Trygg The Dinosaur

By Paula Louise Salvador

Two young dinosaurs from opposite sides of the floodplain bump into each other by chance. He's a small meat-eater, and she's a big plant-eater. They've got no parents, no food, no friends. They're supposed to be enemies, but they decide to stick together instead. It's not easy. When she gets caught with him, she ends up banished from her herd. He faces a huge rival who could stomp him out with one back foot. They have to outsmart a gang of predators who have sharp teeth and long, curved claws. And they struggle to overcome drought, mudslides and a bubbling tar pit. Worst of all, when they lose contact with each other, they fear betrayal. What if their bond has been broken?

EDITORIAL REVIEWS:

WINNER, BRONZE AWARD Juvenile Fiction 2019 Independent Publisher Book Awards

IndieReader RATING 4.8 out of 5

"Author Paula Louise Salvador and illustrator John Bindon earn top marks for creating an imaginative dinosaur story that will tug the hearts of children, parents, and teachers ... Together, they've created a lovable story ... Opposites attract in a bittersweet middle grades novel about orphaned dinosaurs — one a tiny carnivore, the other a huge herbivore. Salvador deftly alternates Trygg's and Alta's early childhood tales of loss. This rhythm changes and the heavy emotions lighten when the two meet and become loyal, got-your-back swamp playmates. Salvador gives her characters human conversation, emotions, and personalities. Bindon's black-and-white illustrations capture these personality traits as well as realistic dinosaur anatomy." - Alicia Rudnecki for IndieReader

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Feb 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9780228801177

Paula Louise Salvador

Paula Louise Salvador has had great adventures as a documentary film maker and writer. The scariest was when she stood under the ribs of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. The most fun was filming dinosaur dig-sites from a helicopter. On the dangerous side, she had to dodge alligators in Mississippi. Finally, it was a tiny dinosaur that captured Paula’s heart. For her documentary “DINOSAUR BABIES: THE NORTH AMERICAN STORY”, Paula held the fossilized egg of a little Troödon. He was curled up inside, just about to hatch. That’s where Paula’s story of Trygg The Dinosaur begins.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

He had to get out. There was no more room for him inside his egg. The top of the shell had a small crack, so he pushed his snout against it and made a large enough opening to finally poke his head free. He stopped to catch his breath, but his feathers were wet, and the air made him shiver. As soon as possible, he needed to get into the sun to warm up. He quickly smashed the bottom of the egg by scratching at it with his back claws, then he wiggled all the way out. What a relief it was to uncurl his legs and stretch out his tail.

Dark green eggs, just like his, filled the nest. So far, he was the only little dinosaur to hatch. But maybe there were others beyond the wall of his nest. He had to take a look. By reaching high with his hands, he was able to hook his fingers into the dried mud of the rim. His arms were so skinny he could see the shape of his bones under the skin, but he found the strength to pull himself up. His legs wobbled a bit, then they settled, and he stood for the very first time.

Anybody there? he called out.

No one answered.

He was alone. And he was surrounded by water. His nest sat on an island in the middle of a shallow lake. At least it had been built on top of a mound of earth, so it seemed safe. All was quiet except for the rippling of the small waves.

His hard work had tired him out, so he sat down in the nest. He was about to fall asleep when he felt the island tremble slightly. It was enough to cause one of the other eggs to slip toward him. He put his mouth around the egg’s pointed end, making sure the sharp tips of his teeth didn’t break through the shell. Then he gently settled it back in the damp ground at his feet. But why was his nest moving like that?

Using his tail for balance, he eased up and peeked over the top of the nest. A rush of cold air hit him in the face just as cawing broke out in the trees overhead. Flocks of birds darted from branch to branch, making loud warning calls. And the ground started to shake so much that he struggled to stay standing.

At the edge of the island, a group of animals leapt out of the shallows. At first, he thought that they were like the birds above him, except they looked too big to be able to fly. Besides, they moved by running with their heads stuck out in front of them. Instead of wings, they had long arms and hands with three fingers—and they had claws.

They were just like him.

The pack swarmed past. A reddish-brown one at the end skidded to a stop. He towered over the nest, and slobber dribbled from his small pointed teeth. Hey, little Troödon! he called out, but when he got no reaction, he shook his head in frustration. I’m talkin’ to YOU! he said with a growl. You see any other Troödons alive in that ring of dirt? The dinosaur glanced nervously over his shoulder. You’re gonna have to move fast, kid, he shouted, then he turned to flee. Mudslide comin’ through!

On the other side of the lake, the surrounding cliff quivered. A chunk of dark grey earth slid off the slope and gushed through the water. Barely ahead of the mud, another Troödon was running, kicking water into the air. He jumped onto the sand just before the sludge buried the shore behind him. The animal lurched forward then pulled up short. He was huge, bigger than the whole nest.

The little Troödon stretched both arms out. Take me with you!

The big Troödon leaned over, but instead of lifting him up, he placed a long clawed finger on his small head and pushed him roughly down, right on top of the closest egg.

Hey! the little dinosaur sputtered from the mess of smashed shell and sticky yolk. That’s no way to help a friend.

The big Troödon fixed his fierce yellow eyes on him, quickly sizing him up. I got no time for friends, he yelled as he sprinted off the island. His deep voice carried back over the water. You’re on your own, runt.

The little Troödon knew that he had to save himself. A mass of clay, stones and broken sticks was rising fast around him. He planted one foot in the base of his nest, then he hooked the strongest toe claw of his other foot into the rim. He pushed off and jumped out just before the mud surged over the edge and buried all the other eggs.

Run! he cried. But where?

CHAPTER TWO

Alta slumped in her nest, all by herself. Around her on the plain, as far as she could see, Hypacrosaur parents plodded through the waves of heat trying to find plants to feed their families. Dust swirled everywhere, stinging her eyes. And the sweet smell of the water from the lake far below made it impossible to forget how thirsty she was.

Some of the other nests contained eggs that hadn’t hatched yet, but most were crammed full of baby dinosaurs squawking for food. The lucky ones were in the shade under the tall evergreen trees. The rest, like Alta, lay exposed to the sun.

Alta was a bit older than the young duckbill dinosaurs beside her. Her back was already long and ridged, and she was proud of how powerful her tail was becoming. It was her rear legs that caused her problems. They had grown to a good length, but she still wasn’t able to walk on them. They just wouldn’t support her weight, especially because she was big for her age. Her front legs were shorter and finer, and even they were starting to get strong. But that didn’t help her right now. Not one leaf was left in her nest, and she hadn’t seen her parents since yesterday.

Alta had tried several times to get someone to notice her, but the crest bump on her head wasn’t developed enough yet to make much noise. Even so, she tried again, forcing out as much air as she could.

The mother in the closest nest finally heard her squeaks. You must be hungry, she said as she plucked up some palm fronds