Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug

Tiny T. Rex #1

by Jonathan Stutzman, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

I am Tiny.

That is my name.

Also, I am very small. Especially compared to my family.

I do not mind being tiny, but sometimes it makes things very tricky.

Today is the trickiest. Today I will face the biggest challenge I have ever faced.

Today I must learn... how to hug.

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 dino in his very first adventure—a warm and funny tale that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Childrens, Storytime, Friendship, Fiction, Animals

42 pages, Hardcover

First published March 5, 2019

About the author

Jonathan is a writer of picture books, a filmmaker, book hoarder, and daring explorer of 24-hour diners. He is the author of the bestselling TINY T. REX series, LLAMA DESTROYS THE WORLD and LLAMA UNLEASHES THE ALPACALYPSE, FITZ AND CLEO, BUTTS ARE EVERYWHERE, and many others.

His next book is BEAR IS A BEAR illustrated by Dan Santat.

Jonathan studied film in college and grad school. His short films have screened around the world and on television, and he has writing credits on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s Emmy-winning variety show HitRECord on TV.

If you ever meet him in person, he will probably-maybe share his french fries.

Reviews

[Carmen]

Only read this if you want to die from cuteness.

[Rian *fire and books*]

What a precious picture book!

The illustrations are wonderful, the dialogue is snappy and humorous, and I think it wonderfully touched on mental health.

Basically the little dudes friend - Stegosaurus - is sad and Rex goes to a lot of dino’s to try and learn how to hug so he can cheer his friend up. AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I also love how this little baby Rex talks. At one point he tried to hug a tree, but it was actually a leg, and so rather than hang on until the pterodactyl landed, he just... lets go??? And blithely says “I shouldn’t have done that.”


The. Most. Precious. I had such fun with this.

[La Coccinelle]

While Tiny's motivations are sweet and the pictures are adorable, this book just didn't capture me the way I thought it might. Basically, we find out that Pointy (another dinosaur) is feeling sad. So Tiny decides he needs a hug. The only problem is, Tiny's arms are way too short to give proper hugs. He goes around to his family members, asking what he should do. They give varying advice, but his siblings seem to have the best idea: practice. After practicing his hugs on various objects, Tiny accidentally hugs the wrong thing and ends up... well, carried away. But it all works out in the end.

I think part of the problem I have with this is that we don't know if Pointy even wants a hug. Some people don't like to be touched, and unsolicited hugs when you're already feeling rotten aren't going to be that welcome. I think there needs to be a discussion here about consent. Tiny should've asked Pointy if he wanted a hug. Otherwise, it's kind of sending a bad message.

Overall, this isn't that great. I do like the illustrations, though.

[Reading_ Tamishly]

Is anything more cuter cute than this?!

I love this tiny dinosaur so much! And it's learning to hug.

Mom! I need a hug, please!

[Maura B-C]

and i am SOBBING

[Abigail]

A minuscule T-Rex named Tiny finds himself faced with a difficult challenge: his best friend Pointy is feeling down and he wants to give comfort by hugging her. Unfortunately, his arms are simply too small to provide the necessary embrace. Or are they? Armed with advice from his brother and sister about practicing, Tiny embarks on a quest to learn to do the impossible...

The latest in a string of picture-books featuring heroes who are challenged in the hug department - think titles like How Do You Hug a Porcupine? , Wally Wants to Hug , or Nobody Hugs a Cactus - Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug takes the classic therapod characteristic of short arms and creates a dinosaur variant on the story. Although not destined to become a favorite, the story here is sweet and the cartoon-like artwork cute and expressive. Recommended to young dinosaurs lovers, or who children who enjoy hugging.

[Cassandra]

Honestly you can probably guess how cute this is going to be just based off of the title alone. It was truly just the SWEETEST DAMN STORY EVER. We got it at work a few weeks ago and I debated counting it as a read towards my challenge... but I know I'll hit 100 books and then some so I'm not worried. I really just want to share it with everyone so I don't even care.

Literally so fricken cute. SO. CUTE. I loved this and I will love it forever.

