Meet the TyrantoCrankaTsuris, the cranky dinosaur who survived the Dark Ages and
became the oldest ancestor of mankind. The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris by Steven Joseph is a story set around the Jewish culture where everyone in the
neighborhood got together and spoke about their Tsuris. Everyone complained about their Tsuris (which means complaints in Yiddish) with a sense of pride. Whether it was Aunt Zaydie,
Aunt Ruthie, Dottie, Uncle Mottie or Uncle Shmukie, they all talked about their Tsuris.
This beautiful story will show young readers how to talk about their problems instead
of being consumed by them. Woven deftly through the life of a Jewish family and told through the eyes of TyrantoCrankaTsuris, the smallest dinosaur on the planet, the story is a good
way to help readers, both children and adults, deal with crankiness in a good way. Andy Case brings the scenes, characters, and concept alive with his wonderful illustrations that
give the story a good pace and movement.
I really like the coined words TyrantoCrankaTsuris and TyranoKvetchaTsuris and these will
encourage readers to have just the right amount of crankiness and be not too cranky; just the right amount to keep the planet happy. Stories like this are good to encourage
children to deal with their emotions and not be too cranky. It is a good story for bedtime storytelling and reading aloud sessions in classrooms and school libraries to guide
children in dealing with their problems instead of being consumed by them. The story is expressed in a way that is easy for them to comprehend."
Mamta Madhaven of Readers' Favorite
The TyrantoCrankaTsuris" is a playful, imaginative picture book tale that draws inspiration from Jewish culture as author Steven Joseph
reminds children and adults alike that we all have a little TyrantoCrankaTsuris in us and encourages young readers to balance their woes with the positive things in life in
pursuit of a happier world. A charming, entertaining, and thoroughly 'kid friendly' picture book story, "The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris" is very highly
recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections. Midwest Reviews
The subtitle of the book may be a mouthful, but that's certainly a part of the book's charm, as Joseph has cleverly
integrated elements of Jewish culture... Joseph's narrative, set within a cloud on a blue background, draws the eye. It's simple without being simplistic, and funny without
compromising the integrity of the story. Case's illustrations are lively, colorful and creative, and sure to have young children laughing and asking parents some pretty
interesting questions!...All in all, The Last Surviving Dinosaur: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris is a charming picture book that teaches both children and their parents about natural history, life lessons, neighborhoods, and family units, with
a fun and instructive cultural twist. --Self-Publishing Review
Enjoy reading this
book to young children while explaining why crankiness often equals ungratefulness, since being grateful is widely regarded as one of the keys to
happiness. THE LAST
SURVIVING DINOSAUR: The TyrantoCrankaTsuris is a cute and clever tale with delightful illustrations by Andy Case, especially those of the titular dino.
~Kent Page McGroarty for IndieReader
A short lesson in Yiddish introduces tsuris (big problems) and kvetching (complaining) to a young, dinosaur-loving audience in
this humorous debut from author Joseph and illustrator Case (Puppy Drama, 2016, etc.). In Joseph’s first-person narration, he explains how, in his Bronx neighborhood, his relatives
competed over who had the worst tsuris. Joseph used that lifelong “tsuris training” to develop a tale for his daughter. According to Joseph, when all the other dinosaurs went extinct,
the smallest, most dangerous dinosaur survived: the TyrantoCrankaTsuris. When she got sick of how the other dinosaurs bragged about their strength, she let out a wail of complaints
that sent the other dinosaurs packing. Her complaints even made the whole planet go dark! Luckily, one other dinosaur, the TyrantoKvetchaTsuris, survived as well, and the pair became
the ancestors of humanity. Joseph uses the tall tale to explain that humans should never get too cranky or complain too loudly or they might cause yet another creature’s extinction.
Fictional science aside, the delivery and repetition of the real kvetching from Joseph’s family in the TyrantoKvetchaTsuris’ litany of complaints will be laugh-out-loud funny for
adults, who may have to translate it for their kids. Case’s cartoonish caricatures and silly saurians, all set against simple backgrounds, capture the comical tone. -
Kirkus Review
