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Summary
Summary
A heartwarming father-son story about bravery and facing fears.
Nicholas was afraid of the dark outside his door, the bushes where the giant bugs live, and the underside of manhole covers.
His dad was not afraid of anything.
Nicholas wants to be as brave as his dad, but he needs help. That's why he needs a dinosaur. After all, dinosaurs like the dark, bugs are nothing to them, and they eat manhole covers for lunch (and everything under them for dinner).
With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again.
Luckily, his dad knows that even the bravest people can get scared, and it's okay to ask for help facing your fears. It's just guy stuff.
A family classic in the making from the dream team of Newbery Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko and Caldecott Medal-winner Dan Santat.
★ "[Choldenko's] knowing, understated storytelling and Santat's warm, expressive spreads give full credence to the fears that weigh on kids, as well as the presences--both real and imagined--that can help alleviate them."-- Publishers Weekly ( starred review )
Author Notes
Gennifer Choldenko was born in Santa Monica, California.
Gennifer Choldenko is a Newbery Honor-winning American writer of popular books for children and adolescents. Her first novel, Notes From a Liar and Her Dog was named "Best Book of the Year" by School Library Journal and her second, Al Capone Does My Shirts, part of Al Capone on Alcatraz series, won the 2005 Newbery Honor citation.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Nick is afraid of many things: giant bugs, the dark, manhole covers, and what lies beneath them. He longs to be brave like his dad. "His dad was not afraid of anything." Fortunately, Nick has a plastic dinosaur talisman that makes him fearless. When the dinosaur is safely in his pocket or tucked inside his soccer socks, Nick scales rock walls and scores amazing goals. Once the dinosaur is lost, however, Nick is filled with uncertainty and dread: "The night was as black as octopus ink, giant bugs were everywhere." After Nick confesses to his father that the dinosaur is the brave one, not him, he and Dad head out to search one more time. The toy is recovered, and Nick is relieved, especially after being reassured by his dad that "it's okay to be afraid. All guys are now and then." The mixed-media artwork by Caldecott winner Santat is sumptuous and full bleed. The nighttime scenes are particularly evocative, with Nick's imagined fears lurking around the edges. Slyly humorous as well as spooky, they keep the mood from getting too scary. This is a modern story reminiscent of Dumbo and his "magic" feather that readers will enjoy as they explore the ideas of bravery, ability, and what lies inside each of us. VERDICT A winning book sure to attract and delight a wide audience.-Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Even though Nicholas's father, Big Nick, is "not afraid of anything," Nicholas is afraid of "the dark outside his door, the bushes where the giant bugs lived, and the undersides of manhole covers." A small plastic dinosaur Nick keeps in his pocket gives him courage, and Santat (Are We There Yet?) leaves no doubt about its power: in times of need-whether striding under a night sky, trying to climb a rock wall, or racing down the soccer field-Nicholas is seen accompanied by a giant, ghostlike tyrannosaurus that provides assistance and confidence. When Nicholas loses his lucky dinosaur, he and his father set out on a nighttime quest to find it: "It's guy stuff," Big Nick tells his wife. Choldenko's (Putting the Monkeys to Bed) poignant fantasy envisions a father who, like a certain tyrannosaur, looms large in his son's mind. Her knowing, understated storytelling and Santat's warm, expressive spreads give full credence to the fears that weigh on kids, as well as the presences-both real and imagined-that can help alleviate them. Ages 5-8. Author's agent: Elizabeth Harding, Curtis Brown. Illustrator's agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Newbery Honor Book author Choldenko and Caldecott Medal-winning artist Santat collaborate here to celebrate dads' contributions to parenting. Young Nicholas has many fears: the dark, bushes filled with giant bugs, and the undersides of manhole covers. To keep his fears at bay, he carries a small toy dinosaur with him, usually hidden somewhere in his clothing. When the toy disappears during a soccer game, Nicholas' worries return. Luckily Dad (Big Nick) comprehends the situation and immediately takes his son back to the darkened field to search for the talisman. Choldenko excels in creating believable characters whose empathy and emotional quotients match their other successes. Santat's mixed-media illustrations feature many nighttime scenes rendered in blues, dark greens, and black. Line drawings depicting Nicholas' imagination, mostly concerning the dinosaur, are also successfully integrated into the full-color art. This works as a story about bravery, as well as a paean to dads. Pair with Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny Too (2007), which features another understanding father. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Popular and acclaimed in their own rights, Choldenko and Santat's joint endeavor is guaranteed to draw a crowd.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2016 Booklist