Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct

Edwina the dinosaur helps out in her community, bakes chocolate-chip cookies, and everyone loves her, except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, the class know-it-all, who is positive that dinosaurs are extinct. When Reginald makes it his mission to force the townspeople to accept that fact, no one bothers to listen to him, except for Edwina. She listens patiently while Reginald explains that she simply should not exist! By the time he’s finished, Edwina is convinced, but she just doesn’t care. That’s when Reginald realizes that he doesn’t really care either, and the two of them go off to make chocolate-chip cookies. Mo Willems’s excellent story (Hyperion, 2006 is narrated with humor and passion by Mo and Cher Willems. His cartoon-style illustrations are animated and the result is spectacular. There’s also a jazzy theme song about Edwina, who is decked out in a straw hat and pearls. Be sure to have children search the pictures for appearances by Knuffle Bunny and Pigeon! The DVD also features a short segment in which Edwina and Reginald share the recipe for chocolate-chip cookies as well as a terrific interview in which Willems discusses his inspirations for Edwina and his love of animation. Children will be delighted!–Jenny Ventling, Dayton Metro Library, OH