Dude Review: Ally-Saurus & the First Day of School

May 8, 2015

Richard E.D. Jones,

Not only are all of Ally's best friends dinosaurs, she's pretty certain that she's a dinosaur as well.

Why else would she have ridges and scales and a dinosaur tail? Even if she is the only one who can see them?

It turns out she's not alone in seeing her dinosaur parts, though. We readers also can see the child-like crayon drawings of Ally's tail and scales, along with the make-believe worlds of the new best friends she's about to make. It's a wonderfully subtle move by Richard Torrey, author and artist of Ally-Saurus & the First Day of School, that shows readers both the reality of the first day of school coexisting with the fantasy life of young children.

Written for children ages 3 to 6, Ally-Saurus follows young Ally as she wakes up for her first day of school ever. She wears dinosaur pajamas, has stuffed dinosaurs for friends and wears dinosaur clothing and a dinosaur backpack.

She likes dinosaurs.

Ally even thinks she is a dinosaur. She makes sure to wear her pants in just the right way so there's room for her dinosaur tail to stick out.

When Ally gets to school, she quickly finds out that not everyone is as aware as she is of the sheer awesomeness of dinosaurs. There are — gasp — even people who like princesses more than dinosaurs. Or lions even! Or dragons! Or. . . lunchboxes. (Walter is a bit of an odd duck.)

As Ally meets each new classmate, she finds out what they love most of all. As she does, a new crayon drawing springs into existence around them. As noted, it's a cute way Torrey shows readers that fantasy and reality can coexist in the minds of young children with no drama at all.

As the day wears on, Ally finds herself at odds with the princesses. They don't see what's so wonderful about dinosaurs that eat grapes with fierce teeth and roar so loudly one cannot keep one's mind on the wonderful princess-y snacks they brought to school.

Though Ally has to sit at an empty table, it soon fills up with new friends. None of these new friends like dinosaurs as much as does Ally, but they each love something. One loves lions. One loves dragons. And one loves . . . lunchboxes. (Walter's still a bit of an odd duck.)

After recess, Ally and the rest of the class go to the library for the first time. They can't believe their luck.

Ally, especially, is wonderfully excited. They have books about dinosaurs. But on the way to the dinosaur books, Ally is sidetracked by books about bunnies. . .

The next day, when Ally wakes up, her dinosaur tail is gone. Her scales are gone. Instead, she has large, floppy ears and a cotton tail sticking out of her pajamas.

Ally-Saurus & the First Day of School by Richard Torrey is a wonderful book for young and young readers. With a marvelously direct plot that most adults will see coming from the second page, the book still has surprises for the younger set. I was especially taken by the crayon drawings of each child's favorite thing Torrey used to adorn the more realistic black and white drawings of the people and environment.

This is a tremendous book and was a big hit with the young folks I subjected to my reading of the book. I'm almost certain that — at the end — they were cheering for the book rather than because I was letting them go.

If you have a young reader, or a young child who just loves a good story well-told, then Ally-Saurus & the First Day of School is well worth your time and money. Go get one now.

I received a review copy from the publicity agency hired by the book's publisher. I am donating my copy to The Fletcher School, a private school in Charlotte, NC, for children with learning disabilities and ADHD.