Official Review: The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The Tyranto...

[Helen_Combe]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris" by Steven Joseph.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris by Steven Joseph is a quaint little book with amusing illustrations. The author is Jewish and a great deal of the charm of the book is the way that he makes fun of Jewish stereotypes. The main stereotype being the need to prove to everybody that your ‘tsuris’, or problem, far outweighs the ‘tsuris’ of everybody else in the room or even the planet.

I enjoyed this little book which claims that the human race is descended from a ‘tsuris’ dinosaur who mated with a ‘kvetching’ dinosaur. I also enjoyed the Yiddish cries of ‘oy!’ which came up in the story.

I particularly enjoyed how some of the illustrations contained jokes that were not mentioned in the text. The TyranoKvetchaTsuris arrives from Florida and it is obvious from the illustration that he experienced a similar adventure with the toe fungus and the alligator. However, he still managed to get one up on the TyrantoCrankaTsuris. If you want to know how come the TyrantoKvetchaTsuris is immune to the endless complaining of the TyrantoCrankaTsuris, the answer is in the illustration.

The pictures are colourful and great fun and I didn’t find any problems with the grammar or spelling. I have two criticisms which are that the book states that dinosaurs became extinct in the Dark Ages. The Dark Ages followed the fall of the Roman Empire. Dinosaurs had already been extinct for over 65 million years before that happened.

My other criticism is the claim that only one dinosaur survived. Actually, two survived and knowing what a pedant I was as a child, I probably would have raised this issue with my parents.

The book looks to me to have been professionally edited. However, I find it hard to gauge what age group it is aimed at. It’s obviously a children’s book, but
I think an adult mind is required to fully enjoy the gentle self-deprecation and the use of stereotypes. A very young child would probably enjoy the pictures without making the relevant connections. However, I always like it when a children’s book works on more than one level and there is something there for the parents as well as the child.

This book made me smile but not laugh out loud, so while I have few criticisms, I’m awarding it 3 out of 4 stars.

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The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris
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[Ivana Tomaš]

This seems like a very interesting and unusual story. I particularly like the fact that the book contains illustrations and images that are always a good addition to the children's books.
Thank you for your review!

[Kibet Hillary]

This truly sounds a bit complicated to me and I wonder how it might be for kids. Thanks for the awesome review.

[Letora]

What an interesting mix, though I wonder if it might be a bit hard for children to understand unless they grew up in a Jewish household. I agree it's hard to determine the appropriate age. Thank you for reviewing!

[ingrid_orcn]

this book is recommended for adults and specially for kids! the story is very unique and quite interesting. i’m excited to ready more about this!! thank you for thr positive reviews! i will surely love it!

[Cecilia_L]

Your review made me smile. It seems like the Yiddish references in a children's book might limit the audience range, but I agree that it's a bonus when there is a layer that parents can also appreciate.

[e-reeder]

This seems like an interesting book for children and young adults. It's Aldo hood yo know that it was professionally edited. Thanks for the review.

[kandscreeley]

I also enjoy a book that, while aimed at children, adults can enjoy as well. This one sounds interesting, but I wonder if you aren't familiar with Judaism if it would just go over your head. Thanks for the review.

[kdstrack]

I'm wondering if I could figure it out - even after looking at the illustration!! A primer on Yiddish terminology would be helpful. I enjoyed your fascinating review.

[Carolreads30]

I was hoping this book was geared toward a preschooler as my grandchild would love it, but it seems though, it might not work to that age group as well except for pictures. Thanks for your review. I appreciate being able to have an honest opinion before purchasing this for her.