Sky & Ty 2: Dinomite! by Steve Breen

I have not yet been fortunate enough to get my hands on the first book in this series but that certainly didn’t dampen any of my enjoyment of this charming graphic novel for children, which works perfectly well as a standalone.

Sky and her Tyrannosaurus Rex pardner make up the fastest delivery service in the West. In their downtime, they enjoy watching movies at the local theatre, helping others and making friends. The first story of this book, Ranch Dressing, finds them moseying past Cottonwood Creek, where grizzled old miner Crusty Gus is prospecting for gold. When Sky & Ty discover their own nuggets, Ty decides to splurge on something he’s really wanted for a long time, hence the story’s title.

The second story has them coming across a chicken named Vinny, who desperately wants to learn how to fly like an eagle or an airplane. Since Sky and Ty are on a delivery, they wish him the best of luck but move along. A resigned Vinny bids Ty, “Goodbye, cousin.” Ty is surprised by this, but after Sky explains to him the leading scientific theory that birds and dinosaurs are related, Ty immediately turns them around to go help out family.

Warmhearted hijinks are the hallmark of this delightful series, as Sky and Ty (but mostly Ty) learn some valuable lessons about being true to yourself and being kind to others. The shenanigans are entirely anachronistic — which only lends itself to the humor of the book — but the language is perfectly calibrated to its target audience of advancing readers, who will likely be enthralled by the stories within these pages.

As an adult, I loved the clever jokes that kids might not yet get, some of which I’ve already alluded to in my review. Readers of all ages will appreciate the extra pages of jokes, activities and fun facts revolving around the Wild West and nature. It’s also super great to see that the heroine is a person of color. If you think your kid isn’t quite ready for the Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur comics, then definitely have them start with this series first.

Steve Breen’s art is terrific throughout, perfectly combining expressiveness and whimsy with the rugged Western landscape to create an entirely absorbing setting. Oh, and I just found that he’s won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning not once, but twice! I’m glad he also does these children’s books, because anyone who can so adroitly contain all these thoughtful yet gently humorous multitudes definitely deserves to reach a wide audience.

Sky & Ty 2: Dinomite! by Steve Breen was published April 8 2025 by Pixel + Ink and is available from all good booksellers, including