ReadItDaddy's Picture Book of the Week - Week Ending 25th October 2019: "The Girl and the Dinosaur" by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini (Bloomsbury Children's Books)

We've recently been musing on Twitter about the sheer quality of picture book releases we're seeing now that the chilly autumn breeze is once more upon us. There's definitely something comforting about cosying up with a picture book together as the weather turns colder, and what better book to cosy up with than a delightful and thoroughly original mighty-girl-and-dino tale.

"The Girl and the Dinosaur" by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini is the sort of book we've been hoping to see more of - one where the "quiet kids" get their chance to shine, and become heroes of their own stories - rather than a story that just blares loudly that you need to be charismatic and outspoken to get on in life.

The "Quiet kid" in this story is a little girl called Marianne (and if you haven't already fallen in love with her purely from the cover pic and hearing her name for the first time, you most certainly will by the end of this story). Marianne doesn't really play much with the other kids, but she's often seen scouring the beach near her home.

She's looking for something special - Dinosaur bones. But not just your ordinary everyday fossils, she wants to collect enough to build a very special friend indeed.

As she slips into a blissful sleep one night, she first wishes with all her might that her dream might just come true. Her wish - to meet and befriend an amazing dinosaur companion to go on adventures with.