Readers Dessert

Tiki Time: T-Rex Tiki

Written by Creator JJ

Illustrated by Fates

Ages: 6-8 | 58 Pages

Publisher: Tiki Toons Publishing, LLC (2026) | ISBN: 979-8-9941608-2-4

Publisher’s Book Summary: In this sequel of the Tiki Time series, Tiki, a boy with magical powers, is joined by a precocious group of friends who travel back to prehistoric times in their search for the evil time traveling sorcerer, King Lauia. King Lauia has escaped from present-day TikiTown with the sacred Toku mask, leaving its citizens in a frozen state.

Tiki and his friends set out on this perilous quest. Tiki must find King Lauia, take back the mask, and travel back to present-day to unfreeze TikiTown and its people — all while avoiding getting eaten by a giant Tyrannosaurus Rex! Time is ticking! If Tiki doesn’t succeed, TikiTown will remain frozen forever!

Tiki and the audience continue to learn valuable lessons in this adventure about self-confidence, friendship, proper behavior, and the true meaning of character and integrity.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mR1trr

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tiki-time-creator-jj/1149774772

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/2078/9798994160824 

DISCLOSURE

This post is sponsored by Creator JJ. The opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views.

From Magic Masks to Mighty Friendships: The Lessons Behind the Tiki Time Series
By: Creator JJ

Today’s elementary schools place a strong emphasis on developing the whole child by weaving social-emotional learning into daily classroom routines, often guided by frameworks from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. In these early years, students are taught how to recognize and manage their emotions, build positive friendships, and make responsible choices through age-appropriate lessons and activities. Influenced by ideas like Carol Dweck’s growth mindset, teachers encourage children to view mistakes as part of the learning process, helping to build genuine confidence and resilience. Supported by research from institutions such as Harvard University, these approaches shift the focus from simply following rules to helping students develop empathy, integrity, independence, and the foundational skills they need to succeed both in school and beyond.

Growing up in the early 1990s, I felt like there was less awareness of these concepts in schools. Today, this shift represents a meaningful and positive change in how children are supported as they grow and develop. At the same time, children now face different challenges, including increased stress and stimulation that may not have existed decades ago. This makes it more important than ever to recognize and respond to their needs, particularly when it comes to behavior, confidence, and emotional well-being. Encouragingly, many elementary schools are putting the right systems and programs in place to address these areas. As a father of a newborn daughter, it’s reassuring to know she will enter a school environment that prioritizes these essential aspects of development.

The Tiki Time series closely reflects the priorities seen in today’s elementary schools, where developing the whole child is just as important as academic learning. Similar to approaches promoted by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, the series emphasizes understanding emotions, managing behavior, and building strong relationships. Tiki’s journey highlights the importance of recognizing how one’s actions affect others, reinforcing the idea that self-awareness and accountability are essential for both personal growth and healthy relationships.

As the story unfolds, Tiki’s growth in character, confidence, and relationships mirrors the skills schools aim to cultivate in young learners. He learns to make thoughtful decisions, take responsibility for his actions, and approach challenges with a growth mindset. Through his experiences with friendship and teamwork, the series also underscores the value of empathy, cooperation, and mutual respect. Together, these themes show young readers that confidence comes from perseverance, success is built through collaboration, and strong character is developed over time.

Below are a few examples from the Tiki Time series:

Behavior Affects Others: In this story, Tiki is approached by his sister, Tari, about how his behavior has been off lately. Tiki comes to realize that he hasn’t been on the best behavior lately and that it is affecting his relationship with his sister. This helps kids realize that bad behavior can affect others, like friends and family, and that it is important to correct bad behavior. It also shows kids that, as you grow up, you may go through a period where your behavior is a little off. But listening to your parents, family, and teachers can help you improve your behavior.

The Value of Character and Integrity: When TikiTown comes under attack by the evil King Lauia, Tiki immediately develops a strong moral core. He knows good from evil and right from wrong. This helps him calm down his rambunctious behavior and instantly become much more like a heroic boy scout. During the adventures, Tiki overall starts making the right choices, becomes more disciplined, and is much more empathetic to friends and family. As Tiki grows throughout the story and series, this will teach kids the value and importance of developing character and integrity. 

Building Self Confidence: During Tiki’s adventures, Tiki has a renewed vision of what he can accomplish when he meets the magical spirit, Fetu, and is granted magical powers. Fetu helps Tiki understand that it is okay to explore new things and challenge himself. Tiki develops a sense of self-worth and takes on challenging tasks that he would have neverdreamed were possible. This is a metaphor for kids that teaches them that if you believe in yourself, you can do it.

Teamwork is Essential:  During the quest, Tiki and his friends face many obstacles as they try to get closer to King Lauia to retrieve the stolen Toku mask. They have to learn how to work together to overcome difficult situations where they have to rely on each other’s unique gifts, strengths, and talents to help them advance through a difficult situation. Without teamwork, Tiki and his friends will never advance in their quest. Kids that are reading the books in the Tiki Time series will see how Tiki and his friends work together and see the value of teamwork.

About this book series:

Tiki is an honest, fun, and adventurous boy full of integrity. Lately, his behavior has been too rambunctious and he needs guidance. He meets a magical spirit who gives him the guidance he is looking for and much more. The spirit grants him magical powers and sends him on a quest to save the village of TikiTown from the evil King Lauia. Come join Tiki and his friends as they go on a magical time-traveling journey to save TikiTown. Tiki and his friends must find King Lauia, take back the sacred magical Toku Mask, and return the mask to Tiki Town to unfreeze the town. If Tiki doesn’t succeed, TikiTown will remain frozen forever…

On this magical journey, Tiki and the audience learn about building self confidence, friendship,and the true meaning of character & integrity and learn to think about their own behavior and how it affects others.

Information on this book series:

Website: www.tikitimebook.com

Tiki Time Book # 1 Lesson Plan: https://sharemylesson.com/teaching-resource/tiki-time-its-my-turn-educational-guide-and-lesson-plan-407830

YouTube Tiki Time Book # 1 Read-along Video: https://www.youtube.com/@CreatorJJ-d2k

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Creator JJ and Fates are the creative duo bringing you this fun and magical adventure. Fates has been making cartoons for over 30 years, bringing stories to life through drawing and imagining. Fates wants the world to draw and dream just a little more every day. Creator JJ is the creative writer who dreamed up the storylines and characters in their stories. He believes that, by using their imagination, everyone can create characters, worlds, and stories of their own. Together, the goal is to use their creative talents to create fun stories and ignite the hearts and minds of young children for both educational and self-development purposes.

Discover more about the book at www.tikitimebook.com.

Giveaway

Readers who enter the giveaway will have the chance to win one of five signed paperback copies of Tiki Time: T-Rex Tiki by Creator JJ. One lucky grand prize winner will receive a signed copy of the book, a $100 Amazon gift card, and a National Geographic Light-Up Terrarium for Kids! Enter!

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