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Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
What happens when a dinosaur doesn't know she's extinct? Find out in this comical cartoon-style picture book. Everyone loves Edwina, the dinosaur who plays with the children and helps little old ladies across the road. Well, everyone except class know-it-all Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, who wants to prove that dinosaurs are extinct.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
7 people are currently reading
1641 people want to read
About the author
Mo Willems
230 books4,110 followers#1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator Mo Willems is best known for his Caldecott Honor winning picture books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Knuffle Bunny: a cautionary tale.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
In addition to such picture books as Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, and Time to Pee, Mo has created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of early readers, and published You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons, an annotated cartoon journal sketched during a year-long voyage around the world in 1990-91.
The New York Times Book Review called Mo “the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's."
Mo’s work books have been translated into a myriad of languages, spawned animated shorts and theatrical musical productions, and his illustrations, wire sculpture, and carved ceramics have been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation.
Mo began his career as a writer and animator for television, garnering 6 Emmy awards for his writing on Sesame Street, creating Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats, Cartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City and head-writing Codename: Kids Next Door.
He lives in Brooklyn, New York with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews
July 6, 2018
From one of Neo’s new favourite authors... Mo Willems! Edwina is a dinosaur and seems to be one of the most popular characters in town. She helps everyone and receives the love from people wherever she turns. Everyone, save young Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. Reginald is determined to prove to everyone that dinosaurs are extinct. When no one will listen, Reginald is about to lose his patience, concerned that no one wants to hear the truth. Edwina takes the time to listen to what Reginald has to say, which may be Reginald’s last hope to pass along that dinosaur, including Edwina, are very much extinct. Neo loved this piece, though did admit that he prefers Elephant and Piggie or Pigeon when Willems puts pen to paper. We have a pile of his books to read as we finish this vacation, though this one was quite cute!
December 12, 2023
در ستایش گوش شنوا!
March 12, 2009
I absolutely love this book! It is funny, mischievous, smart and heartwarming! The artwork is priceless and for read-aloud it has awesome names that are so much fun to say, like Edwina and Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie!
I want to hug Edwina, a dinosaur who bakes cookies and is helpful to everyone, and who simply refuses to let the fact that she OUGHT to be extinct get in her way! But I almost think that Reggie, the little boy who is determined to prove that dinosaurs ARE extinct (despite Edwina's presence) is the real star of the story. His transformation is a joy to behold!
I want to hug Edwina, a dinosaur who bakes cookies and is helpful to everyone, and who simply refuses to let the fact that she OUGHT to be extinct get in her way! But I almost think that Reggie, the little boy who is determined to prove that dinosaurs ARE extinct (despite Edwina's presence) is the real star of the story. His transformation is a joy to behold!
January 5, 2013
When I first read “Knuffle Bunny,” I thought to myself that I would probably never read another book with so much sarcastic humor. Well, I was wrong when I recently picked up this book called “Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct” which is also written by Mo Willems and when I read this book, it was so hilarious and cute! This book is basically about a dinosaur named Edwina who was well liked in her neighborhood except by a kid named Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, who tries to think of ways to prove that Edwina is extinct. This book clearly has the pure essence of comedy that you would rarely find in picture books!
Mo Willems has done it again in his talent of producing pure comedy and cute illustrations in the world of children’s books. Mo Willems has done an excellent job at writing this book as it is full of humor, especially during the scenes where Reginald tried to prove to everyone that dinosaurs are extinct and the hilarity that ensues when people kept on ignoring Reginald’s protests. Mo Willems has done a great job at making Edwina a truly loveable character as she would help anyone out in their time of need, especially Reginald who tries everything to make her life miserable. Mo Willems’ illustrations are truly hilarious and cute as he draws Edwina as a large yet motherly looking dinosaur who has pink toenails and fingernails, a pearl necklace and a straw brimmed hat that makes her look like she is actually apart of the society that she is in.
“Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct” is the perfect book for children who love pure comedy and love reading books about dinosaurs. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
Mo Willems has done it again in his talent of producing pure comedy and cute illustrations in the world of children’s books. Mo Willems has done an excellent job at writing this book as it is full of humor, especially during the scenes where Reginald tried to prove to everyone that dinosaurs are extinct and the hilarity that ensues when people kept on ignoring Reginald’s protests. Mo Willems has done a great job at making Edwina a truly loveable character as she would help anyone out in their time of need, especially Reginald who tries everything to make her life miserable. Mo Willems’ illustrations are truly hilarious and cute as he draws Edwina as a large yet motherly looking dinosaur who has pink toenails and fingernails, a pearl necklace and a straw brimmed hat that makes her look like she is actually apart of the society that she is in.
“Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct” is the perfect book for children who love pure comedy and love reading books about dinosaurs. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
March 25, 2009
At first I thought this book would be far too simplistic, but after a few pages I realized the sweet-simplicity that it holds. The illustrations are simple but expressive, perfectly complimentary to the words, which are just as simple but just as expressive.
People could take a lot of things from this book (as it appears they have from various discussions I've read). On the surface, it's about a boy trying to convince people that Edwina the Dinosaur doesn't exist - even though she plays with the kids, bakes cookies, and is very helpful. So, the story could be about a spoiled, know-it-all child who can't take being wrong. OR, it could be about a child dealing with not-being-the-center-of-attention anymore, and once someone listens to him, he feels better, even if he was wrong. OR, it might have to do with believing what's before your eyes, vs. proof, vs. what you want to believe. OR, maybe it's all of these things, or possibly it's none of them and just a story about a dinosaur who bakes cookies and is super nice.
BUT, any which way you slice it Edwina is a great character, as is Reginald, and I think there's lots there for kids to enjoy.
People could take a lot of things from this book (as it appears they have from various discussions I've read). On the surface, it's about a boy trying to convince people that Edwina the Dinosaur doesn't exist - even though she plays with the kids, bakes cookies, and is very helpful. So, the story could be about a spoiled, know-it-all child who can't take being wrong. OR, it could be about a child dealing with not-being-the-center-of-attention anymore, and once someone listens to him, he feels better, even if he was wrong. OR, it might have to do with believing what's before your eyes, vs. proof, vs. what you want to believe. OR, maybe it's all of these things, or possibly it's none of them and just a story about a dinosaur who bakes cookies and is super nice.
BUT, any which way you slice it Edwina is a great character, as is Reginald, and I think there's lots there for kids to enjoy.
March 8, 2012
If you want to teach your children that speaking the truth is only for dour, humorless little know-it-alls, then this is the book for you. The message of this book is: Lighten up! Facts and fossil records are so boring. Have a cookie! The stupidity of the premise is staggering. And it alarms me that this is the sort of book we hold up as the best of our time. The New York Times calls the author, “The biggest talent to emerge in children’s books in the 00s,” This says such terrible things about the state of contemporary children’s lit, the state of criticism, and the future of literacy in this country that I am almost at a loss for words. But because I do have a stake in the type and quality of children’s books that are published, I’m taking on the unpleasant duty of speaking out about this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad book.
To start with, this is a cheap rip-off on the all-time classic, “Danny and the Dinosaur” by Syd Hoff. In that story, a little boy goes to the Museum of Natural History where he admires the enormous dinosaur replicas and muses wistfully that it would be fun to play with a real dinosaur. When, to Danny’s astonishment and delight, the dinosaur springs to life, it is very clear that we are entering the realm of fantasy. Simple, straightforward and satisfying wish fulfillment.
With “Edwina,” we get a much more muddled tale. Just as in “Danny and the Dinosaur,” Edwina jaunts about town, helping out wherever she can. But to obscure the derivative nature of the story, we get some very ill considered variations on the original. Edwina the dinosaur doesn’t know she is extinct. Take a moment to contemplate the ontological nightmare this presents. She exists, as evidenced by the cookies she bakes, the light bulbs she screws in, and the little old ladies she safely transports across busy streets. And yet, despite these very literal, concrete actions, she is, as every school child knows, extinct. So, to review: she exists and she does not exist, simultaneously. This is fine for late-night bull sessions in your freshman dorm, but for children’s literature, this is, frankly, perverse. This is what happens when children’s book authors prize their own cheeky cleverness above all. This is a book which values novelty over substance, gimmicks over quality, fruitcake whimsy over integrity.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having an animal or a dinosaur or a magic dragon drop into the real world in a children’s story. That’s actually a fine way for kids to learn about life, since imaginary and anthropomorphized animals are easily relatable. But unlike “Danny and the Dinosaur” that uses the talking dino device to take children through familiar scenes they can identify with, while supporting early reading skills, Edwina presents an impossible philosophical puzzle, for which the only escape is madness.
Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie, our desperate, doomed antagonist, nearly kills himself trying to explain the fact that the town is in the grips of a mass delusion. He takes the initiative to research, write, print and distribute a newspaper detailing the facts of evolution and extinction, but nobody cares. The townspeople, that stupid, happy lot, make boat hats and airplanes out of the papers. Reginald is pictured as a scowling figure, not someone children would positively identify with. Aspiring paleontologists of the world take note. Pack it in, kid. Get with the bliss ninny program or pay the price. You’ll have no friends. Your teachers will hate you. And you’ll be condemned to a wretched, tortured existence until you learn to march in step with the rest of the flat-earthers. It is a twisted premise that appeals, perhaps, to been-there-done-that grown-ups who have tired of straightforward concepts and themes. But this is a book for children! Why should the children suffer for our own jaded ways? Why?
Exhausted and spent, poor Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie finds himself alone in a bleak existential wasteland. He collapses in a heap of angry, despairing sobs. This is the beginning of his conversion experience. Reginald cries out to an empty universe, “WHY WON’T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME!?” and, who hears his lonely howl? Why, the talking dinosaur, of course! In your darkest hour, know that you are not alone. Edwina is there for you! She hears you crying in the night and she cares. If this were an earnest conversion experience, the book would have some meaning. If it were a straight parody of a conversion experience it might be the Children's New Atheist Bible. But it is neither. And both. It’s a muddled, maddening mess.
Reginald pours his heart out, he tells Edwina how and why it is that she doesn’t exist. She hears his arguments but is deaf to reason. She doesn’t care that she does not exist and at this point, neither does Reginald. Shockingly, this is the conclusion of the book. Reginald shucks off his cumbersome learning and follows Edwina through the Edwina-shaped hole she’s blasted through the schoolhouse wall.
Beyond the highly problematic and confusing thematic elements, we have a failure of an even more fundamental nature. Part of what makes “Danny and the Dinosaur” such an essential book and Edwina such a lousy one is word choice. “Danny and the Dinosaur” employs short, easy to sound out words that appear with high frequency in other early readers. Clear pictures offer important context clues, which further assist emerging readers. It is a book that teaches reading. It is a book that builds confidence. It is entertaining, delightful and educational.
Edwina lacks that kind of deliberate word choice. This book makes no attempt to select words with the high frequency phonemes and digraphs that children must master in order to begin reading. Learning smaller words and units of words is the foundation on which to build the ability to read longer words. This book does little to improve reading skills beyond reinforcing sub-basic skills such as turning pages, reading front to back and such. Those sub-basic concepts are best learned when children are very little with sturdy cardboard books, not expensive, glossy tomes like this.
Edwina apes a vague concept of what constitutes a decent children’s book by limiting the number of words on each page. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of text on each page doesn’t cut it. Leaving giant, empty spaces on each page isn’t minimalist. It’s lazy. The entire book has a very sketchy, tossed off quality that I find a little offensive in a hardbound twenty-dollar book. The glorified stick figures with their “happy” “sad” “worried” and “mad” faces are well within the artistic capability of any eight year old with a marker. The only possible benefit of such simplistic, two-dimensional drawings is that they might inspire an enterprising eight-year-old artist to do better. They should be encouraged to do so. They could hardly do worse.
Another disappointing aspect of this book is the crude attempt at making the traditionally boy-centric dinosaur obsession more appealing to girls by imbuing the character with the most stereotypical, outdated idea of what it means to be female. We know Edwina is female from her garishly painted toenails, her habit of baking cookies, and her flighty relationship with reality. Do you see the problem here? Worst of all, as the conclusion of the book demonstrates, she doesn’t care about the scientific reality that the mean boy keeps trying to explain. What a crappy role model for girls! What a cynical appropriation of children’s interest in dinosaurs. What a waste of paper!
