About the Holiday
Okay, so it’s Friday and the end of a long work and school week. Maybe everything didn’t go as planned this week—maybe not even close. But who cares. Why? Because you are still awesome! Begun as a kind of inside joke among coworkers, International Day of Awesomeness continues to grow, attracting more and more awesome individuals around the world. To celebrate get creative and perform feats of awesomeness—whatever that might mean to you. Sometimes that just means having and showing an awesome amount of love—as you’ll soon see!
I Want That Love
By Tatsuya Miyanishi
Long ago Tyrannosaurus ruled the earth. His philosophy was “In this world, strength means everything. The strongest wins. The strongest rules. And I am the strongest!” Tyrannosaurus stomped across the landscape crushing and eating the “worthless weaklings” in his path. The other dinosaurs quaked whenever they heard him roar. They hid and were quiet, and never opposed him. Soon this led to some skewed thinking—they also began to believe that “Tyrannosaurus could do anything he wanted to because he was the strongest.”
Text and image copyright Tatsuya Miyanishi, courtesy of museyon.com
As time passed, however, the Tyrannosaurus grew old and feeble. One day he happened upon a Masiakasaurus who mocked him for moving so slowly. The Tyrannosaurus threatened him, but could do little else. Another Masiakasaurus bit the Tyrannosaurus’s tail. “‘Ouch…stop,’ the Tyrannosaurus cried.” But it did no good; no one was afraid of him anymore.
The Tyrannosaurus just wanted to be alone. He traveled for days, and when he was exhausted he lay down and went to sleep. Now that he was no longer strong, he felt he was worthless and wondered how he was “going to live from now on.” He was awakened by a voice. “He opened his eyes and saw a yummy-looking baby Triceratops right in front of him.” He had every intention of eating this little snack, but his tail was so sore he couldn’t move.
Text and image copyright Tatsuya Miyanishi, courtesy of museyon.com
The little Triceratops noticed his swollen tail and stroked the injury to help it feel better. He also warned the Tyrannosaurus that sleeping in the open was dangerous because the “strong, scary Tarbosaurus” would eat him. The Tyrannosaurus scoffed, saying that there was someone much stronger than the Tarbosaurus. The Triceratops suggested the Gorgosaurus, but Tyrannosaurus disagreed. “‘I’m thinking of someone who is much, much stronger,’” he said. Oh, yes! The Triceratops remembered. “‘The Tyrannosaurus!’” Tyrannosaurus was so happy to hear his name that “he picked up the baby Triceratops and hugged him.” The baby warned the dinosaur to run away if he saw Tyrannosaurus because he would surely be eaten.
The giant dinosaur was surprised that the baby had never seen Tyrannosaurus before, and was just about to gobble him up when the little one asked if he would meet his friends and hug them too. The Tyrannosaurus eagerly followed the Triceratops, imagining the feast he was about to have. When they reached the woods all the little Triceratops came out to play and begged to be picked up and hugged. “‘No, no, guys!’ said one little Triceratops. ‘Even a mighty man like Mr. Rhabdodon can get tired.’”
Text and image copyright Tatsuya Miyanishi, courtesy of museyon.com
The Tyrannosaurus was insulted. Rhabdodon was stupid, a weakling, and an herbivore. But before he could protest, the other little Triceratops discovered his wound. They all began tending carefully to his injury and gathered red berries to help him heal even though it hurt their horns to ram the tree and dislodge the berries. Suddenly, Tyrannosaurus understood their sacrifice on his behalf. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he grabbed a trunk in his teeth and shook it. The youngsters were amazed as red berries rained down on them.
They cheered and said they wanted to be just like Mr. Rhabdodon. They bet that he could even beat mean Tyrannosaurus. The Tyrannosaurus mumbled his old slogan, and began to tell the little ones that strength wasn’t so important when they were interrupted by two Giganotosauruses who wanted a Triceratops snack. The Tyrannosaurus growled at the newcomers. But the Giganotosauruses attacked, biting the Tyrannosaurus to get at the babies in his arms. The Tyrannosaurus curled his body around them and promised to protect them.
Text and image copyright Tatsuya Miyanishi, courtesy of museyon.com
As the Giganotosauruses continued to bite him, the Tyrannosaurus “murmured, ‘I finally understand…Remember this, kids. It’s not being strong that is important. What’s most important is…’” At last, unsuccessful in their quest, the Giganotosaurus went away, and the Tyrannosaurus fell over. The little Triceratops crawled safely away and headed home when the Tyrannosaurus told them he was tired. Before he left, the first Triceratops asked what the most important thing was, but the Tyrannosaurus didn’t reply.
Many years later a father Triceratops and his babies were spotted by two Giganotosauruses looking for food in the woods. They jumped on the family, but the father hid his children under his body and endured the attack. “He remembered how the Tyrannosaurus had protected him and his friends.” Finally, the Giganotosauruses gave up and went away. His little ones were impressed but asked why he hadn’t beaten up the Giganotosauruses.
Text and image copyright Tatsuya Miyanishi, courtesy of museyon.com
With tears in his eyes, the father said, “‘Violence isn’t the answer. There is something more powerful than strength, and more precious too. That is love…A truly strong guy who broke this tree once gave me that love….’ One baby looked at his father and said, “‘Will you give me that love? I want that love.’”
Originally published in Japan, Tatsuya Miyanishi’s story of what constitutes true strength and how love can transform even the most hardened heart will resonate with kids and adults on many levels. Children’s familiarity with and love of dinosaurs allows them to easily understand the complexities of the actions and emotions revealed in the story. Ambiguity in the wording after the Tyrannosaurus defeats the Giganotosauruses allows for various interpretations of his fate depending on the age and sensitivity of the child, and a bit of humor when the Triceratops does not recognize Tyrannosaurus adds levity to the plot. The innocence and generosity of the Triceratops babies as an agent of change within the Tyrannosaurus is poignant and realistic. Likewise, the long-term effects of experiencing awesome love when young is well demonstrated as the father Triceratops later gives back to his own family.
The harsh dinosaur-eat-dinosaur landscape is effectively portrayed in Miyanishi’s bold green, gold, and orange illustrations in which the stylized Tyrannosaurus towers over trees, angular rock formations, and especially the tiny, unsuspecting Triceratops. Images of the Tryannosaurus and Triceratops father guarding the babies are touching and demonstrate a parent’s or caregivers love.
I Want That Love is the third book in the Tyrannosaurus series, along with You Look Yummy and You Are My Best Friend, and will reward readers who love dinosaurs as well as those looking for books on kindness and acceptance.
Ages 5 – 7
Museyon, 2016 | ISBN 978-1940842141
Day of Awesomeness Activity
Awesomeness Cards
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Picture Book Review
