The sun was warm on Sophia's face. It felt like a big, friendly hug! She was digging in her sandbox, making a tall, tall castle. "This is where the dinosaur princess will live," she said to Yuna, her fluffy dog. Yuna wagged her tail, happy to be part of the game.
"Sophia, guess what?" Mom called from the porch. "We're going to the beach!"
Sophia gasped. "The beach? With the waves and the sandcastles?"
"The very same!" Mom laughed.
Sophia was so excited! She loved the beach! She quickly grabbed her bucket and shovel and ran inside to get ready.
At the beach, Sophia gasped again. Everything was so bright and colorful! Kids were building sandcastles, seagulls were singing funny songs, and the waves were crashing on the shore. It was perfect!
Sophia ran towards the water, but suddenly, she stopped. Her heart thumped like a drum in her chest. Right in front of her, drawn in the sand, was a giant dinosaur footprint!
"Yuna, look!" she whispered, pointing at the footprint. "Do you think it's real?"
Yuna barked and wagged her tail, but Sophia wasn't sure if that meant yes or no. She took a deep breath. Her mom always said that courage wasn't about not being scared, but doing something brave even when you are.
Sophia decided to be brave. She puffed out her chest and followed the footprints. They led her around a big sand dune, and then…Sophia gasped for the third time!
Behind the dune was a whole group of kids, and they were playing with...dinosaurs! Not big, scary dinosaurs, but little, friendly ones in all colors of the rainbow. They were playing tag and splashing in the waves.
One little blue dinosaur with sparkly scales saw Sophia and waved. "Hi! Want to play?"
Sophia was still a little nervous, but she remembered her courage. "Okay," she said shyly.
The little blue dinosaur smiled. "I'm Blip! What's your name?"
"I'm Sophia," she said, "and this is Yuna."
Yuna barked and licked Blip's nose. Blip giggled. "You have a funny bark!"
Sophia and Yuna spent the whole afternoon playing with the dinosaurs. They built sandcastles, splashed in the waves, and even buried Blip in the sand (he said it was his favorite!). Sophia learned that the dinosaurs were from a magical island and they loved visiting the beach.
As the sun started to set, it was time for Sophia to go. "Will we see you again?" she asked Blip sadly.
"Of course!" Blip chirped. "We come here all the time. And next time," he whispered, "I'll introduce you to the dinosaur princess!"
Sophia giggled. She felt so brave and happy. She had faced her fear and made new friends. Walking back to the car with her mom and Yuna, Sophia knew one thing for sure: she couldn't wait to come back to the beach and play with her new dinosaur friends again!
