Santa Rex

The dinosaurs and young humans from Tea Rex and subsequent picture books deck/wreck the halls in a holiday companion tale that juxtaposes Idle’s elegant illustrations and decorous narration with the kind of chaos one might expect when four prehistoric creatures descend on a household. Curtains are snipped into giant snowflakes, the mantel gets smashed to pieces, cookies are baked and promptly devoured, and the tree goes down for the count, but T. rex makes it up to the children in a big way, as a vertical foldout reveals. Mischievous and sweetness go hand in claw in Idle’s story—just the right mix of naughty and nice. Ages 3–5. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)