Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating: A Halloween Book

Tiny T. Rex #4

by Jonathan Stutzman, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

Tiny and Pointy love Halloween and they are eager to share their tips and tricks so that readers can have a perfect treat-filled Halloween!

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Dinosaurs, Animals, Fiction

20 pages, Board book

First published September 7, 2021

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

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating This was... fine. I imagine it will appeal to tots who like dinosaurs and don't want something scary (I think the Tiny T. Rex books have quite a following but came along after my boys were the target audience—my six-year-old’s verdict on this book was “boring”). As an adult, I was a little underwhelmed, probably because the book's premise that "the very best part of Halloween is the [trick-or-treat] treats" just isn't "us" as we've always placed emphasis on the more creative side of the holiday like decorating, crafts/pumpkin carving, parties, making your own costumes, baking, etc. I do like that there is some creativity with the costumes in the book, but I didn't like that the book says "do not try them on all at once" -- I know it's supposed to be humorous but why limit a child's creativity like that? Anyway, I do appreciate that the dinosaurs are not just being greedy and that they are gathering so many treats with an altruistic purpose in mind.

[Lacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. I read my cat to sleep with it. I still miss the original tone of the first 2 Tiny T. Rex books.

[suvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't personally speaking anywhere near as good as the other books are but that's just because I come from a country where Halloween isn't a thing. They are trying very hard to make it into a thing so they can sell us more stuff but I don't care. I don't care about trick or treating. Anyways, Tiny T. Rex is as adorable as always <3

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, moving story about friendship and sharing. Favorite part of the book was a pterodactyl in a ghost costume.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adorable dinosaur Tiny (from Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck’s The Impossible Hug and The Very Dark Dark) is back for another seasonal adventure in the board book Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating. In preparation for Halloween, Tiny and his best dinosaur friend Pointy, have ”six tricks of treating” they would like to share readers to help them become the best “Treat-masters” possible. In clearly numbered, cheerful, sweet and brightly illustrated spreads, Tiny and Pointy run down each of the six steps that should lead to an amazing Halloween night. From the how’s of dressing up and ways to prepare for a chill in the air, to the importance of the buddy system and saying thank you, Tiny and Pointy take readers through the steps. While the two friends clearly have candy on their mind (and acknowledge the seriousness of trying all the ”tasty sweets” to ”know which are good, and which are not”), Tricks of Treating is, as Tiny T. Rex stories are, centred around the importance of friendship and how to be a considerate, good friend. A kind end to the story (I will leave this for readers to discover!) warms the heart and makes Tiny T. Rex and the Tricks of Treating a comforting, snuggly read- just right for young ones getting introduced to Halloween and trick-or-treating, or for those who might be feeling a little bit nervous about the holiday!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Get your little ones excited for their first trick or treat experience with the Tiny T. Rex’s six tricks of treating. Tiny T. Rex shares all the best tips and tricks to making the most of your trick-or-treating experience. If you can’t decide which costume to wear, try them all on…just not all at once.

Tiny T. Rex and his friends offer silly and helpful ideas to remember when trick or treating whether this is your child’s first time going out or not. Practicing door knocks and doorbell ringing, wearing the proper cold-weather gear, knowing the good treats from the bad ones, and the best one, trick-or-treating with friends.

My favorite rule is the one that reminds kids to say “Thank you!” because those two little words mean a lot. The book ends with a final reminder to share their treats. The friends all visit a sick dinosaur friend at the end and share some of their goodies from their night of trick-or-treating.

This board book is the perfect introduction to Halloween for toddlers who may be apprehensive about going trick-or-treating. The combination of informational facts with silliness will put nervous toddlers at ease and get them excited for the big night.

Tiny T. Rex has three other books in his series in case your toddler falls in love with this adorable dinosaur and his friends.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenges: Boo-to-You Disney Haunted Mansion/Shrouded in Daft Disguise (3); Reading Goal Posts/Stacking the Series 2022 - Priority Two/Tier One. Since we trick or treated on "beggars' night", the night before Halloween where I grew up, this was the perfect treat to read on this date. Stutzman's 'paper cut' designs again simply enhance this charm of a story about not only the fun of trick or treating (dressing in disguise and yum treats), but also the importance of having your route prepared, taking a light with you, safety in numbers, and most important: saying thank you and sharing with others who could not go out. The intro also has a nice little math equation made up of ghosts, bats, and pumpkins, essentials for Halloween.

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny T. Rex gives 6 tips for trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Trick 1: Dress up in a costume
Trick 2: Be prepared with treat bag, flash light, neighborhood map, and cold weather accessories.
Trick 3: Candy
Trick 4: Stay with a friend [or family member]
Trick 5: Say "thank you"
Trick 6: Share

This board book introduces young readers to the American practice of trick-or-treating on Halloween.

Instead of saying "trick-or-treating," the text refers to the practice of dressing up in costume, going door-to-door, and asking for candy as "treating" or "Halloween treating," which may successfully placate those parents opposed to the celebration of Halloween.

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful BB to read with a small child before T/T! Goes over some of the things that you want to do (stay in a group with your friends) and how you want to stay safe. Learned a new term: 'treat-map' - what a great concept! Planning where you will be going in your neighborhood is a great habit to get into as a small child!

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love tiny T. rex! This book is no exception! It’s short but it shares a lot of helpful tips around trick or treating including making sure your prepared and using your manners. I really appreciated the humour in the illustrations and the actual story itself. Wonderful spooky read for kidlets.

[Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kid loved it and appreciated the lesson of sharing

This is his summary: this story is about trick or treating and that they can save that candy and at the end they share half of their candy with thei
r sick friend

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny and Pointy are getting ready for Halloween and have tips to getting the most and best treats. Just the right amount of scary for the youngest readers and dino fans. Love the theme of generosity at the end. No adult checks their treats at the end - maybe that’s why dinos are extinct?

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun Tiny and Steggy story outlining how Halloween works

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny T. Rex gives 6 rules for trick-or-treating. Would be a great way to explain the logistics of trick-or-treating to toddlers and preschoolers.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and practical trick-or-treat tips from Tiny T Rex and his pals.

[Jocelin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I just say, Awwwwwww! Tiny T. Rex is such an adorable character. This book is super cute and so much fun to read.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absolutely adorable illustrations, but the words are just “meh.”

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness: adorable board book with a great message! Awesome!

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book giving tips on how to get the most candy on Halloween

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really love these little dinosaurs!!

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cutest children’s book with a really sweet lesson that is just hard to find in a Halloween book.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little wordy for a board book, but the illustrations are super cute and this is a sweet-not-spooky Halloween story for those looking for gentle stories.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable, if out of season.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one! Nom-bies are out on Halloween. Very cute Holiday book.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

doesn't have the same magic as the og tiny t rex

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. A few text items were a little odd, like "mitties" and scary treats. Something about the scale of the illustrations made it hard to connect.

[PottWab Regional Library]

SM

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is cute and some of the "tricks of treating" are actually useful!