Review by Booklist Review
Tiny T. Rex has the littlest arms but the biggest heart. When his best friend, salmon-colored stegosaurus Pointy, has a sad day, Tiny is determined to cheer him up with a hug if only his arms weren't too small to accomplish the task. Undaunted, Tiny seeks advice from his family. "Rexes are thinkers, not huggers," his father tells him and offers mathematic formulas (Tiny is unconvinced). Flower-wearing yogi Auntie Junip suggests balance and fresh cucumber juice ("That's disgusting"), Mother gives sweet but unhelpful praise, and ping-pong playing siblings Trixie and Rawrie advise practice. It's this last suggestion that Tiny heeds, attempting to hug everything from books to cacti ("I will not practice on that anymore"). But will it be enough to make Pointy smile? Irrepressible, adorable Tiny will capture hearts of all ages, while the bright, blocky monochromatic illustrations are particularly appealing for a preschool audience. It's never too early to learn to pay attention to when others are in need of kindness, and this delightful, dino-wrapped package drives the message charmingly home.--Maggie Reagan Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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 PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
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. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
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 advicethe 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 practiceTiny 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) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