In addition to “Danny and the Dinosaur,” I recommend the “How do Dinosaurs Learn” series. It is a far superior choice for anthropomorphized dinosaur fun. These books teach kids appropriate behavior in a humorous way. The dinosaurs are not vague, pseudo-species, but real dinosaurs with real names that depict typical childhood behaviors, both good and bad. Those are books that encourage children to look at themselves. “Edwina the Dinosaur Who Doesn’t Know She is Extinct” directs our attention to the author and his antics while imparting nothing of value to the children for whom this book is marketed. I feel like Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie trying to talk sense to the masses of people who’ve bought into this cult of children’s book author celebrity. If only I could internalize the core message of this book: Nothing matters! Tra La La! Have a cookie!
Update: Five year old would not leave the library until we had checked out a handful of Mo Willems books from the Piggie series. He read them to himself on the ride home, giggling all the way. No accounting for taste!
To start with, this is a cheap rip-off on the all-time classic, “Danny and the Dinosaur” by Syd Hoff. In that story, a little boy goes to the Museum of Natural History where he admires the enormous dinosaur replicas and muses wistfully that it would be fun to play with a real dinosaur. When, to Danny’s astonishment and delight, the dinosaur springs to life, it is very clear that we are entering the realm of fantasy. Simple, straightforward and satisfying wish fulfillment.
With “Edwina,” we get a much more muddled tale. Just as in “Danny and the Dinosaur,” Edwina jaunts about town, helping out wherever she can. But to obscure the derivative nature of the story, we get some very ill considered variations on the original. Edwina the dinosaur doesn’t know she is extinct. Take a moment to contemplate the ontological nightmare this presents. She exists, as evidenced by the cookies she bakes, the light bulbs she screws in, and the little old ladies she safely transports across busy streets. And yet, despite these very literal, concrete actions, she is, as every school child knows, extinct. So, to review: she exists and she does not exist, simultaneously. This is fine for late-night bull sessions in your freshman dorm, but for children’s literature, this is, frankly, perverse. This is what happens when children’s book authors prize their own cheeky cleverness above all. This is a book which values novelty over substance, gimmicks over quality, fruitcake whimsy over integrity.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having an animal or a dinosaur or a magic dragon drop into the real world in a children’s story. That’s actually a fine way for kids to learn about life, since imaginary and anthropomorphized animals are easily relatable. But unlike “Danny and the Dinosaur” that uses the talking dino device to take children through familiar scenes they can identify with, while supporting early reading skills, Edwina presents an impossible philosophical puzzle, for which the only escape is madness.
Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie, our desperate, doomed antagonist, nearly kills himself trying to explain the fact that the town is in the grips of a mass delusion. He takes the initiative to research, write, print and distribute a newspaper detailing the facts of evolution and extinction, but nobody cares. The townspeople, that stupid, happy lot, make boat hats and airplanes out of the papers. Reginald is pictured as a scowling figure, not someone children would positively identify with. Aspiring paleontologists of the world take note. Pack it in, kid. Get with the bliss ninny program or pay the price. You’ll have no friends. Your teachers will hate you. And you’ll be condemned to a wretched, tortured existence until you learn to march in step with the rest of the flat-earthers. It is a twisted premise that appeals, perhaps, to been-there-done-that grown-ups who have tired of straightforward concepts and themes. But this is a book for children! Why should the children suffer for our own jaded ways? Why?
Exhausted and spent, poor Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie finds himself alone in a bleak existential wasteland. He collapses in a heap of angry, despairing sobs. This is the beginning of his conversion experience. Reginald cries out to an empty universe, “WHY WON’T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME!?” and, who hears his lonely howl? Why, the talking dinosaur, of course! In your darkest hour, know that you are not alone. Edwina is there for you! She hears you crying in the night and she cares. If this were an earnest conversion experience, the book would have some meaning. If it were a straight parody of a conversion experience it might be the Children's New Atheist Bible. But it is neither. And both. It’s a muddled, maddening mess.
Reginald pours his heart out, he tells Edwina how and why it is that she doesn’t exist. She hears his arguments but is deaf to reason. She doesn’t care that she does not exist and at this point, neither does Reginald. Shockingly, this is the conclusion of the book. Reginald shucks off his cumbersome learning and follows Edwina through the Edwina-shaped hole she’s blasted through the schoolhouse wall.
