Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Willems, Mo. 2005. Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct.. Ill. by Mo Willems. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 078683748-9

PLOT SUMMARY
In this picture book, we are introduced to Edwina the Dinosaur who is a big star in town. She helps out the denizens and is known for her chocolate-chip cookie baking.  Alas, Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie is a know-it-all who makes it his mission to convince everyone that the dinosaur (and thus, their beloved Edwina) is extinct.  We follow Reginald and Edwina as Reginald struggles to convince the town folk that Edwina is extinct.  The ending of the story has a twist and leaves the reader smiling.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Mo Willems has created a simple story that speaks to the heart of its readers, both young and old. Despite the simple sentences used, Willems creates a heartwarming story detailing the Edwina's life in town. Although Reginald strikes out to change the town people's minds about their beloved dinosaur, the reader can't help but feel badly for poor, lonely Reginald.  The writing makes the characters seem sincere in their feelings and that helps to show their commitment to Edwina.  The humor is simple, but direct.  Throughout it all, Mo Willems creates a humorous, sweet tale about the importance of believing in yourself.

The illustrations in this book are iconicly Mo Willems, with the same pastel colors and sharp lines that are found in his other books.  Edwina the Dinosaur with her pink hat, painted nails, and pearl necklace is the epitome of friendly, neighborhood dinosaur. There is a combination of two-paged spreads and single paged pictures. This helps to create a flow within the story without letting it become predictable. In addition to the changes in picture layout, the text is also placed in different spots throughout the book, depending on aesthetics.

All in all, this story is a fun, sweet picture book that can easily become a childhood favorite.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Author of Caldecott award honor books, two Geisel medals, and two Carnegie medals

Starred review in The New York Times: "Mo Willems is the biggest talent to emerge in children's books in the '00s."

Kirkus review: "Willems’s cartoons in an imaginary world of childhood".


5. CONNECTIONS

If you enjoy this book, there are plenty more by Mo Willems that can be found.  A few titles are:

Pigeon series, Leonardo the Terrible Monster, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant and Piggie series.

http://mowillemsdoodles.blogspot.com/
Mo Willems website detailing his day-to-day life, as well as a forum for fan mail.