Thesaurus Rex

Thesaurus Rex 

by Laya Steinberg 

Illustrated by Debbie Harter 

• Children’s Round Table 2X 2 Reading List selection--2004 

Top 20 books recommended for children age 2 to grade 2

• Junior Library Guild List--2003 

• Houghton Mifflin Pre-K Educational Series Big Book 

About the book: 

Author Laya Steinberg joins forces with award winning illustrator Debbie Harter with the irresistible story 

of Thesaurus Rex, a playful young dinosaur who has a way with words. Children will delight in following 

the lively character as he bounces, jumps, springs and flies through the colorful pages, all the while intro- 

ducing them to the wide world of synonyms. Even the most active young audiences will sit still to watch 

Thesaurus Rex turn vocabulary building into a fun-filled adventure. 

Author interview: 

Q.  What inspired this playful story?

A. I was writing another story and consulted an old Webster's Thesaurus I had found at a yard sale. As I 

read the synonyms out loud it occurred to me that the wonderful sounds of alliteration and rhyme such as 

"slither, slid, slide and glide" would make a wonderful children's book. Thus Thesaurus Rex was born. 

Q. What is your favorite thing about writing? What is your least favorite?

A. My favorite thing about writing is asking myself the question "What if?" and then letting my imagina- 

tion explore the possibilities of a new story idea or concept, like "What if we could turn into any animal 

we wished?" My least favorite thing about writing is spelling. When I was a child I was taught a new 

experimental learn-to-read program that made learning spelling difficult. I still rely heavily on my computer 

spell checker. 

Q. What advice would you give to young authors?

A. Read, read, read. Write as much or as little as you have time for but write everyday as a habit, like 

brushing your teeth. Trust that in time your own voice will show through in your work, and that everything 

you write is valuable both as a source of ideas for the future and as a learning experience. 

Teacher’sGuide

Q. Is the thesaurus your favorite writing tool? What other tools do you use regularly?

A. My imagination is my favorite writing tool. It's like planting a garden with the knowledge that tiny 

seeds will grow into beautiful and varied flowers. Using a thesaurus is like putting fertilizer on my garden. 

It helps the story grow and become stronger. I also use revision as an essential tool. That's when I go 

back and reread what I've written and try to improve the language and vocabulary to make my writing 

the best it can be. The thesaurus comes in handy then also. Reading your writing out loud helps you to 

hear when a sentence is awkward or doesn't sound right. 

Q. What can your fans look forward to next?

A. I have many projects in the works, from a picture book about seeds to a couple of middle-grade and 

young adult novels. 

Pre-reading activity: 

Without showing the children the books ask: Raise your hand if you ever heard the word “rex” before? 

How do we learn words we don’t know? 

Activity: 

Make a list of ten items found in the room. Then, with a partner, try to brainstorm ten other words which 

begin with the same letter or sound. 

Questions to consider: 

1. What is Thesaurus Rex doing during his day? Which part would you like to join him on? 

2. Did you know there were so many synonyms for common words? Why do you think there are so many 

words for something? Do these words mean the exact same thing or are they just similar? 

3. Can you find the words that rhyme? Which pair is your favorite? 

4. Do you know what a thesaurus is? Why do you think a writer might use one? 

5. Describe Thesaurus Rex. What kind of friend do you think he would be? Why? 

6. Did you learn any new words? Which ones? How do you know what a word means without looking it 

up in a dictionary? 

7. Which picture is your favorite? Why? What shapes do you see in it? 

8. It says that Thesaurus Rex “Chomp! He likes his dinner raw.” What does this mean? Do you like to eat 

your dinner raw? Do you prefer any raw foods? Which ones? 

9. Would you want to baby-sit Thesaurus Rex? Why or why not? What would you do together? 

10. How many times does Thesaurus Rex appear in the book? How many eyes? How many feet are in 

the story? How many bathtubs?

Language Arts: 

Verbs are the actions in a sentence. They are what people or animals DO during each day. Make a list of 

at least ten verbs that you’ll be doing this week. Then, with a partner, try to think of other verbs that might 

go with the ones you have. 

