Tyrone O'Saurus Dreams by James Howe (review)

Despite his father's wishes, Tyrone O'Saurus does not want to be a dentist; nor does he want to be the lawyer his mother envisions. He doesn't really want to be a football player like his brother either, but he isn't quite ready to reveal what he does aspire to be, so he figures he may as well try to follow in big bro's footsteps. Unfortunately, no matter how much time he puts into training, he can't quite master catching or throwing; his time at the gym, however, does pay off when he meets Brontorina and finds his place learning to dance at Madame Lucille's Outdoor Dance Academy for Girls and Boys and Dinosaurs and Cows. This particular challenge to gender roles has certainly been done before, but this one is a bit more subtle: no one here is telling Tyrone he can't be a dancer because he's a boy, he's just not ready to articulate what he does want and when he finally does, big bro is his biggest supporter. Viewers will key onto his desires pretty quickly as Cecil's precise, textured oils have Tyrone often poised on tiptoe or balanced in an arabesque pose, and the spread with kids, dinos, and, yes, cows dancing away at Madame Lucille's is especially giggleworthy. This is an easy pick for a dance-themed storytime or a discussion of finding one's interests and supporting others in their search.