Thursday, June 10, 2021

Summer Reading 2021 I Believe in You

 


In his continuing Tyrannosaurus series, Miyanishi tells a story of an impossible rescue attempt. When Rikayla's parents are trapped in a cave by an earthquake, the determined little Triceratops tries to rescue them herself, and then asks for help. Other dinosaurs try and fail despite their unique abilities. Pachycephalosaurus rams the rocks with its hard head. Edmontosaurus uses its beaky snout. Styracosaurus puts its "super cool horn" to work. And Saichania swings its "beautiful, strong tail" at the rocks. In a last, desperate attempt, Rikayla seeks out the Tyrannosaurus and offers to let him eat her in payment for rescuing her parents. As the two work together to clear the rocks from the cave entrance, Rikayla's belief in the T-Rex (and perhaps the influence of the red berries that her father told her could "help people's hearts become kinder") work to change the large dinosaur's intentions.

All the books in the series show a big, mean dinosaur learning life lessons from smaller, weaker dinosaurs. He goes from looking at them as prey and as foolish for their kind heartedness, to valuing their opinions and even caring for them. Young readers can learn valuable lessons about the power of believing in others, self-sacrifice, and love. The easily recognizable illustration style features a limited color palette on each page and a focus on the Tyrannosaurus figure and his smaller companion that keeps attention squarely on the action of the story.  Fans will be glad to add this book to the others on their shelf, or to have the pleasure of encountering the whimsy of Miyanishi for the first time.

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