Specs for Rex

September 21, 2015
As she did in Go to Bed, Fred!, Ismail introduces an animal facing an ordeal common to many children—in this case, adjusting to eyeglasses. Rex, a lion whose mane is an unruly yellow splotch, does not like his large red specs “at all!” Ismail’s lively watercolors pick up where the understated text leaves off to reveal the comically futile measures Rex takes to make his glasses disappear: he buries them in a cereal box, brushes his mane over his eyes at school, and hides them in his sandwich. Instead of painting a picture in art class, Rex paints his specs, mumbling to himself, “Now they’re sunglasses!” During a slightly confusing recess sequence, Rex dumps a trash can on himself while his classmates play together—yet “another way of hiding his specs.” In the process, he discovers his teacher’s lost whistle and that being able to see has its advantages. Rex’s transition from self-appointed outcast to classroom hero happens pretty quickly, but reluctantly bespectacled kids should still find Rex’s lighthearted travails reassuring. Ages 4–8.

November 1, 2015

PreS-Gr 1-Rex, a little lion, has brand-new red specs, and he doesn't like them one bit. He does his best to hide them both at home and at school, but his parents and teacher always make him put them back on. None of the other children tease Rex about his glasses, so it's a little unclear why he is so self-conscious about them. When Rex finds the teacher's missing whistle while hiding from his classmates, he earns praise (and a gold star) and is told that his new glasses must be working. This helps Rex begin to see his specs as something positive. The watercolor illustrations have a breezy, abstract feel that will appeal to nursery school and early elementary school audiences. VERDICT General purchase for libraries needing more books about adjusting to new glasses.-Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
A very young lion's new glasses are so big, round, and red that he is driven to great lengths to hide them. Rex is certainly inventive as he devises all sorts of schemes for making those despised glasses go away, or at least seem as unobtrusive as possible. He puts them in the cereal box, but Daddy catches him in the act. At school he uses his mane to cover his face, but now he can't see at all. Hunger prevents him from sneaking them into his sandwich. He also tries painting the lenses, and in great desperation, he wraps his head in toilet paper. But all his attempts end in failure. In fact his antics actually draw attention. But when he locates his teacher's whistle with his newly sharp eyes, and his friends seem to actually like the glasses, he changes his mind and wears them proudly. Ismail presents Rex's dilemma with sympathy, understanding, and a great deal of humor. There are no wasted words in the brief, emphatic sentences placed strategically among the illustrations, and the tale moves quickly to its comforting conclusion. Bright watercolors ably complement the action and provide many delightful details, especially Rex's diverse classmates, all the same size whether elephant or mouse. Endpapers and illustrations make the British "specs" instantly understandable to an American audience. Sweet, funny, and reassuring. (Picture book. 3-7)

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July 1, 2016
"Rex did NOT like his specs...AT ALL!" Loosely rendered, borderline-abstract watercolor illustrations depict Rex, an animal character, unhappily coping with his new eyeglasses at home and at school. Rex turns the corner when he locates his teacher's whistle and gains his classmates' admiration. This is a didactic but adequately entertaining introduction to the subject of kids getting glasses.

(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)