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)