You Can't Be a Pterodactyl! [Hardcover]

Popular comedy writer James Breakwell brings us the story of a determined boy with big dreams who remains undeterred by all the naysayers!

Tommy knows exactly what he wants to be when he grows up. But when he announces that he plans to be a pterodactyl, it turns out he’s surrounded by skeptics (because what would he eat? Where would he live? How would he make money?). What’s a kid with a big dream to do? Well first of all, he’s not about to give up. (And he has a lot of good answers!) And fortunately, Tommy also has a wonderfully open-minded dad who helps him find a way to fulfill his goal. Kids will be cheering for Tommy on his road to pterodactyldom in this funny, engaging story, all the way to its clever resolution.“Seeing [Tommy] achieve the essence of his dream is just as satisfying as watching his father join in his fantasy while, no doubt, figuring out how Tommy can realistically achieve his ambition. There’s gentle humor as well as warmth in both the text and the appealing digital illustrations. An engaging picture book for reading aloud.” —Booklist

“Kids will cheer the satisfying, makes-perfect-sense ending. This empowering story is all about having seemingly unattainable goals and being lucky enough to have supporters willing to help achieve them. Tommy’s a sweet, realistic, albeit dreamy, character; his dad, a model, caring parent. The colorful, somewhat stylized illustrations are lively and humorous. . . . Affirmation that you can have dreams the size of a prehistoric flying reptile.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Colorful and cleverly detailed illustrations move the action along to the happy ending . . . This gentle story will appeal to dinosaur fans with dreams of their own.” —&l