Harry and the Dinosaurs say "Raahh!" by Ian Whybrow

Illustrated by Adrian Reynolds. 28 p., Random, 2004.

Harry is a little frightened of going to the dentist because he worries that he might have to have teeth drilled. He takes along his toy dinosaurs, who help him feel safe. When Harry tells the nurse at his dentist's office that he's a good boy, "but my dinosaurs bite," we understand that he's basically fine, but has some fears that feel a bit out of control. To let Dr. Drake know who's in charge, Harry presses a magic button on his tyrannosaurus, and the dinosaur grows huge, terrifying the dentist until Harry makes the dinosaur small again. Harry is now in control of his fears, and so he's able to allow the examination. Unfortunately, there are two references to Harry being "good" (he also gets to choose a library book "for being so good"), which tends to confuse his behavior with who he fundamentally is. But this otherwise delightful story can show children that fears of the dentist are manageable.

Ages: 3-6
Cultural Context: European American