Rex knocks down all the wonderful creations each of his friends builds out of blocks in “Rex Wrecks It!” by Ben Clanton. It makes everyone sad, including Rex. So his friends decide to work together, including Rex, and build something “awesomerific.” Hooray! Now everyone can knock it down together!
I read this story to my young grandsons. One told me we shouldn’t call people names. (Sprinkles calls Rex a blockhead.) We agreed that it was not a nice thing to do. Later when we were playing outside in the sand making castles, my other grandson grinned at me and quoted the last line of the story, “[Let’s] wreck it all together!” So we did. I love it when kids make connections between a story and their own lives.
Talk with your child about the story. Ask them why they think Rex knocks things down. Is it nice to call people names? Was it a good idea to include Rex and have everyone play together? If you have blocks, build something together, then “wreck it.” If you don’t have blocks, you can use boxes or use two dimensional objects like paper.
After you read “Rex Wrecks It!” sing some dinosaur rhymes together. KidSparkz is a great resource.
Want to read more books about friendship with your child? Try these:
- “A Splendid Friend, Indeed” and “What About Bear?” by Suzanne Bloom
- “Bear Says Thanks” by Karma Wilson
Once you have read at least five Missouri Building Block nominees, help your child vote for their favorite.
