Dinosaur Kids

A fable about Doing little jobs every day

Dana’s Little Red Shovel

Starring Dana, the Dilophosaurus. Dana wants a moonflower garden, but the blooms arrive only after many ordinary mornings of digging, watering, and noticing.

  • Ages 3–6
  • Joining the shelf
  • Book in the works
No. 21
Dana the Dilophosaurus character art
Dana the Dilophosaurus character art

Meet

Dana

Dilophosaurus

Learns
Doing little jobs every day
Grown-up value
Diligence
Fable
No. 21

How the story goes

One small trouble. Three turns.

A peek for grown-ups, so you know where the story is headed before you turn the first page.

  1. A small trouble

    Dana plants twelve moonflower seeds. The next morning, her twelve beds hold only twelve patches of dirt.

  2. A brave choice

    She waters every patch anyway and pulls stubborn weeds. On the morning she wants to skip, she carries a smaller cup twice.

  3. A happy turn

    Green hooks rise, then buds, and one evening the moonflowers open like pale stars.

And the moral of the story

“Little mornings of care grow big gardens.”

Say it together at the last page. It’s short on purpose.

For grown-ups · After the last page

Talk about it.

  1. 1What would you think if you saw only dirt?
  2. 2Why did Dana carry a smaller cup two times?
  3. 3What is something you take care of every day?
Watch & sing · Song · 2:04The Dilophosaurus song Opens on YouTube

Up next · Fable No. 22 · Showing up for friends

Devon Keeps the Lantern

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