Review Detail

PARTY REX is a cute picture book about how to behave at a birthday party. The story is told in the second person with instructions for what to do as Rex has a birthday party. The story ends with a happy completion to the party leading into Rex attending the birthday party for the young boy shown throughout.

What I loved: This is a cute and colorful story about birthday parties, setting up the context for a discussion of what happens at them and how to behave. The second person narration style is uncommon, along the lines of VAMPIRINA BALLERINA, but it works well for toddlers and preschoolers. The birthday party goes smoothly as everyone has fun together, a bit of the story told in the images even when not in the text (such as the shared cake being in part because it was blown by a strong T. Rex!). This juxtaposition also works well for this age, using illustrations to add to the experience and allow young readers to interpret the story on their own.

Simple and short phrasing makes this an easy one to read, and the pages turn as quickly as little ones like. The soft colors and many details on each page will really steal the show, with the visual storytelling adding a lot to the book.

Final verdict: PARTY REX is a cute picture book that helps to introduce birthday parties to young readers with great appeal for toddlers and preschoolers.