Why I Wrote Tor the T-Rex Brachiosaur

Tor the T-Rex Brachiosaur is a story I wrote with mixed-heritage children in mind, inspired by my own experience growing up.

As a mixed-race kid, I often felt like I had to pick a side — to be one thing or the other — just to fit in. It wasn’t always dramatic, but it was a constant background pressure. I wanted to belong somewhere, and choosing to be more like one or the other ethnic group seemed like the only way. But over time, I realised that I didn’t actually need to choose. I could just be mixed. I could just be myself.

That idea is at the heart of this story.

Tor is part T-Rex, part Brachiosaur, and unsure where he belongs. He tries to be one or the other, but nothing feels quite right. Eventually, he figures out that he can be both — and that this actually makes him more special, not less.

It’s a simple message, but I think it’s an important one. At some point, every child of mixed heritage feels the need to start being more like one group or the other, and surprisingly it is not obvious to them that there is a third option of not leaning in towards either group, but just being mixed, just being exactly who they are and standing in their own category - and in fact, being both might just be better than trying to be only one or the other. 

Tor the T-Rex Brachiosaur is available now:

👉 Buy the book here

🦖 Available in hardcover and paperback

📘 Best for ages 3–7

For more about the book and other projects, visit www.salimmansoor.com