Santa Rex

Tea Rex #4

by Molly Idle

Cordelia is celebrating her favorite winter holiday with her Cretaceous buddies. Will Santa Rex bring her everything she asked for? The Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator of "Flora and the Flamingo" comes an ideal stocking stuffer for young fans. Full color.

Genres: Picture Books, Christmas, Dinosaurs, Holiday, Childrens, Animals, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

About the author

Molly Idle has been drawing ever since she could wield a pencil. But while she started scribbling before she could walk, her professional career as an artist began slightly later…

It was upon her graduation from Arizona State University, with a BFA in Drawing, that Molly accepted an offer to work for DreamWorks Feature Animation Studios. After five years, a number of film credits, and an incredibly good time, she left the studio and leapt with gusto into the world of children's book illustration!

Molly now lives in Arizona with her brilliant husband, two wonderfully mischievous sons, and two snugly cats. When not making mischief with her boys or watching old Technicolor musicals, she can be found at her desk scribbling away, with a pencil in one hand and a cup of espresso in the other- creating a plethora of profoundly whimsical picture books!

Reviews

[Andréa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish I could live in a Molly Idle illustration.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The children and dinosaurs whose story began in Tea Rex , and then continued in Camp Rex and Sea Rex , return in this fourth picture-book romp, this time celebrating Christmas. Presented in guide-book format, just like its predecessors, this tongue-in-cheek holiday title gives advice on how to prepare for Christmas day, while the artwork depicts the children's dinosaur guests running a bit amok...

As with its predecessors, I enjoyed the humorous contrast here between the calm, almost anodyne text and the rather more expressive illustrations. As is always the case with Molly Idle, the artwork in Santa Rex manages to be both cute and beautiful (not always the same thing!), capturing the humorous hi-jinks of the dinosaurs (and the little boy) to perfection. My favorite scene involved T-Rex using the curtains to make cut-out snowflakes! Recommended to Molly Idle fans, and to anyone who read and enjoyed the previous picture-books in the Tea Rex series.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple with wonderful illustrations.

[Candace · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simply adorable. The mishaps elicited real laugh out loud chuckles. The message is sweet, and the illustrations are gorgeous.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable as always.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

The characters from Tea with Rex prepare for Christmas together. They make decorations, decorate the house, bake Christmas cookies, and go to sleep early on Christmas night anticipating the surprises in store on Christmas day, but also just enjoying their time together.

If you just read the text of this without the pictures it could sound like a sweet and simple preparation for Christmas. But in the illustrations you have several dinosaurs eager to "help" the young boy and girl, which often results in comedic occurrences. I like that all of the activities are things young readers could really do to help prepare for Christmas, from making paper chains to helping bake Christmas cookies and decorate a tree. Idle's illustrations are soft and charming, adding to the cozy and lightly humorous feel of the book. A very fun holiday read for kids excited about preparing for Christmas.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Challenge: BookADayMay 2023: 22/31; LizziefayeLovesBooks/Serious About Series - Bonus series: Series started and finished in 2023: 3/4; Reading Goal Posts/Stacking the Series - Category 22/23 - series started in 2023. What better way to end this quartet than with Rex bringing Steg, Tri, and Ptera to help friends prepare for Christmas. Largesse does create some mayhem indoors as in the first book when tea is served, but this is overlooked as friends being together on Christmas eve and morning are most important. Idle softens the red color that signals the holiday festivities into nice, penciled tints to create a cozy atmosphere. Completion of this particular series goes toward reading all of this local author's accessible work.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

dle, Molly Santa Rex. PICTURE BOOK. Viking (Penguin), 2017. $18. 9780425290118

T-rex and his friends are back again: this time to help you get ready fort he holidays. Chock full of all kinds of good advice and wry illustrations, you will have so much fun not only reading, but exploring each illustrations for the humor contained within. The stegosaurus is my personal favorite, though watching T-rex try to cut out snowflakes and hang the tree topper is a very close second!

Pre- K, EL (K-3) – ESSENTIAL. Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017...

[Jj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet. This would be a good one for the kids as they are helping with holiday preparations. Some of the dinosaur mishaps are quite familiar to humans, esp. human children. The seasonal merriment is definitely present in this one.

I know the author worked in animation for awhile, for DreamWorks. The animation background is definitely is evident in her work, but her books often seem to embody a sort of throwback Walt Disney feel to them, in a good way--emphasizing joy and wonder, whimsy and a little nod to mischief. This book is no exception.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting ready for Christmas is one of the best times of the year, and young readers usually love the fun colorful books that celebrate that. This fun picture book by the author of Flora and the Flamingo shows the silly complications that can occur when T. Rex and his friends come to help you get ready for the holidays. Festive illustrations in warm, cheerful colors show the mayhem of big dinosaurs helping to make decorations, bake cookies, and hang stockings. The story kind of reminds me of the crazy mishaps in the Clifford the Big Red Dog series by Norman Bridwell.

