About the Holiday

There’s something about a hug that’s restorative. Today’s holiday was established for people to share this spontaneous and heartfelt gesture with others who look as if they could use some extra encouragement or with family and friends to remind them how much they mean to you. Celebrate the day by giving out plenty of hugs—whether they’re bear-sized or, as today’s book shows, teeny-tiny dinosaur-sized.

Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug

Written by Jonathan Stutzman | Illustrated by Jay Fleck

Tiny T. Rex notices right off that his friend Pointy looks pretty sad. He asks Pointy if he’s okay, and Pointy tells him he’s too sad to play. The little dino wants to give his friend a hug, but his arms are so short that a hug seems almost impossible. Even though he grows, Tiny tells readers, his arms never do. But that’s not going to stop him. After all, he says, “Pointy needs me.”

Image copyright Jay Fleck, 2019, text copyright Jonathan Stutzman, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

He asks his dad for advice, but his solution seems too logical. “Rexes are thinkers, not huggers,” Tiny’s dad explains while offering a mathematical equation to solve the problem. Math is not Pointy’s forte, though, so the little rex seeks out his Auntie Junip. He finds her practicing yoga and making cucumber juice—at the same time. Auntie Junip suggests balance is the answer.

Tiny goes to find his mom. While she is encouraging and complimentary, she can’t tell her son how he can hug with his tiny arms. His brother and sister tell him he must practice, and he takes this advice to heart. He begins a regimen to become stronger and develop his hugging ability. He practices on books, flowers, balls, an ice cream cone (messy!), and a cactus (sticky!).

Image copyright Jay Fleck, 2019, text copyright Jonathan Stutzman, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

At last, he thinks he’s ready. With just one more hug under his belt, he’ll be ready to cheer up Pointy. But it’s not a tree trunk he’s hugging—it’s the leg of a pterodactyl! And now he’s soaring way up in the sky. “From up here, everything looks tiny, like me. I could hug anything I wanted,” he says. Then as suddenly as he was flying, he’s falling… with no hope of finding Pointy for that hug. Unless… he lands right on top of him.

Tiny tells Pointy all about his search for the perfect hug and explains that even though his “hugs are still tiny”… he will do his best “because you are my very best friend.” He embraces Pointy as hard as he can—and that itty-bitty hug turned out to be the “biggest hug ever.”

Image copyright Jay Fleck, 2019, text copyright Jonathan Stutzman, 2019. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Tiny dinosaurs are adorable, but Jonathan Stutzman’s tiny dinosaur with lots of love to give will melt your heart. Stutzman’s T. Rex sweetie is as earnest as any little one and wants only to help his friend feel better. As the little dino seeks advice from the adults in his life, readers will giggle at their world views that don’t quite hit the mark. When his brother and sister offer a way forward, though, kids will recognize that with practice, self-confidence, and self-reliance anyone can accomplish their goals—and that helping a friend is one of the best ways to use your talents, big or small.

Jay Fleck’s tiny T. Rex with his nubbin arms and sincere expression will endear him to children and adults alike. His diminutive size is evident as he stands atop his father’s head, walks along the chalk tray of a chalk board, and gets lost in a side-table drawer. As the little T. Rex determines to practice his way to the hug he so wants to give, Fleck humorously shows that there are flubs and fails along the way to a winner—just as there are in any endeavor. During Tiny’s first attempts at the game of ping-pong his siblings are playing, he suffers whiffs, plunks, and even a bonk on the head before giving the ball a solid Wham! Hugging an ice cream cone leaves him dripping with chocolate and strawberry ice cream, and he comes away from squeezing a cactus completely covered in prickles. When Tiny finally gives Pointy the hug he needs, you can bet that readers will be smiling as wide as Tiny and Pointy.

Kindness, friendship, and droll humor go (tiny) arm-in-(tiny)-arm in Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug, a charming, original story that will be a favorite on home, classroom, and public library shelves.

Ages 3 – 5

Chronicle Books, 2019 | ISBN 978-1452170336

Discover more about Jonathan Stutzman and his books on his website.

To learn more about Jay Fleck, his books, and his art, visit his website.

Share a Hug Day Activity

Free Hug Coupons

Everyone needs a hug now and then! With these printable Free Hug Coupons you can be sure that all of your favorite people get a sweet hug when they need it most.

Free Hug Coupons

You can find Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review