The Hugasaurus; Rachel Bright, illustrated by Chris Chatterton

Rachel Bright, the author of wonderful picture books including The Koala Who Could, The Lion Inside and The Worrysaurus, has created another absolute gem.

Hugasaurus is full of excitement and wonder, she is heading out on her own to make some friends. And it isn’t long before she meets some other dinosaurs who seem like the perfect playmates, letting her join their group and teaching her all of their games. But then things start to go wrong and playing turns to squabbling, disagreeing, arguing and foot stomping. Can Hugasaurus find a way to make everyone happy again…

Hugs are not got going to be the answer to every single problem but they are more than enough to get everyone playing as the very best of friends in this delightful story that is bursting with kindness and a lot of hugs.

Rachel Bright deals with a situation that will be very relatable to young children and the emotions of the various dinosaurs are so typical of children as their feelings bubble and eventually boil over during play. The story provides the perfect opportunity for opening up conversations with children who are experiencing the highs and lows of friendships and playtime problems with Hugasaurus ultimately providing the lesson that kindness and friendship is better than falling out.

Told in flawless rhyming text, The Hugasaurus is a story that is begging to be read aloud. As in The Worrysaurus, Chris Chatterton provides the gorgeous illustrations that are bright and playful - I even spotted the Worrysaurus making a guest appearance.

Recommended for 3+.