Like a Dinosaur

By Elizabeth Krymski 

Ollie could not wait for his first day of kindergarten. When the bus dropped him off at school, he took giant steps to get to the door as fast as he could. 

Like all the other children, Ollie waited in line to enter his classroom. 

Like all the other children, Ollie hung up his jacket in his cubbie.

And like all the other children, Ollie sat on the blue circle for carpet time, while his teacher, Ms. Wilson started the day with a song.

But, in his mind, Ollie was not like all the other children.

Ollie was a dinosaur. ROAR!

Ollie raised his hand, like a dinosaur.

Ollie answered Ms. Wilson’s questions like a dinosaur. 

And Ollie was reminded, like any dinosaur would be, not to roar at his teacher.

During story time, Ollie crawled around like a dinosaur. 

In the art room, Ollie tried to color like a dinosaur.

At snack time, Ollie drank his juice and ate his animal crackers like a dinosaur.

And Ollie was reminded, like any dinosaur would be, to clean up the crumbs at his table. 

During recess, Ollie jumped rope with his mighty dinosaur tail. 

Ollie played baseball with his mighty dinosaur claw.

Ollie swung on the swing set with the push of his mighty dinosaur feet.

And Ollie was reminded, like any dinosaur would be, not to kick mud everywhere.

On his way to the drinking fountain Ollie lumbered with gigantic dinosaur steps. 

Ollie waited in line like a dinosaur.

Ollie drank water like a dinosaur. 

And Ollie was reminded, like any dinosaur would be, not to get his classmates all wet.

At naptime, Ollie laid on his mat like a dinosaur.

Ollie snored like a dinosaur. 

Ollie tossed and turned like a dinosaur.

And Ollie was reminded, like any dinosaur would be, not to roll over all the other children.

Ollie didn’t understand why Ms. Wilson was so disappointed with his behavior. 

He roared and roared. 

He roared and roared some more.

Ollie roared until large dinosaur tears dropped down his face, making giant wet splotches on his T-shirt.

Ms. Wilson put her arm around Ollie’s shoulder. She told him: “Even dinosaurs need a minute.”  

She guided Ollie to a large, soft chair in the corner of the room and told him to rest until he was ready to rejoin his classmates. 

Ollie was sad. But he was also more than sad. He curled up small, hiding his head into his arms and closed his eyes as tight as he could. 

Ollie just wanted his feelings to just go away.

When he opened his eyes, Ollie was surprised to discover that he was in his own bed.

Ollie shrugged off his dinosaur sheets.

Ollie held the claw of his dinosaur stuffie.

And Ollie took the tiniest of dinosaur steps to his mother’s bedroom and tapped her as gently as any dinosaur would.

Ollie’s mother stirred. “Ollie! What’s wrong?”

“I had a bad dream,” said Ollie. “I dreamt that on my first day of school, everyone was angry because I was acting like a dinosaur. I couldn’t stop it. And I couldn’t do anything right.”

“Ollie,” said his mother, motioning him to sit with her, “Doing something we haven’t done before can make us worry and wonder just because it’s new. I bet you aren’t the only one who feels this way tonight.”

Ollie nuzzled in close to his mother and listened as intently as any dinosaur could.  

“Listen, I see you build the tallest towers out of blocks. I hear you clap the loudest to cheer on your friends at the park. I watch you say ‘hi’ to everyone you meet.”

Ollie wiped his face with the snout of his dinosaur stuffie. He nodded up and down.

Ollie’s mother held him tightly. “Ollie, don’t ever stop being the creative, kind and brave Ollie that I know you to be.” Ollie gave her the biggest dinosaur kiss.

His mother gently carried him back to his dinosaur room. She tucked him into his dinosaur bed. 

When she thought he was steadily asleep, Ollie’s mother got up and tip-toed around all the dinosaur toys, trying not to make a sound. 

But Ollie wasn’t sleeping just yet. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw his mother by the glow of his dinosaur night-light. “I love you Mom,” whispered Ollie.

Ollie’s mother turned, surprised he was still awake: “Ollie. I love you too.”

She spun around slowly, leaving the door open, just a crack. Ollie, drifting to sleep, saw the shadow of her large dinosaur tail sweeping, magically, behind her. 

1st Place Children’s Book Manuscript

Read the piece in “Detroit Voices” featuring the 2025 DWR Award winners.

Elizabeth Krymski resides in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan with her husband Matt, son Milo and dog Wendy. Currently, she teaches English at University Liggett School. This is her first children's book manuscript.