From the Publisher
"This beautifully serves up the value that the most important part of seder is gathering together with others. Even those who don't celebrate Passover will be pleased that the dinosaurs act upon the truth that all of their tsuris can be resolved by communicating and sharing. Reviewer Rating: 5"—Children's Literature
School Library Journal
11/17/2023
PreS-K—Tyrannosaurus is prepared for Passover, but when he tries to invite other dinosaurs to his seder, they all flee. At last, he has a meltdown. Using the Yiddish word for "aggravation" or "troubles," Tyrannosaurus repeatedly screams, "I have tsuris!" Eventually, the other dinosaurs surround him and ask what is wrong. When he tells them he has no guests for the seder, they decide they will be safe if they all go, and accepting his invitation will solve their problems of being short on seder ingredients. Despite the bizarre premise, the writing is clear and concise, employing repetition and a depiction of a frustrated tantrum that toddlers and parents alike will find relatable. Cartoonish illustrations depict brightly colored dinosaurs with a wooded backdrop. Most are single page or full-bleed spreads; however, Tyrannosaurus's tsuris pages have him breaking out of a circle with the text running around the edge of it. The dinosaurs are unevenly sized, with a "tiny" dino over half the size of giant Tyrannosaurus. The story includes little information about the holiday, other than some foods, and a seder plate is depicted on the final spread. One sentence in the back matter gives a brief explanation of the holiday and the importance of guests. VERDICT While Jewish schools and libraries might find a place for this uninspired offering, others can pass.—Amy Lilien-Harper
Kirkus Reviews
2023-10-07
A tyrannosaurus has terrible tsuris—Yiddish for troubles—because no guests will come to his Passover seder.
Tyrannosaurus is all ready for his seder, but there’s a problem: All the other dinosaurs think he wants to eat them. Meanwhile, the other dinosaurs have their own tsuris, too: Stegosaurus can’t find parsley for the seder plate, Ankylosaurus accidentally stepped on the box of matzah, and Allosaurus has too many guests. Tyrannosaurus is too busy moaning about his own tsuris to listen to the troubles of others, but eventually, they listen to his, and they agree that his tsuris is the worst. After all, the most important thing about seder is gathering around the table with guests. The solution is obvious: They will all attend Tyrannosaurus’ seder, which will neatly solve their problems as well. Each dino is brightly colored, with a textured pattern (or feathers, for the microraptor); herbivores have rounded teeth, and carnivores have sharp ones. A butterfly provides a fun seek-and-find element on each page. Kids who are sticklers for dinosaur facts might notice that many of these dinos did not live at the same time period. The initial alliteration may be the spark for this story, but there’s plenty to keep kids enticed: bright colors, patterned language, and a happy ending.
Clever, dino-themed fun to get kids excited for Passover. (author’s note) (Picture book. 3-6)