Beyond the highly problematic and confusing thematic elements, we have a failure of an even more fundamental nature. Part of what makes “Danny and the Dinosaur” such an essential book and Edwina such a lousy one is word choice. “Danny and the Dinosaur” employs short, easy to sound out words that appear with high frequency in other early readers. Clear pictures offer important context clues, which further assist emerging readers. It is a book that teaches reading. It is a book that builds confidence. It is entertaining, delightful and educational.
Edwina lacks that kind of deliberate word choice. This book makes no attempt to select words with the high frequency phonemes and digraphs that children must master in order to begin reading. Learning smaller words and units of words is the foundation on which to build the ability to read longer words. This book does little to improve reading skills beyond reinforcing sub-basic skills such as turning pages, reading front to back and such. Those sub-basic concepts are best learned when children are very little with sturdy cardboard books, not expensive, glossy tomes like this.
Edwina apes a vague concept of what constitutes a decent children’s book by limiting the number of words on each page. Unfortunately, reducing the amount of text on each page doesn’t cut it. Leaving giant, empty spaces on each page isn’t minimalist. It’s lazy. The entire book has a very sketchy, tossed off quality that I find a little offensive in a hardbound twenty-dollar book. The glorified stick figures with their “happy” “sad” “worried” and “mad” faces are well within the artistic capability of any eight year old with a marker. The only possible benefit of such simplistic, two-dimensional drawings is that they might inspire an enterprising eight-year-old artist to do better. They should be encouraged to do so. They could hardly do worse.
Another disappointing aspect of this book is the crude attempt at making the traditionally boy-centric dinosaur obsession more appealing to girls by imbuing the character with the most stereotypical, outdated idea of what it means to be female. We know Edwina is female from her garishly painted toenails, her habit of baking cookies, and her flighty relationship with reality. Do you see the problem here? Worst of all, as the conclusion of the book demonstrates, she doesn’t care about the scientific reality that the mean boy keeps trying to explain. What a crappy role model for girls! What a cynical appropriation of children’s interest in dinosaurs. What a waste of paper!
In addition to “Danny and the Dinosaur,” I recommend the “How do Dinosaurs Learn” series. It is a far superior choice for anthropomorphized dinosaur fun. These books teach kids appropriate behavior in a humorous way. The dinosaurs are not vague, pseudo-species, but real dinosaurs with real names that depict typical childhood behaviors, both good and bad. Those are books that encourage children to look at themselves. “Edwina the Dinosaur Who Doesn’t Know She is Extinct” directs our attention to the author and his antics while imparting nothing of value to the children for whom this book is marketed. I feel like Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie trying to talk sense to the masses of people who’ve bought into this cult of children’s book author celebrity. If only I could internalize the core message of this book: Nothing matters! Tra La La! Have a cookie!
Update: Five year old would not leave the library until we had checked out a handful of Mo Willems books from the Piggie series. He read them to himself on the ride home, giggling all the way. No accounting for taste!
March 19, 2009
I adore this funny and charming book and Edwina is a wonderful character. This book is now in a short list of favorite picture books. I’m so scientifically oriented but I love how what’s “true” doesn’t matter here; I had great fun with how reality was turned upside down. The story and pictures are both terrific. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys children’s picture books. It’s a winner!
July 16, 2010
I love Edwina; from her pearls to her purse and her caring nature. My favorite picture was Edwina helping the little old lady across the street. Priceless! Who wouldn’t love a dinosaur that made cookies! The story line is fun. A boy trying to convince a dinosaur-loving town that dinosaurs don’t exist. I wouldn’t mind seeing Edwina star in another book. I can’t wait to share this one with my baby girl.
July 23, 2016
I love Mo Willems, and this story is adorable. The young boy Reginald thinks he doesn't like Edwina the dinosaur, but when he gives her a chance, she's actually the most considerate friend he has. :)
March 30, 2020
I cannot tell you how hilarious I find it that this adorable picture-book by Mo Willems - author of the Caldecott Honor Book
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
- has aroused the ire of the fundamentalist pseudo-science crowd, who perceive, in its tale of a young boy who refuses to trust the evidence of his own eyes, when it contradicts something he already believes, an attack on science, and an argument for behavioral conformity.
