Caution! Grumpasaurus Crossing! Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus from the notes of Edward Hemingway

The observations that follow in this field guide tell you everything you need to know about the formidable Badmoodicus grumpasauricus, more commonly known as the North American Grumpasaurus.

Curious?

Known variously as the Grumpelstiltskin or the Grumpsby, it is a rather common household menace.

It is often seen sulking around after a great tragedy or mishap.

Like a "dis-armed" Teddy bear!

Take warning if you see the atmosphere altering. You know, like lightning strikes. Thunder cracking.

Do not approach too closely. In fact, it's better to take to your heels and ...

Head for the hills!

The Grump will ROAR! It will gnash its (unbrushed) teeth.

The Grumpasaurus will always seek out the nearest adult, demand attention, and get ready to speak its mind.

Earplugs are advised for those who venture close. And if said adult decrees that a nice soothing bath is prescribed for the Great Grumpsby, stay out of range of splashes!

In the forthcoming Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus (Houghton Mifflin Clarion, 2016), author-illustrator Edward Hemingway provides a nifty spiral-bound handbook for the care and placating of this tantrum-prone beastie when the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune transmogrify the average preschooler into a fanged beastasaurus. Fortunately, all's well that ends well with a sutured-up Teddy bear and a mutual hug between Mom and her little Grumpelstiltskin, and it's finally safe for the rest of the family to come out of hiding.

A pseudo-serious spoof of the field guide genre adds a note of wry humor to this visit to another family dwelling where a certain displeased Wild Thing runs amok when things go wrong. Hemingway lets his little black cat do the reacting to most of the tantrum-tossing and still get in on the magical transformation as the Grumpasaurus shape-changes just in time for the cat to nap in his lap. Purrrrr!

And purr-haps it's not too much to hope that the average tot will see a bit of himself in this cautionary tale and learn to calm his own inner beast.

Pair (if you dare) this one with the Caldecott-winning When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry…. (Scholastic Bookshelf)