Dear Tyrannosaurus Rex

Here is an epistolary picture book with a T. rex in a role similar to that of the mouse in If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

A little girl is turning six in two weeks, and she's decided to invite a Tyrannosaurus rex to her birthday party! Her invitation entices the huge carnivore with promises of fun games to play, the extra-large cake her mother will bake, the goody bag he will get to take home, and, most important of all, how she will be the happiest girl in the world if he comes. But will he?

Lisa McClatchy's sweet, persuasive text is perfectly complemented by John Manders's endearing Tyrannosaurus rex, who can't quite fit under the birthday-party tent or blow out the candles without making a huge mess but is sure to make this birthday party-and this book-unforgettable!

Lisa McClatchy has loved parties, books, and dinosaurs since she was a little girl and now has a daughter who is keeping up the tradition! Lisa has written a number of easy-to-read books for children and is also a freelance coordinator of school visits by children's book authors. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Kevin, and their daughter, Eirann Grace. She enjoys spending time on her deck but always keeps an ear out for any loud noises or suspicious shadows-dinosaurs have been known to visit!

John Manders has been drawing pictures since he was a little boy, and he has illustrated numerous children's books, including Clarence the Copy Cat by Patricia Lakin. John lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Visit his Web site at www.johnmanders.com.