Although the dinosaurs left the world by the time humans took over, literature has used them as a case study for many reasons. Sometimes their destruction is seen as something that can happen to humans, and sometimes their examples are given when talking about the mighty and the powerful.
Thanks to films like Jurassic Park, even humans can now understand what dinosaurs were, how they walked the Earth and what their limitations were.
One such limitation is addressed in Dinosaur Adventures: Ankylosaurus — The Clumsy Club by writer Fran Bomage and illustrator Tom Heard, who have used dinosaurs to teach readers how to use their strengths effectively. This limitation might seem troublesome to some and worrisome to others, but like all weaknesses, it has its merits.
In this fully illustrated book, you will get to meet Archie, an adorable Ankylosaurus whose tail ends in a kind of club. This very ‘club’ separates him from his friends because he is unable to control it wherever he goes. He can’t play with his friends because if he does, he will bring down trees with his club; he can’t go out because everything that comes in his club’s way will get destroyed, be it a rock or a fellow dinosaur.
Being labelled as clumsy makes him self-conscious, and instead of enjoying life, he ends up apologising for something that isn’t his fault but his club’s. Things change when Archie does a heroic act and saves his friends from a T. rex, earning their respect and regaining his confidence.
The book teaches us that instead of feeling down about something you can’t control, it’s better to use it as a strength. Archie does that in this book, and so can you. At first, he comes across as someone who is clumsy and uncool, but one heroic deed changes everything for him.
Through wonderful illustrations and simple narrative, this book not only tells a story that might help you realise you are special but also teaches important life lessons, including the value of appreciating your unique qualities.
Published in Dawn, Young World, April 18th, 2026
