to be a parent to have one of these stories either. However, if you are a parent, those experiences can try your patience.
In the latest Dexter book by Lindsay Ward, our favorite dinosaur and his buddy Jack are going on a vacation to Florida. After an initial burst of excitement about traveling and going on vacation, reality sets in and Dexter realizes that he will need to travel by plane. As with previous books, Ward perfectly captures the emotions and thoughts of toddlers and preschoolers through Dexter’s voice. It reminded me of a story that a friend shared about her then 3 year old who screamed on the plane to her grandparents’ home and once there told her parents that she would rather live with her grandparents than fly back to California. Good news, she eventually got over her fear of flying but where was Dexter and this book when she needed it?!
Another aspect of Dexter that I love is how Ward plays with perspective. For so much of the book, Dexter seems huge. This makes sense. He is after all a dinosaur. And then you get a change of perspective and realize how small Dexter really is. And it is in his smaller size that Dexter provides just the right size of comfort to his best buddy, Jack.
If you haven’t read any of the previous Dexter books, you can enter the giveaway below for a chance to win all three Dexter books. If you can’t wait, look for this book and the other Dexter titles at your local indie bookstore or community library.
About the author: Lindsay Ward is the creator of the Dexter T. Rexter series. Although she isn’t afraid of flying, she always looks forward to cookies during her flights. She is also the author and illustrator of Brobarians, Henry Finds His Word, and When Blue Met Egg. Her book Please Bring Balloons was also made into a play.
Most days you can find Lindsay with her family, writing and sketching at her home in Peninsula, Ohio. Learn more about her online at www.LindsayMWard.com or on Twitter: @lindsaymward.
Giveaway!
One lucky winner will receive a set of all three Dexter T. Rexter books--Don’t Forget Dexter! , It’s Show and Tell, Dexter!, and Vacation for Dexter! courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses).