Tikka and the Puddle Prize
One wobbly tooth sends Tikka into hiding—until Old Boon shares a wonderfully gummy grin. A warm, gently funny dinosaur story about finding something to smile about.
✨ Make a Storybook FreeA MayaLili Original · ages 3-5 · free to read and print
Tikka’s tooth went wiggle-waggle when she nibbled breakfast. “Oh, no!” she whispered. “My smile is coming apart!” She pressed her lips together. Not even a beetle wearing a crumb on its head could make her giggle. Wiggle. Waggle. What if everybody noticed?
The whole story
Tikka’s tooth went wiggle-waggle when she nibbled breakfast. “Oh, no!” she whispered. “My smile is coming apart!” She pressed her lips together. Not even a beetle wearing a crumb on its head could make her giggle. Wiggle. Waggle. What if everybody noticed?
All morning, Tikka hid behind a fern. Her tail stuck out. So did both feet. Old Boon lowered his long neck. “Good morning, fern. Have you seen Tikka?” “The fern isn’t talking,” mumbled Tikka. “Ah,” said Old Boon. “But it has lovely toes.”
Tikka peeked out. “My tooth is loose. I can’t smile.” Old Boon opened his mouth in an enormous grin. No teeth. Not one! “Mine have all gone,” he said. He munched some tender leaves. Squish, squash. “Still delicious. Especially the floppy ones.”
Tikka stepped out and tried a little smile. Then a bigger one. Old Boon balanced a floppy leaf on his nose. Tikka laughed—and plip! Her tooth landed in the shallow puddle. She stared at the tiny white speck. “That was the whole disaster?”
Old Boon scooped it up on a leaf. Together, they tucked it into a curly vine. Tikka wore her tiny prize proudly. “Shall we have lunch?” she asked, smiling her new, gappy smile. “Something floppy,” said Old Boon. Tikka chose the floppiest.