My Amazing Dinosaur

GR 2–5—Tib is a fun-loving boy who has a hard time fitting in due to his birthmark and his constant clumsiness. Thankfully, he's found the perfect friend: a rambunctious dinosaur named Tumtum who is always ready to play. Now that the members of his tribe know that the dinosaur is real—instead of Tib's imaginary friend—they aren't so sure they want to have the creature around. Parents are afraid for their children's safety, and the kids don't cozy up to Tumtum. Tib tries everything to get the tribe to accept him and his dinosaur, but his efforts usually result in further bullying by his peers. Phrases such as "Tib has a spot because Mother Nature wanted to point out the ugliest kid!" offer opportunity to have conversations about the effects of bullying. While the plot is sometimes sporadic, kids will connect with the boy's efforts to persuade his parents to believe him and his challenge of making new friends. The dialogue between adults is sometimes unnecessary, such as when Tib's Mom goes into detail about her own imaginary friend. The illustrations are attractive and vivid, with a text layout that is intuitive to follow. Educators can make connections between this scenario and animal tracking in science. Kids will likely gravitate toward this series and appreciate a story about bullying and friendship that is different from traditional school tales.—David C. Barrow Elementary, Athens, GA