Dinky the Tinysaur

“A quirky balm for life’s minor letdowns.” – Kirkus Reviews
Lofty expectations lead to dinosauric disappointment.

The siblings at the heart of this tale aren’t like other kids. Other children, the pair scoff, dream pedestrian dreams, fantasizing about pet unicorns and personal dragons; we, they boast, yearn for a Tinysaur, a precious, pint-size creature that’s almost certainly outside the bounds of paleontological reality. But miraculously, when the Dino Adoption Fair rolls through town, they’re in luck! One such critter peers timidly from her enclosure, a cardboard box with the totally reassuring, not-suspicious-at-all label “100% Definitely a Tinysaur.” Cue the delightful montage that captures life with Dinky: trips to the beach, bike rides, and games of dress-up. Everything is enhanced by the Tinysaur’s presence until one day, Dinky transforms, no longer a teeny Tinysaur, but a behemoth. Disappointed by this surprising development but loving Dinky all the same, the kids grapple with what it really takes to cultivate unconditional friendship. Edkins Willis’ first-person account offers sweet, light insight into what it feels like to set expectations—and see them upended. Her narrative underscores the value of adaptability and acceptance in the face of change, and her art lends an accessible, authentically childlike aesthetic to the effort. Extensive details in the artwork, including endpapers evocative of a kid-assembled collage, lend a whimsical touch. The protagonists have light-tan skin, and one sibling uses a wheelchair; secondary characters are relatively diverse.

A quirky balm for life’s minor letdowns. – Kirkus Reviews
When the young, pale-skinned protagonists of this digitally illustrated comedy by Edkins Willis (Little Ghost Makes a Friend) lobby their parents for “an itty-bitty, travel-sized, cute-as-a-button TINYSAUR,” the ask seems nigh impossible. But readers soon discover that the family lives in a community where pet dinosaurs are the norm, and an adopt-a-saurus event yields the perfect petite prehistoric pet—a green T-rex-like dino, whom they name Dinky and who is small enough to balance on a fingertip. Together, they form a tight trio, watching TV and playing dress-up (the dino looks fetching in a head bow and feather boa). But Dinky is also growing at an alarming rate, defying the kids’ vision of a “tinysaur forever” companion. When Dinky accidentally sits on the kids’ birthday cake, reality sets in hard. “I don’t think you’re ACTUALLY a Tinysaur after all,” one child pouts accusingly, and Dinky responds by stomping away with wounded feelings (and birthday cake on her bottom). The breach is repaired when the children realize their preconceived notions about who Dinky should be don’t match who she actually is, clearly messaging that what truly matters is loving someone for exactly who they are. One of the protagonists uses a wheelchair; background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 4–8. Agent: Jennifer Rofé, Andrea Brown Literary. (Oct.) – Publishers Weekly * 6/30/2025 *

Maggie Edkins Willis grew up in Missouri and Maine. She now writes and illustrates books for children from her home studio in the Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband and two children.

Her debut picture book, Little Ghost Makes a Friend, is a bestseller. She is also the creator of the picture books Little Ghost’s Summerween, Dinky the Tinysaur, and Thunderland, and the middle grade graphic novel Smaller Sister.

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