Yes. Because, the argument runs, Reginald von Hoobie-Doobie (great name, Mo Willems!) stops brow-beating the other members of his community, ceases to protest (protest!) at the very existence of another, and begins to act like a human being (one who eats chocolate-chip cookies), he must therefore have imbibed the "opiate of the masses." Don't believe me? Check out the amazon review that sneers at Edwina's "cliched" niceness, and maintains that the message here is that research and protest are a silly means of trying to correct the common knowledge, and buck the "status quo." Or the review which claims that Willems is promoting a "corrupted thought process" in which popular belief is preferable to scientific fact.
Well then, here are the facts: In this story, a young man finds that the reality of the world around him does not conform to the received wisdom contained in his books - a source he is predisposed to trust. Rather than precipitating a period of further investigation - an effort to reconcile new evidence with existing theory - this contradiction leads our hero into a frantic effort to shore up what he already believes (that dinosaurs are extinct), and to convince those around him to believe the same. The fact that this belief runs counter to the lived experience of all, in the form of their daily interaction with Edwina, is precisely the point, and the source of the humor that seems to have escaped the reviewers mentioned above. In one hysterical scene, Reginald actually parades around with a sign that reads "This is not happening!"
Of course, there is also an emotional component to this story, and I could see someone coming away from it with the idea that Willems' is offering an affirmation of the importance of feeling, as a way of understanding the world. But the irony, of course, of the criticism leveled at Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, is that its protagonist displays many of those characteristics which are (rightly) decried in the religious zealot: an insistence on the "book" as an authority on reality, to the exclusion of new evidence (think creationism); an intolerance for the views of others, and belief that it is given to us to "enlighten" them (think proselytizing missionary work); and a deeply-felt sense of affront, that the existence of others contradicts the "right" way of being (think homophobia).
Willems' crime isn't that he's anti-science, it's that he demonstrates how scientists and researchers can be anti-science. And he does it with humor! Lord, how I love the subversive potential of children's literature! How I love Mo Willems!
Yes. Because, the argument runs, Reginald von Hoobie-Doobie (great name, Mo Willems!) stops brow-beating the other members of his community, ceases to protest (protest!) at the very existence of another, and begins to act like a human being (one who eats chocolate-chip cookies), he must therefore have imbibed the "opiate of the masses." Don't believe me? Check out the amazon review that sneers at Edwina's "cliched" niceness, and maintains that the message here is that research and protest are a silly means of trying to correct the common knowledge, and buck the "status quo." Or the review which claims that Willems is promoting a "corrupted thought process" in which popular belief is preferable to scientific fact.
Well then, here are the facts: In this story, a young man finds that the reality of the world around him does not conform to the received wisdom contained in his books - a source he is predisposed to trust. Rather than precipitating a period of further investigation - an effort to reconcile new evidence with existing theory - this contradiction leads our hero into a frantic effort to shore up what he already believes (that dinosaurs are extinct), and to convince those around him to believe the same. The fact that this belief runs counter to the lived experience of all, in the form of their daily interaction with Edwina, is precisely the point, and the source of the humor that seems to have escaped the reviewers mentioned above. In one hysterical scene, Reginald actually parades around with a sign that reads "This is not happening!"
Of course, there is also an emotional component to this story, and I could see someone coming away from it with the idea that Willems' is offering an affirmation of the importance of feeling, as a way of understanding the world. But the irony, of course, of the criticism leveled at Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct, is that its protagonist displays many of those characteristics which are (rightly) decried in the religious zealot: an insistence on the "book" as an authority on reality, to the exclusion of new evidence (think creationism); an intolerance for the views of others, and belief that it is given to us to "enlighten" them (think proselytizing missionary work); and a deeply-felt sense of affront, that the existence of others contradicts the "right" way of being (think homophobia).
Willems' crime isn't that he's anti-science, it's that he demonstrates how scientists and researchers can be anti-science. And he does it with humor! Lord, how I love the subversive potential of children's literature! How I love Mo Willems!
January 23, 2017
A story about a boy named Reginald who is out to prove to a community that dinosaurs are extinct. Yet the community has their own dinosaur by the name of Edwina. This is a creative story showing the importance of listening to people.
October 4, 2022
خیلی دوست دارم بدونم نظر و برداشت بچهها در مورد این کتابها چیه!؟
October 8, 2021
Today was Day in K and I had the very great pleasure of reading to each group of future Kindergarten students. It was such a delight to welcome them into our library full of books and stuffies and teepees and forts and window seats. I hope I never forget their sparkly eyes and eager smiles.
Edwina was the book I chose to read to them. What a hit! Parents and children - and even me - were all thrilled. This book was so much fun as a read aloud and would be a great book for older grades, too. There was some wonderful vocabulary that didn't take away from the preschooler's understanding at all. What a hit!
Library Lessons
This book has LOTS of opportunities for discussions about attitude, kindness, being a good friend, being a person who listens to others...
Edwina was the book I chose to read to them. What a hit! Parents and children - and even me - were all thrilled. This book was so much fun as a read aloud and would be a great book for older grades, too. There was some wonderful vocabulary that didn't take away from the preschooler's understanding at all. What a hit!
Library Lessons
This book has LOTS of opportunities for discussions about attitude, kindness, being a good friend, being a person who listens to others...
April 2, 2023
واقعا از کارهای مو ویلمس بود؟!
من انتظار یه کتاب طناز، مثل باقی کارهای مو ویلمس رو داشتم، اما این کتاب متفاوت از باقی کارهاش بود.
تامل برانگیز بود
دایناسوری بلند قد و بالا به نام ادوینا در زمان حال، در کنار مردم به خوبی و خوشی زندگی می کنه و همه دوستش دارند.
همه به جز پسری که معتقده دایناسورها منقرض شدن و هر کاری می کنه تا بقیه رو متقاعد کنه. اما هیچ کس به حرفش گوش نمیده جز همین ادوینا خانم!
https://taaghche.com/book/83101
من انتظار یه کتاب طناز، مثل باقی کارهای مو ویلمس رو داشتم، اما این کتاب متفاوت از باقی کارهاش بود.
تامل برانگیز بود
دایناسوری بلند قد و بالا به نام ادوینا در زمان حال، در کنار مردم به خوبی و خوشی زندگی می کنه و همه دوستش دارند.
همه به جز پسری که معتقده دایناسورها منقرض شدن و هر کاری می کنه تا بقیه رو متقاعد کنه. اما هیچ کس به حرفش گوش نمیده جز همین ادوینا خانم!
https://taaghche.com/book/83101
July 3, 2013
A great book all my children enjoyed! Another fun read by Mo Willems, it was at least a level 1 read and so good for all ages. The pictures were bright and engaging and the story was interesting enough that my preschoolers enjoyed it too. A good kid's book, besides, who doesn't like dinosaurs?
December 6, 2015
Loved - what a great lesson for kids. 1. A bad attitude keeps you from doing fun things and 2. as long as you are happy and doing the right thing - don't let others get you down!
July 16, 2016
Great message about the power of listening and making up your own mind, and it's dedicated to Cher.
December 7, 2019
Can't go wrong with Mo Willems
January 28, 2020
Edwina is adorable.
March 29, 2021
Cute story about a dinosaur who refused to obey what people said about her being extinct.
February 6, 2020
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Williams is a great book to read aloud to younger students, probably preschool age. The story is about a dinosaur named Edwina, who is friends with everyone in the school and neighborhood. She bakes cookies for everyone, helps with errands, and is just a great friend. Everyone loves Edwina, except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. He was determined to prove that dinosaurs were extinct, and would stop at nothing until everyone believed him. After many failed attempts of explaining to his peers, he realized no one would listen. He had to go to the source itself: Edwina. Edwina is shocked to hear that she is extinct, and realizes that she doesn't care because she is so happy. Because of this, Reginald doesn't care anymore, and the story ends with the two of them becoming friends. This book has great, simplistic illustrations that really help tell the story. The end pages are several plates of cookies, which is foreshadowing to the ending of Reginald and Edwina making cookies together. There isn't much text on each page, but the words have fun sounds to go along with them, which makes this great for read aloud with younger students. I loved this book and I think it has a great message about overcoming differences!