For example: 

Sleep 

What other verbs go with sleep? 

dream, roll over, wake up, stretch, yawn. 

Illustrate the words you’ve listed. This makes an excellent bulletin board with the caption: VERBS: It’s what 

you DO!

Fill out the following chart about your word knowledge from the book. Write sentences on the back for at 

least five of the words you know! 

Words: I can say this word: I can tell what it means: I can use it in a sentence (yes/no) 

Extending 

Swill 

Foraging 

Rollick 

Slither 

Mire 

Squeal 

Scour 

Gnaw 

Springs 

Bundled 

Math: 

Graph the answers to question # 10 from the discussion guide. 

Music: 

Sing the following song together: 

Read, read, read some books 

new ones every day 

learn new words, like synonym 

then go out and play! 

Write, write, write new words 

something fresh and new 

just like Thesaurus Rex 

a synonym or two!

Art 

Materials: 

Two paper plates; Brad; colored pencils or crayons; thesaurus/synonym finder 

Create a synonym wheel to replace common words in your writing (like nice, good, fun, bad, gross).

Cut out a pie shape from one of the paper plates. Then, stack the plates so the one with the piece missing 

is on top. Choose a common word that gets overused in your writing (like the word: said) and put on the 

top plate in large bold letters. Then, trace pie shape until the bottom plate looks like it been cut and ready 

to eat! In each pie, add a synonym and an illustration. These plates can be displayed around the room 

and kids can access them for an instant thesaurus!

Drama 

Phonemic Awareness Slam! 

Divide the class into two equal groups. Then, similar to a spelling match, have students come up to the 

front. Present each pair with a word. Kids volley words that begin, end or have the same vowel sound as 

the one presented back and forth until someone can’t think of a new one. Winners advance to the next 

round. 

Word Family Charades 

Put all the following words on individual cards and have the children play charades to guess the words 

from the book: 

stretching, reaching, extending, bending, mending, sip, swallow, swill, searching, poking, romp, skid, 

slide, stuck, shout, scrub, munch, bounces, tucked, bundled.

Take-home Fun: Word Search 

This guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist and author of the book Sketches from a Spy Tree.

Visit her website to find over a hundred guides to children’s literature. http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com 

Visit Laya’s webpage at www.layasteinberg.com. 

Copyright 2006 Tracie Vaughn Zimmer and Laya Steinberg Illustration from Thesaurus Rex, copyright©2003 Barefoot Books 

thesaurus 

rex 

frollic

rollick 

frisk 

exploring 

searching 

foraging 

slither 

skid 

slide 

slime 

slush 

muck 

howl 

yowl 

squeal 

scour 

scrub 

munch 

nibble 

crunch 

bounces 

jumps 

springs 

bundled 

covered 

extending 

stretching 

synonym 

vocabulary 

swallow 

swill 

dinosaur

All Around Me I See

All Around Me I See

By Laya Steinberg

Illustrated by Cris Arbo

About the book:

With eyes wide open to the mysteries of nature, a child on a hike discovers that “grass is a bed for a deer” and “ a leaf is a boat for a beetle.” Tired from her long walk, she sleeps- and in her dream, flies like a bird and marvels at the beauty around her. This planet, home to so many beings, is magical when seen through the eyes of wonder.

About the guide:

This guide includes discussion questions and projects appropriate for book clubs, literature circles, library, home and classroom discussions. It is intended to provoke thought and insight into the subject and themes of this book including nature appreciation and awareness, habitats, and imagination.

About the author:

Laya Steinberg has been writing books for children since 2001, including Thesaurus Rex, published in 2003 by Barefoot Books. Trained as a graphic designer and illustrator, she enjoys the balance between creating visual and verbal expressions of ideas. Laya lives in the Boston area with her husband, two children, four rabbits, a guinea pig and two frogs.

About the illustrator:

Cris Arbo is a native of Martha’s Vineyard Island. She received her degree in art and theater from William Patterson University. Her art has appeared in books, magazines, greeting cards and on television. When not in her studio she is enjoying nature in her rural central Virginia home.

