What do you think?
Rate this book
It's Not Easy Being a T. Rex: A Dinosaur Story
Life isn't always easy—even for a T. rex! In this sweet, funny picture book, a T. rex who is self-conscious about her big teeth and small arms learns she is perfect exactly as she is! Perfect for dinosaur lovers—with a bonus message about self-acceptance!
Rexy is nervous about starting school. Her head is BIG. Her arms are small. And her teeth are the size of bananas! Rexy wants to fit in with the other dinosaurs, but after catching a kickball in her mouth (and popping the ball!) at recess, she's MORTIFIED and ready to give up. Then a volcano erupts, sending rocks flying onto the kickball field. When another dino needs help, can Rexi's powerful jaws save the day? You bet your tyrannosaur they can!
Featuring a comical cast of animal characters—including a wise-beyond-his-size dragonfly sidekick for readers to find hidden on every page—this picture book about self-acceptance, friendship, and helping others is perfect for young dinophiles!
Everyone has a rough day now and then and wishes they could do something or be someone else. Not even beloved characters like Santa Claus, ghosts, and leprechauns are immune! The It's Not Easy... picture book series explores the witty ways these iconic characters search for happiness, only to find it within themselves.
Also
It's Not Easy Being Santa Claus
It's Not Easy Being a Ghost
It's Not Easy Being a Leprechaun
Rexy is nervous about starting school. Her head is BIG. Her arms are small. And her teeth are the size of bananas! Rexy wants to fit in with the other dinosaurs, but after catching a kickball in her mouth (and popping the ball!) at recess, she's MORTIFIED and ready to give up. Then a volcano erupts, sending rocks flying onto the kickball field. When another dino needs help, can Rexi's powerful jaws save the day? You bet your tyrannosaur they can!
Featuring a comical cast of animal characters—including a wise-beyond-his-size dragonfly sidekick for readers to find hidden on every page—this picture book about self-acceptance, friendship, and helping others is perfect for young dinophiles!
Everyone has a rough day now and then and wishes they could do something or be someone else. Not even beloved characters like Santa Claus, ghosts, and leprechauns are immune! The It's Not Easy... picture book series explores the witty ways these iconic characters search for happiness, only to find it within themselves.
Also
It's Not Easy Being Santa Claus
It's Not Easy Being a Ghost
It's Not Easy Being a Leprechaun
- GenresPicture BooksDinosaurs
32 pages, Hardcover
Published September 30, 2025
About the author
Marilyn Sadler
79 books48 followersWith a degree in fine arts, Marilyn Sadler assumed she would be an illustrator. But when early in her career she was presented with an opportunity to write, she seized it and quickly discovered that she had found her true love. No sad, sappy stories for her, however. She likes to make herself laugh, and with that her characters usually end up looking pretty silly for one reason or another.
Her first children’s book featured a fastidious little English boy named Alistair Grittle and was originally created for the English publisher, Hamish Hamilton, as well as for Simon & Schuster in the United States. Having created a boy with such perfect behavior, she then turned her attention to a not so perfectly behaved little boy. His name was P.J. Funnybunny, and he has existed in a series of books for Random House, including the highly prestigious Dr. Seuss Cat In the Hat series.
Marilyn’s television credits include two PBS Reading Rainbow programs featuring Alistair, an Alistair program for the BBC, three ABC Weekend Specials featuring P.J. Funnybunny, and a show based on her children’s book, "Elizabeth and Larry", for Showtime’s Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.
Between 1999 and 2004, The Disney Channel produced three Original Movies based on her book, "Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century". Each of Disney’s Zenon movies had exceptionally high ratings, with Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century and Zenon the Zequel among the highest rated shows in the history of The Disney Channel.
In 2004, Playhouse Disney began production on Marilyn and Roger Bollen's animated series, Handy Manny. Handy Manny premiered September 16, 2006, as the highest rated Playhouse Disney series premiere of all time. In 2009, Marilyn was nominated for an Emmy Award as Executive Producer of Handy Manny.
Her first children’s book featured a fastidious little English boy named Alistair Grittle and was originally created for the English publisher, Hamish Hamilton, as well as for Simon & Schuster in the United States. Having created a boy with such perfect behavior, she then turned her attention to a not so perfectly behaved little boy. His name was P.J. Funnybunny, and he has existed in a series of books for Random House, including the highly prestigious Dr. Seuss Cat In the Hat series.
