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About the Book
Can a small hero save a big world?
Tiny began as a simple beach toy, a playful companion for a baby named Jeref on the ocean world of Papako. When Jeref is kidnapped, Tiny launches across the stars, stubborn-hearted and newly upgraded, to bring him home.
What starts as a rescue mission erupts into an interstellar war against mind-controlling viruses, a shadowy invasion, and a villain named Ward who collects stories like weapons. Stranded on Earth, Tiny must survive a world that wants to rewrite him while learning how to say goodbye to the only family he has ever known.
With the help of a dying game designer and a warm-hearted FBI agent, Tiny discovers that courage is not about size. It is about refusing to let the universe turn you into something you are not.
Parents and educators will value how Tiny confronts loneliness and grief with quiet resilience and his unbreakable grin, teaches the courage to stay true to yourself, and shows the bittersweet power of letting go, all leading to a reunion that redefines what family truly means.
For readers ages 8 to 12 who loved Harry Potter, The Giver, or Ender’s Game, and for anyone who has ever felt small in a very large world.
About The Author
For more than forty years, Martin Felando has been creating the kinds of stories that define childhood: sweeping adventures filled with heart, wonder, and the kind of emotional truth that lingers long after the final page. His work blends imagination with humanity, inviting young readers not only to escape into extraordinary worlds, but to discover who they are within them.
His debut novel won the National Book Award. His third novel, TINY, tells the unforgettable story of a one-foot-tall squid-kid who begins life as a beach toy, only to become the last line of defense between Earth and a grinning, world-ending apocalypse. It is a tale of courage, loss, and hope, where fantasy and science fiction collide with the quiet power of choosing to stand up when it matters most.
Martin grew up bodysurfing the waves of San Diego alongside a wolfdog named Chutney, who still carries a souvenir chunk of his calf. A year later, he found himself seated next to David Naughton, star of An American Werewolf in London (yes, he’s been to London). Today, he lives in Florida among the pelicans, still writing with the same belief that has guided his work from the beginning: effort is non-negotiable.
"A children's book that adults will steal from their kids."
— Early Reviewer
A Tiny Universe
Explore the creative process behind the book, deep dives into the science of Papako, and the art of storytelling for young adventurers.
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