Author Interview:

1. Which image came to you first for this wonderful book?

The first image that popped into my mind was of a sapling in a forest of tall trees, prompting the line: "A forest is a family for a tree." I was thinking about how trees are an integral part of a forest. A tree provides a home for birds and animals, offers shade and protection from the weather; cleans the air and supplies food to animals and/or humans. Even a dead tree or hollow log gives shelter and also puts back nutrients into the soil as it decomposes. So the whole forest is depending on that tree—it's part of a family of living things that are bound together for survival. All of nature is that way—connected. I wanted to show how tied we all are to the living beings on this planet—both plant and animal.

2. How much revision do you do when you write?

It depends on what I'm writing. For my first book Thesaurus Rex, I spent over a year revising maybe 30 or 40 drafts of the text. All Around Me had relatively few drafts, though I did write a few additional stanzas to accommodate the page layout. I start by getting thoughts down on paper. They're not usually in any order—though they make sense to me. Then I rewrite to make the concept that's in my head more organized and clear to the reader. If I am writing in rhyme I make sure that it doesn't sound forced and that it flows smoothly when read aloud. Often I have to put aside a story and give it some time to 'settle'. Then I can go back with a fresh ear and listen for problem words or sentences. I am lucky to be a part of two writers' groups whose members offer incredibly useful critique and support of my writing.

3. Which illustration is your favorite in the book?

They are all wonderful, so rich in detail and texture. There is something special about each scene, but if I had to pick one illustration I would say it is the one where the girl is flying in space surrounded by stars. I've always dreamed about being able to fly, but how magical it would be to have that comet's eye view of planet Earth.

4. What are you writing these days?

I'm focusing on revising a first draft of a young adult novel I recently finished, but I'm also polishing up a few picture book stories. I always write poetry—mostly for myself, but some to hopefully publish someday.

Illustrator Interview:

1. How did you begin illustrating books for young people?

2. Do illustrators face revisions similar to authors?

3. Which illustration is your favorite in the book?

4. What advice would you give young artists?

Pre-reading Activity:

Give each child a blank piece of paper. Then, ask them to close their eyes and think about their favorite place to be outside. After a minute of quiet reflection (where you ask them about what they see, hear, smell and can feel), have them open their eyes and draw (or color) that scene with as much detail as possible. Discuss.

Discussion Guide:

1. What types of things does the child notice? Do most people pick out these things in their daily lives? Why or why not?
2. Explain how the author uses comparisons (mostly metaphors) to bring the story to life.
3. Which line is your favorite? Why? How does it make you look at the world differently?
4. What is the family doing in the book? What clues make you think this?
5. Why do some pages not have words? Does it continue the story? How?
6. Have you ever been camping? What was it like? If not, would you like to go?
7. How are the animals and plants connected? What do they have in common? What do we all depend on?
8. How do humans impact nature in good and bad ways?
9. Can you give any specific names for any of the flora or fauna pictured in the story? How can you learn the specific names of plants, animals or birds?
10. Which illustration is your favorite? Why? Is that where you would most like to visit in the book?
11.  If you were to write and illustrate a similar book set in your own region or climate what animals and plants would show up?

Projects Across the Curriculum:

Language Arts:

6+1 Writing

Laya Steinberg uses imaginative pairings of words to create images or “mind pictures” for her readers. She focus’ on a single element and then makes a connection to something from her own life. Take writers on a nature walk (or assign as homework) and try to make metaphors or comparisons similar to the ones the author uses in the book. Illustrate them.

Art:

The artist, Cris Arbo, uses many perspectives or angles to create the illustrations for the book. Choose a single animal, plant or bird from your own backyard or schoolyard and paint or draw it from at least three different perspectives- a close up, a wide angle, and from either a side or below view. Compare.

Music:

In groups of no more than three have children try to create a tune or rhythm to go with the words. Consider giving children small instruments to experiment with as well.

Drama

Write a dialogue or an apostrophe poem (one in which the writer speaks directly to an animal or object that cannot respond) to talk with something that appears in the book. Act out.

Science:

Choose one plant or animal from the book and create a pamphlet or poster about it. Find out where it appears naturally, what it needs to survive and how people can help it thrive.