Taken as a story about a young dinosaur's daily activities, this book is pleasant enough. But the premise--to introduce the concept of synonyms--doesn't work. "Stretching" and "bending" are not synonyms, neither are many of the pairs presented as such. The bold, cartoonlike illustrations provide an amusing accompaniment to the rhyming text.

A delightful romp through the world of words (language, vocabulary, terminology) as readers follow young Thesaurus Rex through his busy day exploring his world and the words that can be used to describe his actions. "Thesaurus Rex starts his day stretching, reaching, extending, bending. Uh oh, his pants need mending!" There are four synonyms for each word, and at least one of these will be familiar. Steinberg has chosen excellent synonyms that will help children extend their vocabulary—foraging, slither, frolic, gnaw, scour, hurtle. Marvelous onomatopoeia is used throughout, as when he gets stuck in the mud: "Thesaurus Rex calls his Mom: howl, yowl, squeal, and shout. Whoosh, plop! She pulls him out." The humorous illustrations are brightly colored and will help young children see the meanings of the new words. Harter is a master at depicting facial expressions—readers will have no trouble in identifying with the dinosaur tyke. Great, super, terrific, cool. (Picture book. 2-7)

PreS-Gr 3 Thesaurus Rex spends his day exercising, exploring, and getting into trouble. After a nutritious dinner, the little turquoise dinosaur takes a bath and is tucked into bed by his mom. Filled with descriptive language, the text offers numerous synonyms for each activity. For example, when Rex exercises, he is "stretching, reaching, extending, bending." The bouncy, rhyming language is enhanced by bright watercolor-and-crayon illustrations that create a wonderful sense of movement. One picture shows the happy dinosaur jumping into a swamp; brown mud splashes cross over to the opposite page where he is shown again, no longer smiling and buried in the slime. Many of the words used are listed as synonyms in Scholastic Children's Thesaurus (Scholastic, 1998) and American Heritage Children's Thesaurus (American Heritage, 2003), a connection that could be useful for older students. An entertaining and painless way for children to broaden their vocabulary while enjoying a fun story. Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR