When one little dinosaur finds it hard to fit in, and another big dinosaur feels a little bit left out, they find that it is just being yourself that is the real secret to feeling perfect. In a celebration of friendship and being yourself that will appeal to readers big and small

Michael Forman gives children a wonderful picturebook to enjoy and learn from. The egg containing the littlest dinosaur takes so long to hatch that everyone is very curious about what must be inside. When he finally appears the littlest dinosaur is in fact so little that no one quite knows what to do, they have never seen one so small before! The trouble is he doesn’t seem to grow and this means that he finds it hard to join in with all the other dinosaurs for fear of being trodden on. As a result he gets very lonely and the only place where he can feel safe, and big, is on the top of a very high hill. One day, up on his hill he spies another dinosaur, one with a very long neck, who looks very sad. Between them the two dinosaurs who don’t quite fit in manage to rescue the herd and realise that they do have a place after all.

With gentle illustration that is bold in colour, full page pictures that remain distinct from the text this is a very traditional picturebook. Its design is simple and yet appealing, the words and pictures complement one another and set the tone for the story beautifully. Its simplicity is what brings the story to life. An ideal book for sharing in the classroom or at home to help children understand the being a little bit different can have very positive effects.

2008-08-03