Marilyn’s television credits include two PBS Reading Rainbow programs featuring Alistair, an Alistair program for the BBC, three ABC Weekend Specials featuring P.J. Funnybunny, and a show based on her children’s book, "Elizabeth and Larry", for Showtime’s Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.
Between 1999 and 2004, The Disney Channel produced three Original Movies based on her book, "Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century". Each of Disney’s Zenon movies had exceptionally high ratings, with Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century and Zenon the Zequel among the highest rated shows in the history of The Disney Channel.
In 2004, Playhouse Disney began production on Marilyn and Roger Bollen's animated series, Handy Manny. Handy Manny premiered September 16, 2006, as the highest rated Playhouse Disney series premiere of all time. In 2009, Marilyn was nominated for an Emmy Award as Executive Producer of Handy Manny.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 30, 2025
Rexy is nervous about fitting in on her first day of school. It takes a few embarrassments and encouragement from her peers, but in the end she sees that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and she's proud to be herself.
The moral is pretty obvious. It's a sweet enough book and highly relatable. The illustrations are fun with all the cartoon dinos in clothes. It doesn't stand out much, but it's still nice.
The moral is pretty obvious. It's a sweet enough book and highly relatable. The illustrations are fun with all the cartoon dinos in clothes. It doesn't stand out much, but it's still nice.
March 24, 2026
This is a bright, playful story with a message that quietly sticks with you long after the last page.
Rexy is nervous for her first day of school — and for good reason. Being a T. Rex comes with some unique challenges (tiny arms, big presence… you know the drill). As she navigates her day, she quickly realizes she doesn’t quite fit the mold of the other dinosaurs. It’s a relatable, gentle setup that many kids will immediately connect with.
But what makes this story shine is how naturally it shifts from insecurity to confidence. Rexy begins to recognize that the very things that make her different are actually her strengths. It’s not a heavy-handed lesson — just a simple, encouraging reminder that everyone has their own unique gifts.
The illustrations are vibrant and full of personality, with expressive characters and fun details that keep kids engaged. The font is playful and easy to read, with bold callout words that add energy and excitement to the story. Everything is thoughtfully laid out, making it a smooth and enjoyable read-aloud from start to finish.
Rexy is nervous for her first day of school — and for good reason. Being a T. Rex comes with some unique challenges (tiny arms, big presence… you know the drill). As she navigates her day, she quickly realizes she doesn’t quite fit the mold of the other dinosaurs. It’s a relatable, gentle setup that many kids will immediately connect with.
But what makes this story shine is how naturally it shifts from insecurity to confidence. Rexy begins to recognize that the very things that make her different are actually her strengths. It’s not a heavy-handed lesson — just a simple, encouraging reminder that everyone has their own unique gifts.
The illustrations are vibrant and full of personality, with expressive characters and fun details that keep kids engaged. The font is playful and easy to read, with bold callout words that add energy and excitement to the story. Everything is thoughtfully laid out, making it a smooth and enjoyable read-aloud from start to finish.
September 20, 2025
As is the case for most of us, Rexy suffers from a lack of self-esteem. She worries about the size of her head. teeth, and arms, and she's sure that her new classmates will be nothing like her. The digital artwork and text depict her nervousness, which is only exacerbated after a couple of embarrassing incidents. But as it turns out, each of the other dinosaurs has something about which they also feel insecure. Maybe Rexy is a lot more awesome than she thought. This picture book would be a good choice for the first day of school since it offers reassurance that others have similar fears or anxieties about their looks and abilities.
October 7, 2025
This is the fourth book in Marlyn Sadler's series It's Not Easy Being A. In this book a young T. Rex takes center stage. Worried about how she might fit in with the other dinosaurs at dino school, Rexy discovers she can make contributions to her friends and discovers that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Steph Laberis is back to do the illustrations and cleverly captures all the action in bold fun illustrations.
November 4, 2025
Jack borrowed this book from the Canal Winchester library. Dada picked it because they both love dinosaurs. Jack asked me to read it this morning, so we did. It’s a cute little story, and Jack enjoyed all the dinosaurs.
February 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. It is a great way to show how we are all different, and how are differences make us great.
June 9, 2026
Cute story with even cuter illustrations about a first day of school, being different, and learning to love yourself as you are built.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews