Product Description

Alex is set on a dinosaur for a pet. So his grandfather takes him to the Dino-Store to buy one, a Massospondylus. Alex calls her Fred. But Fred eats far too much; her special hot steaming marsh in the bathroom is unhealthy; and when she goes to school the classroom makes her feel very sick. They have to go on a walk in the country — and now even Alex says, “This is going too far!” In the end, Alex is the first to agree when his grandfather suggests that his pet should actually be . . . a rabbit!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1637513 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-24
• Released on: 2006-10-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 32 pages

From Publishers Weekly
His friend Alice has two snails, Ben has a dog and Alex is absolutely desperate to own a dinosaur. His grandfather says, "A boy wants a dinosaur this much, a boy should have a dinosaur." At the Dino-Store Alex falls in love with a female Massospondylus, which he buys and names Fred. The logistics of owning such a monstrous pet are daunting: dinosaurs eat constantly ("two bags of fossils soaked in all the milk in the fridge" are but a snack), while the requisite marsh that Alex builds overflows the confines of the bathroom. Soon Fred isn't as spunky as she once was, and Alex and his grandfather walk her out into the country where she perks up considerably at the sight of "a crusty old swamp." In a snappy surprise ending, Alex reconsiders pet ownership--in more realistic terms. Oram's gently raucous sense of humor is fully exercised in this droll tale. Exhibiting their characteristic clarity and angularity, Kitamura's ( When Sheep Cannot Sleep ; Lily Takes a Walk ) illustrations brim with fanciful details. Ages 3-6.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- Alex wants a dinosaur, and his sax-playing grandfather takes him to the Dino-Store to pick one out. It's a tough decision, but when Massospondylus rolls on her back and licks his hand, Alex knows he has found his pet. He names her Fred and takes her home, only to find that keeping a dinosaur can be troublesome. Fred wallows in the bathroom (now converted to a marshland), chews everything including a neighbor's cat, and attacks a passing truck mistaken for a Tyrannosaurus. When a trip to the country finds Fred befriending another dinosaur, Alex abruptly wakes up and informs his obliging grandfather that he'd rather have a rabbit. The dream ending is the only disappointment since readers have come to accept a world in which sheep and dinosaurs dot the landscape. The crisp text and marvelously original illustrations turn what could have been a cliched story into a dinosaur delight. The book's quirky, understated humor makes it an irresistible tale. --Lori A. Janick, Parkwood Elementary School, Pasadena, TX
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ingram
Alex doesn't want an ordinary pet, he wants a dinosaur.