Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Cute dino and friend face their fear together in sweet tale.
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What's the Story?
In TINY T. REX AND THE VERY DARK DARK, young Tiny and his best friend Pointy are beginning a backyard campout, and they're nervous, because they've never slept outside before, and they're both afraid of the dark. They set up a string of colored lights outside their tent, but when the lights go out, they're scared for a minute. Then when they look out of the tent and up in the sky, they see the bright, twinkling stars and a crescent moon, and all is well.
Is It Any Good?
This delightful, reassuring picture book deals with a common childhood fear in a fun, creative, and lighthearted way. Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark tackles fear of the dark head-on, and models a couple of kids -- dinosaurs, in this case -- working through it. It's respectful of their feelings while showing there's actually some natural light outdoors that can help make the dark feel less scary.
Author Jonathan Stutzman's inventive, kid-like language is a big part of the fun. Tiny fears they can't sleep without their "nighty-lights." "And when there are no nighty-lights ... the Grumbles and Nom-bies come out." He notes that it's "hard to be brave when you are scared of the Crawly-creeps." This helps convey Tiny's deeply felt fears and makes for a lively read-aloud that works as a fun bedtime tale or a conversation-starter about fear of the dark or other fears. And Jay Fleck's illustrations are adorable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Tiny deals with his fear in Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark. Do you ever feel afraid of the dark? What's scary about it? What helps you feel safe?
Have you ever camped out in the backyard or in the wilderness? Would you like to? Do you think it would be scary or fun -- both?
Why do you think the author of this book decided to have dinosaurs act like real kids? is it fun to imagine them that way? Try making up and drawing your own story with animal characters. What animals would you choose?
Book Details
- Author: Jonathan Stutzman
- Illustrator: Jay Fleck
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Dinosaurs , Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Chronicle Books
- Publication date: March 4, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 5
- Number of pages: 48
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: June 1, 2022
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