Book Review of Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark
The Children’s Book Review

Written by Jonathon Stutzman

Illustrated by Jay Fleck

Ages 3-5 | 48 Pages

Publisher: Chronicle Books | ISBN: 9781452170343

What to expect: Dinosaurs, Silly, Campout

Tiny T. Rex is back, and ready to conquer the wilderness and the VERY DARK DARK.

Or is he? Tiny and his friend Pointy (and his squish, Bob the teddy bear) are ready for their first campout. Or they think they are. Or maybe they aren’t; it’s hard to tell. Tiny knows that the dark is fine when he’s inside his house. It’s just when he’s outside, it is so very dark at night. Can he and Pointy find a way to conquer their fears and protect themselves from Grumbles and Nom-bies and any of the other terrifying creatures of the night forest in their own backyard?

Tiny and Pointy get to work, developing plans to protect their heads and light up the sky with some well-placed twinkling lights. However, when the lights go out and they are left completely and utterly dark, things seem to have gone completely off the rails! That’s when Tiny remembers what his mother has always told him. There’s always light if you remember to look for it.

They peek out of their very dark tent and find the night sky awash in light, with beautiful stars shining down. A happy ending to their very first adventure braving a backyard campout!            

Tiny T. Rex gives a sweet voice to many children’s fears about the dark, and his sometimes ingenious, sometimes silly, ideas to solve his problems will provide plenty of giggles while reading. The restrained hand with the prose really lets Tiny’s voice shine just as a child’s would, full of humor and delight. The illustrations are bold and colorful while still conveying the greatness of the dark dark. A wonderful book to read for fun or to gently broach the fears of a small child and the dark, TINY T. REX AND THE VERY DARK DARK is an engaging book that will make any child smile.

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About the Author

Jonathan Stutzman is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. His short films have screened at film festivals all over the world and on television. He lives in Palmyra, Pennsylvania.

About the Illustrator

Jay Fleck is an Illinois-based designer and illustrator who has illustrated many books for children. He lives south of Chicago.

Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark, written by Jonathan Stutzman, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Dinosaurs and Camping.