Edwina - The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct
by Mo Willems
Illustrated by Mo Willems
Edwina is a dinosaur like no other. She walks around town wearing a straw hat, a pearl necklace and she carries a handbag. She plays with the neighbourhood kids, she does favours for anyone who asks, helps old ladies cross the road and even bakes chocolate chip cookies for everyone. Everyone loves Edwina, "except Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie.Ó
This story isn't really about a dinosaur at all. It's about a very clever, very uptight little boy that doesn't fit in - what do you expect with a name like Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie? From the start it's quite clear that Reginald needs to relax a little, take things easy and have some fun. But Reginald seems to have too much on his mind for that.
When Reginald gives a school talk about things that are extinct - "Specifically dinosaurs" - no one listens. This only seems to make Reginald more determined to make his point, so he sets out to prove once and for all that dinosaurs don't exist. He feels sure that if he can do this then Edwina will just disappear and that will be an end to his problems.
Of course, no one listens to Reginald, no one that is, except Edwina.
This story about fitting in, nicely illustrated by Mo Willems with his familiar cartoon-like style and soft pastel colours, could be of interest to a wide range of age groups and give plenty of things to talk about. The Author biography notes that Mo has won six Emmy Awards for his writing for Sesame Street and reading this picture book it's easy to imagine it fitting in on the show.