Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cute dino and friend face their fear together in sweet tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
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 :
- Illustrator : Jay Fleck
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Animals ( 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, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate