Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug (Tiny T. Rex #1)

by Jonathan Stutzman (Author) Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug (Tiny T. Rex #1)
Reading Level: K − 1st Grade
Series: Tiny T. Rex

"Readers will root for bighearted, small-armed Tiny." --Publishers Weekly

An unforgettable character teaches a lesson in overcoming obstacles: 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, Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug--a warm and funny tale that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts.

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Kirkus

Wins for compassion and for the refusal to let physical limitations hold one back.

Publishers Weekly

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 squeezed cucumber 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.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

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

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Takes the familiar hug story and expands it with the acknowledgment that not everybody hugs big, but everybody can hug big enough for their friends." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Jonathan Stutzman

Jonathan Stutzman is an award-winning filmmaker and a picture book author. He is the author of Llama Destroys the World, Don't Feed the Coos, Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse and the Tiny T-Rex series. He received his masters at Temple University for Film & Digital Media. He lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania with his wife, the illustrator Heather Fox.

Heather Fox is an illustrator and graphic designer, creating art in pen and ink, digital, and gouache. She is the illustrator of Llama Destroys the World, Don't Feed the Coos and Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse. Her art is filled with large quantities of quirk and dashes of whimsy, and she is very passionate about illustrating children's books and traveling the world. She lives in Lititz, Pennsylvania, with her husband, the writer Jonathan Stutzman.

Classification
-
ISBN-13
9781452170336
Lexile Measure
460
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
March 05, 2019
Series
Tiny T. Rex
BISAC categories
JUV002060 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures
JUV039000 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | General
Library of Congress categories
Dinosaurs
Friendship
Picture books
Size
Tyrannosaurus rex
Hugging
Body size

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