Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Learning from mistakes is great lesson in cute school story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When TINY T. REX AND THE FRIST-DAY OOPSIES begins, cheerful dinosaur Tiny is excited for his first day at a new school and tells his mom, "I am ready and prepared, so nothing can go wrong!" He puts everything he can think of in his backpack, but it's so full it tips him over. He thinks, "Oopsie. I am too prepared." Then when he goes to catch the school bus, he finds he's too short to climb the stairs to get on. Luckily his friend Pointy is there to help him up. But there are more (small) oopsies to come during the school day. "Being at school is tricky, I keep making mistakes!" His teacher explains, "It's OK, Tiny. We all make mistakes. That's what school is for! We make an oopsie, we learn from it, and then we grow!" Tiny gets the message, improves, and is ready for the second day of school.
Is It Any Good?
This cute, cheerful story teaches the important lesson that everybody makes mistakes and we can learn from them. Tiny T. Rex and the First-Day Oopsies is a fun back-to-school book that could help kids prepare for a new school or a new school year while underlining the fact that no matter how well prepared you are, mistakes happen and they're not the end of the world. Jonathan Stutzman's story and Jay Fleck's adorable illustrations drive home the point that if you learn from your mistakes, you can avoid making those same mistakes next time. They also show how great it is to have friends who understand you and have your back when you mess up or need help.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the minor mistakes in Tiny T. Rex and the First-Day Oopsies. Have you ever done any of the things Tiny did that embarrassed him? What happened? How did you get over it?
A message in the story is that everybody makes mistakes and we can learn from our mistakes. What mistake have you learned from? What did you learn?
Pointy has a lot of empathy for Tiny and helps him feel better after an oopsie. How important is it for a friend to tell you they understand how you're feeling?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jay Fleck
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Empathy , Gratitude , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Chronicle Books
- Publication date : July 15, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 5
- Number of pages : 52
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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