[Kayti]

Wow, this book has zero flow. I initially missed the first page because it was before the title page. Then when I got into the book, I kept thinking that I was missing pages. If your little one is into dinosaurs, definitely skip this one and go for something in the How Do Dinosaurs series or Tyrannosaurus Wrecks.

[KC]

Bright colors and dinosaurs seem to work but I did not care at all for the story.

[IvyInThePages]

Rating: 5 leaves out of 5
Characters: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Genre: Children/Picture Book
Type: Book
Worth?: Yes!

[Rachel (Into a Story)]

Adorable illustrations and story. Great message. I think kids will love this...Plus the author & illustrator are awesome people.

[Peggy]

I’m like Pointy—math only makes me feel worse.

[Ann]

It’s was either boredom or an attempt to heal my inner child

[Morgan]

tears in my eyes. i need a hug. i need to give a hug. hugs all around.

[Krysten]

Super cute children's book about the power of friendship and determination. Tiny T. Rex may be tiny but his friend needs a hug so Tiny is doing everything he can to make that happen.

[Anomaly]

Time for a hug~

"I cannot hug with my heart, Mother. I must learn to hug with my arms."

This is a charming book about a small dinosaur who wants to comfort his larger dino-friend with a hug... but isn't sure how to give hugs with his tiny, T-Rex armspan. He seeks the advice of his family, getting into amusing scenarios along the way, and ultimately decides to do his best.

I found this book to be sweet and adorable, with a dose of light humour for good measure. It teaches a good lesson about being there for your friends and putting your mind to something you want to do even if the task seems impossible. (Also, y'know, dinosaurs are cool.) A quick read with a specific speaking style for the main character which will give plenty to work with when putting on silly voices to read this to the kids in your life!

[Devin]

A delightful and charming story about caring for friends and persevering despite the odds. Adorable artwork, too.

[Bandita]

This book was adorable! Tiny T. Rex is so upset because he cannot hug for his tiny arms. He works so hard to learn to hug! This book was totally adorable. I loved it so much.

[Katie Nye Cogley]

This is the first children's book I felt the need to review on Good Reads - absolutely fantastic. I will buy every child this book. It now surpasses my last children's favorite "Don't Eat The Bees"

[Euodias]

Read if you wanna die from wholesome cuteness

[KC]

Such a darling book to share with your kids for Valentines day.

[Robbie]

A cute story about never giving up!

[Rachel Holtzclaw]

read this the other day at work (this is my job now!!!) and, unsurprisingly, i thought it was really cute!

[S.M.]

SO CUTE

[Nia]

Math will only make Pointy feel worse. 😭

Never change, Tiny.

(As a long time dinosaur enthusiast I LOVED this cute picture book, what a delight!!!)

[Steff Fox]

Ahhhhhh! This was such an adorable and sweet book! I’ve always found the tiny arm big head thing about t-rex dinosaurs absolutely adorable. I won’t say there are any supremely profound moments in this book, but it’s still a fantastic read that kids will enjoy. I love the little guy’s unyielding perseverance.

Full review to come.

[ryan ⚡︎]

thank you, chronicle books, for offering this book to the facilitators of uc berkeley children's literature decal so they'll be able to read us this adorable and delightful story!

just to make this sentence an attention-grabber for parents to pick this up this book for their children: tiny t. rex brings to the table a sassy and funny personality that shines throughout this picture book with memorable scenes and illustrations that should be anticipated until the release of this book.

[Joseph]

IT'S A TINY T REX! Possibly the best children's book I've ever read.

[Scottsdale Public Library]

Tiny just wants to make his friend, Pointy, feel better by giving him a hug. But, with his itty-bitty size and arms, it seems impossible. Tiny is the most adorable little T. Rex, with a very big heart. You'll find yourself cheering him on in his quest to manage a hug. When you finish this book, you'll want to give it the biggest hug over and over again. Truly a delight! -Jennifer K.

[Dianna]

Cute pictures and cute concept, but the book just fell flat for me. It even fell flat for my four-year-old, who is obsessed with hugs and likes dinosaurs too.