- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Animals
Dino Feelings: The Hugasaurus
Book 2 of 7 in Dino FeelingsView the full series
Hugasaurus loves hugging everyone, until a playground squabble tests whether hugs can fix everything. A warm, funny book about the power of physical kindness, and that sometimes love means making the first move.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Rhyming
- Repetitive
- Lyrical
- Conversational
Tone
- Warm
- Funny
- Gentle
- Heartwarming
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Hugasaurus is the most enthusiastic hugger in the whole dinosaur world, she hugs her family, her friends, and anyone who looks like they might need one. But when a squabble breaks out at the playground and feelings get hurt on all sides, even Hugasaurus isn't sure her hugs will be enough this time. Rachel Bright and Chris Chatterton's second Dino Feelings book leans warmer and funnier than The Worrysaurus, with Hugasaurus herself an irresistibly likeable protagonist. The central message, that kindness is active, and sometimes you have to make the first move even when it feels hard, lands without being preachy. The hesitation before the hug is quietly the most emotionally true moment in the book. An excellent gift book for the generous-hearted child in the room, or for anyone who could use a reminder that a hug is rarely wrong.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 5–6
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
5 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Kindness
- Friendship
- Gift book
- Read aloud
- Discussion starter
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Making friends
- Starting nursery or preschool
- Starting school
- Anger management
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Rachel Bright's warm, rhyming picture books about feelings and resilience — lovely read-alouds for performing and for talking about big emotions.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the hesitation before the hug — Hugasaurus the most enthusiastic hugger in the dinosaur world, a playground squabble leaving feelings hurt on all sides, the moment she's not sure her hug will be enough but tries anyway. The Dino Feelings on making the first kind move.
- Being understood finally
- Family belonging
- Friendship and belonging
Why parents love it
The Dino Feelings on active kindness — Bright/Chatterton's warmest and funniest in the series, the hesitation moment quietly the emotional centre. Good gift for the generous-hearted child. Lands the message without preaching.
- Bedtime appropriate
- Conversation starter
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
In the series
Dino Feelings.
7 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
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