September 13, 2017
Another Mo Willems book that does an excellent job of executing simplicity, expression, and life lessons.
The words and pictures may be simple and easy to understand, but students catch on quick that there is normally more going on than what the words dictate. The words and pictures form a wonderful interplay! I even had a kindergarten student mention that one of the characters was worried--they didn't know this based on the words, but on account of the pictures. Willems harmonizes both with ingenious style and confidence.
I always appreciate his work because of the many conversations I can have with my students about different facets of life and how we can learn and grow from the situations presented in the book. They often noticed things in the words or pictures and it leads to a good dialogue between all the students.
The words and pictures may be simple and easy to understand, but students catch on quick that there is normally more going on than what the words dictate. The words and pictures form a wonderful interplay! I even had a kindergarten student mention that one of the characters was worried--they didn't know this based on the words, but on account of the pictures. Willems harmonizes both with ingenious style and confidence.
I always appreciate his work because of the many conversations I can have with my students about different facets of life and how we can learn and grow from the situations presented in the book. They often noticed things in the words or pictures and it leads to a good dialogue between all the students.
February 7, 2019
Edwina is just plain fun! Please don't expect this book to teach anything about dinosaurs, as a matter of fact, despite the best efforts of one of the main characters to learn from science and teach others, science is overrun in this little gem. The illustrations are great and the message I got was that we all need to be listened to and acknowledged. Only when we really listen and acknowledge other people's existence and opinions can we truly become friends. A fun read aloud, even though the humor is a bit on the ironic side. Definitely recommended for the older preschooler and younger elementary age kids.
October 2, 2019
My favorite Mo Willems book ever! The characters in the book are very relatable, to all ages of listeners and readers. Edwina is a kind dinosaur who makes "the best chocolate chip cookies!" She is thoughtful, kindhearted, and selfless. The entire community loves her! That is except for one little boy...Reginald Von Hoobie Doobie! I just love saying the name! Reginal has his own quirks and tries to convince his classmates that "dinosaurs are extinct." He encounters Edwina and her kind heart. she is not to be deterred by Reginald and his beliefs! Through this, Reginald learns what it means to be accepted, and that being "always right" isn't what its cracked up to be.
June 2, 2016
Pretty sure Uncle Mark and I both read this one to him. It's really cute. What a Mo Willems should be!
Contrary to the title, Edwina does know she's extinct, she simply doesn't CARE. She's just doing her thing and her things include baking cookies, dressing rather fashionably, and going on about her way despite that the odds are a bit against her! Good lessons.
Contrary to the title, Edwina does know she's extinct, she simply doesn't CARE. She's just doing her thing and her things include baking cookies, dressing rather fashionably, and going on about her way despite that the odds are a bit against her! Good lessons.
September 1, 2017
No doubt about it. One of the best names for a character in a children's book I have ever come across. Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie is the only one in town who does not like Edwina. And he's out to prove she's extinct.
Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. I think I just found the name for my next dog. Thank you Mo Willems!
Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. I think I just found the name for my next dog. Thank you Mo Willems!
December 4, 2017
Genre: modern fantasy
Grade Level: K-2
This is a cute book about a dinosaur that helps fix light bulbs, helps old ladies cross the street, plays with the children, and bakes chocolate chip cookies for the town. I read it to a kindergarten class and they loved it. I was also able to discuss extinct and what it means. And how we should take time to listen and care for others.
Grade Level: K-2
This is a cute book about a dinosaur that helps fix light bulbs, helps old ladies cross the street, plays with the children, and bakes chocolate chip cookies for the town. I read it to a kindergarten class and they loved it. I was also able to discuss extinct and what it means. And how we should take time to listen and care for others.
July 3, 2018
I really like what Edwina has to teach little kids about being their self even in the face of others who might not like it. She also handles the whole story with kindness which is also an important lesson about adversity. And even though this cute book teaches these important lessons, it’s wrapped up in a fun story with lightheartedness.
March 21, 2024
گاهی فقط نیاز داریم که یکی بهمون گوش بده؛ همین!
February 2, 2022
فوق العاده بود
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