Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug

by Jonathan Stutzman, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

Overview

Tiny T. Rex has a HUGE problem. His friend Pointy needs cheering up and only a hug will do. But with his short stature and teeny T. Rex arms, is a hug impossible? Not if Tiny has anything to say about it! Join this plucky little dinosaur in his very first adventure—a warm and funny tale that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts. Introducing an unforgettable character on the picture book scene, Tiny T. Rex will stomp into the hearts of readers in this winning new series.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781452175249
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Series:	Tiny T. Rex Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	593,253
Lexile:	AD460L (what's this?)
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Jonathan Stutzman is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. His short films have screened at film festivals all over the world and on television. He lives in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.
Jay Fleck is an Illinois-based designer and illustrator who has illustrated many books for children. He lives south of Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

12/10/2018

In this series opener, tyrannosaur Tiny has a problem: his best friend, stegosaurus Pointy, is sad, and Tiny’s wee arms make it difficult to offer solace through a hug. His father suggests that math might be the solution (“Rexes are thinkers, not huggers”); his aunt, mid-yoga-pose, recommends “balance and freshly squeezedcucumber juice”; and his mother assures him that he’s good at other things. His siblings, thankfully, offer some sensible advice: “To do the impossible you must plan and practice.” Tiny embraces their approach, mapping out an elaborate strategy, training, and hugging everything from a flower to an ice cream cone to a cactus (“I will not practice on that anymore,” Tiny declares about the latter). Finally, mistaking a pterodactyl leg for a tree, Tiny ends up flying through the sky and discovers that “tiny” is all a matter of perspective. Debut author Stutzman includes plenty of dry humor in his simple sentences, which Fleck extends to great effect in comic retro scenes that recall the illustrator’s work in Tilly & Tank. Readers will root for bighearted, small-armed Tiny, making his final, “biggest” hug all the more satisfying. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back." —Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

03/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1–Tiny's name says it all. He is the smallest in his T. rex family, simply giving a friend a hug is hard because of his disproportionately small arms. A cast of anthropomorphic dinosaur family members offer advice on a range of topics from math to sports, giving Tiny time to plan a strategy, get stronger, and practice, practice, practice, until an accidental flight experience drops him into the perfect opportunity to give a hug. Digitally colored and wildly fantastic, this is a sweet and satisfying read. From his father, Tiny learns that Rexes are thinkers and love math, he gets lost in his mother's desk drawer but finds that she admires his kindness and creativity, he learns the importance of practice from his Ping-Pong–playing brother and sister, and he discovers on his own that he should not practice a hug on a cactus. While each family member shares ideas about learning and doing, it is Tiny who learns about caring and the positives of independent, creative thinking to achieve the impossible. VERDICT A solid purchase for libraries with readers who simply live for the next dinosaur book and an engaging storytime selection.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX

School Library Journal

2018-11-12

With such short arms, how can Tiny T. Rex give a sad friend a hug?

Fleck goes for cute in the simple, minimally detailed illustrations, drawing the diminutive theropod with a chubby turquoise body and little nubs for limbs under a massive, squared-off head. Impelled by the sight of stegosaurian buddy Pointy looking glum, little Tiny sets out to attempt the seemingly impossible, a comforting hug. Having made the rounds seeking advice—the dino's pea-green dad recommends math; purple, New Age aunt offers cucumber juice ("That is disgusting"); red mom tells him that it's OK not to be able to hug ("You are tiny, but your heart is big!"), and blue and yellow older sibs suggest practice—Tiny takes up the last as the most immediately useful notion. Unfortunately, the "tree" the little reptile tries to hug turns out to be a pterodactyl's leg. "Now I am falling," Tiny notes in the consistently self-referential narrative. "I should not have let go." Fortunately, Tiny lands on Pointy's head, and the proclamation that though Rexes' hugs may be tiny, "I will do my very best because you are my very best friend" proves just the mood-lightening ticket. "Thank you, Tiny. That was the biggest hug ever." Young audiences always find the "clueless grown-ups" trope a knee-slapper, the overall tone never turns preachy, and Tiny's instinctive kindness definitely puts him at (gentle) odds with the dinky dino star of Bob Shea's Dinosaur Vs. series.

Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back. (Picture book. 5-7)

Kirkus Reviews