  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 07/01/2015 Young readers will appreciate the sprightly little dinosaurs on the endpapers but not as much as Ally does. Ally likes to be called Ally-saurus, and her personality is quite dinosaur-like. She stomps, roars, and chomps. During her first day in school, she makes a dinosaur nameplate for her cubby, and when the teacher asks for a word starting with the letter A, she yells out “Dinosaur!” even though she knows better. Ally’s obsession isn’t a plus when it comes to making new friends, especially with the princess crowd. However, as she begins to pay attention to the other kids’ interests, they in turn take an interest in her. Ally is an ebullient heroine, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Torrey’s true-to-life story is matched by his pencil, watercolor, and digital media that catch all the fun (e.g., crayon marks denote Ally’s make-believe dino spikes). The oversize format and right-on message make this a good story hour choice. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. School Library Journal - 08/01/2015 PreS-Gr 2—It's the first day of school, and Ally—or Ally-saurus as she likes to be called—wonders if there will be "other dinosaurs" in her grade? She is one of many spirited children in her class, and while Ally is obsessed with dinosaurs, each child has his or her own passion. During recess, Ally is faced with dragons, pirates, astronauts, lions, and, of course, know-it-all princesses. In the end, the school librarian is credited with expanding Ally's imagination. Torrey has captured the concerns that come with the first day of school. Beautiful black-and-white drawings highlight each child's imagination with color. Imparting the lesson that everyone has their own personality and can still be themselves and make friends, this story is worth the read. However, it may be a little long for the intended audience. VERDICT This book can easily be used in classrooms in September to relieve the anxiety that children might feel at the beginning of the school year. —Betsy Davison, Cortland Free Library, NY - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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