She Rex by Michelle Robinson & Deborah Allwright
Published by Bloomsbury
Pub Date: 6 Aug 2020

This book comes at a great time in our history - when the ‘me too’ movement is challenging women’s rights and stereotypes. It is true that if you ask a child to draw a scientist they will typically draw a man. This book takes that on, and questions why we always think of dinosaurs as male. Is it because we associate strength, power and aggression with males? Well this little girl is having none of it! She insists that there is a she-Rex and no one can tell her otherwise!
This picture book would be fab to use as part of a pshe lesson on gender or stereotypes - such as the traditional ‘girls can’t play football’. It would also work well alongside a topic about dinosaurs. It could produce some great writing such as: narrative, information text about the she-Rex etc. A lovely book!

Unable to review as pages are out of order and sideways on the screen anyway.
Enjoyed the bits I could read, but need a more accessible reading copy.

Is this a common problem?

Maisy wants to play dinosaurs with her brother, Ed. But Ed says dinosaurs are only for boys, until Maisy introduces him to the fiercest girlosaur of them all - the lizard queen, She Rex - that is!

She Rex is a great story which challenges gender stereotypes and makes it clear that all toys are for girls and boys. I have definitely heard people say that my daughter won't be interested in dinosaurs 'because she's a girl' but, like Maisy, she loves them all the same. I loved that She Rex wasn't a 'girly' dinosaur like Ed imagines, either. "She hunts! She eat! She roars! She fights! Girl dinosaurs have equal bites."

Maisy is a fun, determined protagonist who I would love to see in other picture books.

Allwright's colourful artwork is brilliant and a real highlight in this story. Her dinosaurs have so much personality and they are lots of fun to look at.