Benny the Bananasaurus Rex

Sarabeth Holden lives in Toronto with her husband, Sean, and their sons, Raymond and Jackson. The whole family loves to spend time outside and go on adventures. When they’re not outside, Sarabeth enjoys singing made-up songs to make things like diaper changes and face wiping a little more bearable so they can get back to the things they love: blowing raspberries, having kitchen dance parties, and reading stories. Sarabeth grew up in Nova Scotia, Nunavut, New Brunswick, and Ontario, and is co-founder of the Toronto Inuit Association, supporting the local Inuit community as it grows.Emma Pedersen is an illustrator from Toronto working in the publishing and animation industries. She graduated from OCADU with a major in drawing and painting. She is also a graduate of Sheridan’s Illustration program. When not working (which is rare!), she enjoys visiting used bookstores, planning her next trip abroad, and snuggling her dog when he’ll actually sit still.

"An engaging and endearing story about a boy who loves bananas and dinosaurs so much that one day using his imagination he turns into a bananasaurus! Through the story, we see Benny’s supportive family, their love and respect for his creativity and the powerful role language plays in connecting people."—Toronto Star"The book’s silliness is its strength; it will certainly reach imaginative little readers who might themselves be obsessed with a particular creature, costume, or food...Deliciously playful and imaginative."—Kirkus"Youngsters will enjoy having this book read to them. Teachers/caregivers can use this book with discussions about different types of families."—CM: Canadian Review of Materials"This entertaining, tongue-in-cheek story about a child’s obsession and the power of imagination is the second picture book by Inuk author Sarabeth Holden. Toronto-based illustrator Emma Pedersen clearly has a field day bringing the story to life, switching back and forth between cute little Benny-boy and his huge scary dinosaur persona, as she seamlessly mixes ordinary family-life and effervescent imagination. A fun read for all ages published by Inuit-owned Inhabit Media, who are committed to promoting fascinating Inuit stories both traditional and new." — The White Ravens"A playful story, this book combines a young boy’s love of bananas with his wild imagination...This story offers a peek into the intergenerational roles of a contemporary Inuit family. This is an entertaining book suitable for any K–3 classroom and is sure to delight a classroom of children who are learning about being active listeners, making personal connections to stories, and that reading is fun." — Books BC - Indigenous Books for Schools