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If I asked my kids to name their favorite things, I’m pretty sure cars, dinosaurs, and books would all be in the top 5 of their list. So, What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive?, a children’s book that combines cars and dinosaurs was sure to be a hit with them!
I was given a copy of What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Dive? by Mark Lee and illustrated by Brian Biggs to read and review with my kids. My son is going through a dinosaur phase (he says he wants to be a paleontologist when he grows up) and really enjoys learning all he can about them. He is also interested in learning about different kinds of cars. My daughter loves to play with both dinosaurs and car toys, so I knew both my kids would enjoy reading this book.
I was excited about this book because dinosaurs and cars are great ways to get kids interested in STEAM subjects. The study of dinosaurs involves science, with a strong foundation in biology and geology. Paleontologists are scientists who study dinosaurs though their fossils.
Most paleontologist have PhD degrees. I’ve been explaining to my son that if he wants a career in paleontology he will need to work hard, study, and be dedicated to school for a long time to achieve his goal. He tells me enthusiastically that he is ok with that!
Studying cars involves a strong interest in engineering, and also can involve technology and math. Mechanical engineering graduates at my alma mater university had the opportunity to build and race a race car for their senior design project. The race car project was extremely challenging, but worth it for many students who have always loved cars and dreamed of building one as an engineer.
What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive? is silly, fun and perfect for any dinosaur and car loving kid. We have a book called When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, which is one of my kids’ favorite books, and this book reminded me a lot of that book.
This book places dinosaurs in our modern world, and it is fun and almost magical for kids to imagine. Following along with the book, the kids have to think about each type of dinosaur’s lifestyle and preferences to determine what kind of car would be perfect for each one. This is great STEAM practice of problem solving skills for your little ones as they follow along!
Uncle Otto’s car dealership is visited by a Stegosaurus, Pterodactyl, Triceratops, and T. Rex. Each wants to purchase the perfect car for the summer. Uncle Otto’s niece and nephew are dinosaur lovers (like my son), an they help him identify the dinosaurs and figure out the perfect car for each one.
My son also liked helping figure out what car would be best for each dinosaur. He is a walking dinosaur fact book, so he knew what would suit each one best. I was proud of his logic, reasoning, and problem solving skills while doing this. 🙂
I cannot overstate how THRILLED he was to see the monster truck for the T. Rex. My son has recently been introduced to monster trucks and thinks they are the best car ever.
When he saw a monster truck presented as a car for the T. Rex, he was so excited! I asked him if he thought they picked the right car for the T. Rex, he enthusiastically told me, “yes!”
This book is cute and fun to read. The illustrations are adorable and colorful, and the story is written to get you involved and following along. It has become a new favorite at my house. I have read it at least once a day since we got it, but usually at least two or more times. My kids now have it memorized and are starting to read it to themselves when I’m not around!
What do you think? Are dinosaurs and cars a good combination? Will you be purchasing this book or borrowing it from your local library after reading my review?
If you’d like to purchase a copy of What Kind of Car Does a T. Rex Drive?, it is linked in Amazon here and throughout the post.
