Tag Archives: toddlers

There’s a dinosaur scratching Liam’s throat.
And the only way to get it out is to remove its favorite hiding spot: Liam’s tonsils.

Young children and toddlers about to get their tonsils out will gently learn what to expect through the fun imagination of a little boy – with the focus on catching a dinosaur, rather than surgery.

When Liam learns his sore throat is caused by the dinosaur hiding behind his tonsils, his imagination runs wild. Join him on an adventure as he prepares to meet the Dinosaur Catchers, who will remove his tonsils and capture that mischievous little dinosaur.

With colorful illustrations, simple language and a unique, kid-friendly concept, this book is designed to help parents guide their little ones through tonsil surgery and recovery in a playful, imaginative way.

Amazon Purchase Link

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.

“With colorful illustrations, simple language and a unique, kid-friendly concept, this book is designed to help parents guide their little ones through tonsil surgery and recovery in a playful, imaginative way.”

Being sick is never fun. Visiting a doctor is typically only fun if you get a lollipop or small toy from the goodie box at the end of your visit. And surgery? We all can agree that surgery is high on the no-fun list, too. Liam, the young boy in There’s a Stegosaurus in My Tonsils, has the misfortune to face all three things: a sore throat, a doctor’s visit, and a tonsillectomy. 

As kids grow, they become more vocal about feeling under the weather and point out what hurts. They don’t typically say my tonsils hurt when they have a sore throat. They keep it more general. Why? Tonsils might be a word many kids do not know. When they hear their tonsils are red or swollen, they might wonder, What the heck are tonsils? Liam did, and his doctor explained what they were and how they were the perfect hiding spot for a little dinosaur.

This dinoriffic storybook demonstrates how a child’s imagination will run wild when their brain attempts to understand or visualize what someone says to them. While a dinosaur can’t really be living or stuck in your throat unless a child swallowed a teeny-tiny dino toy, a child’s mind might take the doctor’s words in the literal sense. They may come up with a catchy name for the unwelcome visitor, like tonsilsaurus rex, or say their throat is dino-sore. An act I thought the child would do in the book but didn’t.

Liam dreams about his dino visitor, and when he awakens, he is ready to remove the prehistoric animal from his throat with the help of the dinosaur catchers! It was very creative how the writer walks a patient through the surgical process by transforming the hospital into a less frightening place, a dinosaur wonderland. I loved every illustration, but my favorite ones have to be the dino catchers trying to wrangle a now-free green dinosaur and the broken scale scene. Nice dino bed, too!

Tonsillectomy is a large word that might sound scary to many children. Thanks to Nat Gibson’s imagination, kids will see the procedure in a new light. While the young patient might still feel anxious about the process, I know they’ll look forward to one aspect of the recovery: the milkshakes, popsicles, and ice cream! And, if your hospital is anything like the children’s hospitals near me, every patient awakens to gift on or new their bed. Maybe your child will awaken to their very own throat-a-saurus! 

I recommend sharing this story with a child having any surgery, but definitely a tonsillectomy! 

Amazon’s recommended reading age is 2-6 years.

Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤

Amazon Purchase Link

Meet the Author

Nat Gibson lives in California with her husband and two children, both of whom had tonsillectomies before turning 4 years old. Her books are designed to help parents engage their child’s imagination as they go through new or difficult experiences.

Reedsy Author Link