The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher | Book Review

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Why settle for a pony or a puppy for Christmas when you could have a dinosaur? A rollicking adventure from singer-songwriter and YouTuber Tom Fletcher.

Once upon a time--long, long ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth--an egg rolled away from its mother and landed in the ocean, where it froze solid and stayed peacefully for thousands of years. Then one day Santa and his elves discover the frozen egg, and Santa sits on it to see if it will hatch. But he can't guess what's inside. . . . A dinosaur!

Meanwhile, a young boy named William Trundle has only ever wished for one thing for Christmas: a dinosaur! So when Santa accidentally gives William the real Christmasaurus instead of a stuffed replica, it's the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! Until an evil man known as the Hunter decides a dinosaur will be the perfect addition to his collection.

A wild and hilarious adventure ensues. An instant Christmas classic!

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher CHARMED ME, unexpectedly. I was a little bit skeptical about how dinosaurs relate to Christmas. However, I was willing to give it a whirl. After all, this is a season for giving things a chance, right? So with exactly 48 hours until I was on a blog tour for it, I cracked open The Christmasaurus. Nothing like a deadline and intense pressure to get the reading wheels moving.

Friends, this book took me a couple chapters to get into but it was SO enjoyable. The Christmasaurus is about a boy named William Trundle. William is a wheelchair user and lives with his father. His mother is dead. He loves dinosaurs more than almost anything in the world. So, one year for Christmas he asks Santa for a dinosaur. William gets what he asks for, accidentally. You see, he was supposed to get a stuffed animal, but a real dinosaur shows up instead. What happens next is a magical story of friendship, loneliness, and kindness. There is a hunter and his dog. There is a bully. Santa and his elves play a pretty prominent role too — although I could take or leave the elves.

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So, as I said, Tom Fletcher’s The Christmasaurus had kind of a slow start to me. I almost gave up on it. Then I thought, hmmm, I probably won’t end up liking this book too much. It is a little bit too juvenile for me. I guess a switch just flipped part way through. Maybe it was after the elves and their weird rhyming was over and we got into the meat of William’s story? Regardless, William and his dad are treasures. They’re genuine and have a whole lot of love and care for each other. So, that’s when I thought to myself, wow, this is a pretty decent story, I would like to read it to Teddy someday when he’s older. ALSO, the illustrations are fantastic! They do not detract from the story at all and instead really enhance the book.

ON A SCALE OF ONE TO BUDDY THE ELF, HOW MUCH CHRISTMAS SPIRIT DOES THIS BOOK HAVE?

The Christmasaurus is OVER THE TOP with Christmas spirit. William’s dad is into Christmas like all year round. He has this saying about how the day after Christmas is 364 days until the next Christmas. And plus, it nails that melancholy that hits when Christmas is over. Also, we have Santa and elves and changes of heart. All the elements are definitely within this book which add up to ALL SORTS OF SPIRIT.

Other reviews of The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher:

• Minerva Reads – “This book even made me cry at one point“
• Charlotte Reads Things – “the perfect read to keep the festivities alive for just a little while longer“
• A Redhead’s Rambling – “encapsulated the meaning of Christmas“

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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