[Whatmykidsandiread Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I’ve found the perfect Christmas book for the dinosaur lover. “Santa Rex” is a how-to guide for holiday entertaining with dinosaur guests. 🦖😉 After all, its always good to be prepared...

Molly Idle, the author and obvious dinosaur holiday expert, takes the reader through cookie baking (keep one eye on the stegosaurus at all times), tree decorating (maybe pick someone other than the T-Rex to put the star on the tree), and keeping watch for Santa (please note that dinos don’t fit in the fireplace). A must-read for every dino-obsessed reader, from toddler to adult.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best part about this book are the colorful illustrations. They are simple, but charming and funny.
A variety of dinosaurs try to help two kids get ready for Christmas but end up unintentionally creating problems instead.
T-Rex saves the day in a surprise fold out page on Christmas morning.
Most of the pages only have one sentence, enough to tell the story but not lose children's interest.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two children celebrate Christmas with a Tyrannosaurus rex, Triceratops, and a Pterodactylus, which presents many difficulties.

This book features the traditional Christmas activities: decorating, making Christmas cookies, hanging stockings, and trimming a Christmas tree.

Morals:
• The true joy at Christmas is quality time with loved ones.
• Doing anything human-scale with dinosaurs will prove disastrous.

The illustrations were done Prismacolor pencils on vellum finish Bristol.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple and sweet tale with a surprise at the end. The illustrations are especially delightful. Author/Illustrator Molly Idle has a background in animation with Dreamworks. The pictures in the book harken back to the old days of Disney animation, but with a modern and slightly surreal twist. Adults and children will enjoy this Christmas tale.

[A Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I was hoping for a cute dinosaur story that would stray from the typical "Santa" Christmas book. Unfortunately, this book is just about dinosaurs waiting for Santa. If you are looking for a dinosaur book with a very similar message, I personally like "Rory the Dinosaur Needs a Christmas Tree" better.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok, mostly it's just me. Not my thing. But I can't even give it two stars because I am so tired of the blond perfect big sister and the naughty little brother and no parents trope. At least when I was a blond big sister I was only bossy and simultaneously introverted, not perfect. And our parents were very present. So, subtract a star for that stereotype anyway.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just adore Molly Idle's artwork so much!! Everything is so cute - the dinos, the kids, the teddy <3 I love everything about her artwork! I could look at it all day!

Cute story! The T-Rex trying to put the star on the tree was dang cute!

[Kai Charles(Fiction State Of Mind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coyer Winter Switch

Dinosaurs make everything better right? Even Christmas ! This book follows two young kids who invite dinosaurs to join them in their fun! From tree trimming to baking and hanging stockings. Very cute

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Company coming for Christmas and what to do to prepare for the holiday. Santa's coming is in the story, but he never makes an appearance. The dinosaur personalities are fun to see in the illustrations.

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Christmas story! It is an easy read and will draw in any reader (male or female). The dinosaurs are too funny and cute. Molly Idle is amazing! Artwork is simply beautiful and it has a timeless feel to it.

[Snail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing was so boring. Nothing memorable about it. I do like elements of the illustrations a lot - the softness and somehow “old timey” graininess. The shapes of the dinosaurs were what drew me to the book in the first place, and they were pleasant to behold.

[Emily Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable, adorable, adorable! As always, Molly Idle's illustrations are so charming and sweet. Rex attempting to top the Christmas tree with a star using his tiny t-rex arms was a cute and funny touch. So much of the story is told through the illustrations, and I love that.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

12/5/25: Cute installment in the series. I think I like this one better than the others in the series and I'm not sure why. Maybe time and place? Not sure but I did really like the illustrations and the story both. It was super cute and would highly recommend the whole series.

[Danielle Robertson Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parents take note this is one of those books where it's supposed to be funny ha-ha that the dinosaurs are making an absolute mess of the house. My kids found this very amusing. I found it very stressful. But they liked it.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite Rex's and his dino friends' destructive nature, Christmas just wouldn't be the same without being able to celebrate with them.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweetly funny. Illustrations offer many charming details.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yikes the 2nd dinosaur/Christmas book of the season. The story is cute, but I'm not a fan of the illustrated dinosaurs in the book.

Dinosaurs lovers will enjoy this book.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

The dinosaurs are here for Christmas! Even with a few accidents every can enjoy the holiday. I love the illustrations, as always.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dinosaurs come to visit for Christmas and put their own spin on all the preparations.

[Karrie Chajkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read for pre-school friends- I especially loved the flip up tree!