Sea Rex by Molly Idle (review)

Cordelia and her beloved T. rex, Rex, take to the beach in this latest installment of Idle’s unfailingly charming Rex series (Camp Rex, BCCB 5/14, etc.). Continuing the ironic relationship between gently guiding prose and whimsical images that subvert textual advice, Idle provides plenty of humor, with, for instance, a giggle-inducing view of Rex sporting a pool float around his waist and a tiny sailor’s hat on his head amidst the hijinks caused by seagulls, cannonball jumps, and little brothers. The dynamic illustrations, rendered in color pencil on vellum, make the most of a sunny, retro-toned palette, with pinks, corals, and shades of blue sweeping the page in both snapshot-like panels and immersive double-page spreads. With the addition of dino buddies—a sunbathing, salmon-colored triceratops, a lifeguarding, tangelo-toned pterodactyl, and a snorkeling, cerulean stegosaurus—Idle raises the endearing level. A perfect primer for summer fun, this is a sweet and silly readaloud.