COOKIESAURUS REX

A dinosaur-shaped cookie takes matters—and frosting—into his own doughy hands.

The dino comes out of the oven full of himself, claiming to be “Cookiesaurus Rex, the King of All Cookies.” While he likes the green frosting the hand of his white baker squirts on him, he becomes disgruntled at the sight of the other cookies’ decorations, which include sprinkles, shiny stars, and gumdrops. He demands a “do over.” But the baker isn’t too fond of Rex’s imperiousness, issuing commands with nary a “please.” The hand uses bright pink frosting to turn Rex into a ballerina. The dino scrapes it off with a spatula, but the tantrum prompts the hand to turn him into a diapered baby, complete with a chocolate-chip trail of poop. That’s it! Let the battle begin! Rex is a superhero, a duck (“Ha-ha. I’m quacking up”), a ninja, a clown. But when Rex fashions himself into a king to beat all Mardi Gras kings, readers see a bit more of the creator than just a hand. The other cookies can’t help but smirk: “He took a licking.” Ford’s bright and funny illustrations perfectly complement Dominy and Evans’ tongue-in-cheek text. The cheeky dino is full of personality and spunk, and his facial expressions are priceless, inevitably recalling Daffy’s in the classic cartoon “Duck Amuck.”

Have cookie dough and frosting ready, as kids are sure to want to try their own hands at decorating after a few laugh-filled rereads.