Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine (Tiny T. Rex #3)

This board book starring the pint-size, short-armed protagonist of the eponymous picture book series finds Tiny T. Rex with another dilemma. Tiny wants to make a valentine for best friend Pointy, a coral-colored stegosaurus. After all, it's "the best way to show how BIG your heart feels for someone," Tiny informs the audience in first-person perspective. But when Tiny wheels out red paint, the can tips all over the teeny theropod, and an idea involving glitter results in similar chaos. Undeterred, Tiny tries again and again, until finally: "The only thing I have made for Pointy is a very big, very messy... mess," Tiny admits, as Fleck's charming art shows the dinosaur in a pile of glitter, covered in paper hearts, glue, springs, and scraps. But Pointy, of course, is not disappointed. A predictably sweet dino-centric take on a classic theme: the heart behind a gift mattering more than the gift itself. Ages 2-4. (Dec.)

Toddler-PreS—Growing fan favorite Tiny T. Rex is back in this sweetly earnest tale of how hard it can be to make the perfect Valentine. Spilled paint, glitter everywhere, paper rips, scissor cuts, and trouble spelling all conspire to ruin T. Rex's card for his best friend Pointy. Toddlers and preschoolers alike will relate to the struggle of making one's ideas a reality. Pointy's reaction will provide a calming reassurance that it's the thought that counts. The bright, simple illustrations highlight the wonderful mess Tiny makes and his endearing frustration. Concise text makes this perfect Valentine reading for toddler story times. VERDICT A great addition to board book collections.— Kristy Pasquariello, Westwood P.L., MA.