A Trapezoid Is Not a Dinosaur! [Paperback]

In this wildly amusing, unconventional shape concept book, Trapezoid is here to declare that he's a shape, too. He's NOT a type of dinosaur!

Shape up, shapes! Triangle is hosting auditions for all the best shapes to be in his play. Circle, Square, and Star each get a part. But Trapezoid just doesn't fit in. Is he even a shape? The others think he sounds like a type of dinosaur. Determined to show off his usefulness, Trapezoid tries to act like the other shapes, to no avail. Eventually, though, Trapezoid celebrates his own distinct shape properties in order to become part of the performance.What's the deal with the odd shape whose name sounds like a dino? Triangle is the director of a space-themed play, and auditions are underway. The other shapes step up and state their strengths. Square says, I have four sides. I can make a box. I like to stack. Trapezoid continually interrupts, trying to proclaim similar merits— I also have four sides. But I think outside the box! —but is consistently dismissed. Eventually, the play is cast: Circle is the full moon, Star is a shooting star (obviously), Triangle stacked on Square makes the rocket. Trapezoid is cast as a dinosaur but rejects the role, saving the show when it finds a trap door and makes a dramatic entrance to ask to be the rocket booster. The show is a successful BLAST OFF! Despite Trapezoid's intrusions, the other characters display good-natured camaraderie throughout, and there is plenty of wordplay. Star's proclamation that I have five points is paired with a bulleted list of mostly shape-related statements, for instance. Illustrations are comics-style, with frequent paneling and word balloons. Sticklike appendages and a hand-drawn style make the shapes surprisingly expressive. The prevalent purple outer-space background on the wooden stage visually grounds the story while still allowing the shapes' soft primary colors to pop. Tl3-