Are you planning a dinosaur theme for your little one’s preschool activities? Do you have a child that just loves everything dino-related? Find these 12 high-quality picture books at your local library or bookstore to please the most avid dinosaur fan.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs by Robert Sabuda & Matthew Reinhart – My 2, 4, and 5 year olds were all fascinated with the incredibly intricate dinosaur pop-ups in this book. This was a favorite, by far. Not only does each 2-page spread feature one large pop-up in the center, but there are several fact-filled mini-booklets that can be opened to reveal smaller pop-ups that were previously hidden. This is a truly exceptional book for the young dino-lover. (Just for fun, you can make the T-Rex sneeze by saying “Ahh…Ahhh…Ahhhhhh….Chooo!” as you gently open and close the book.)
Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur? (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library) by Bonnie Worth – This book from The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library teaches young learners fun dinosaur facts through rhyme, with handy pronunciation guides for those oh-so-hard to pronounce names. Oh say can you say “die-NON-ih-kus”?
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems – If your child is familiar with the traditional Goldilocks tale, they will get a kick out of this dinosaur twist. In this story, Goldilocks is a girl who never listens to anyone. The three comically mischievous dinosaurs have set a trap, hoping to catch an “innocent little succulent child” so they could make some “delicious chocolate-filled-little-girl-bonbons.” I chuckled through the whole story, while my five-year-old delighted at discovering a familiar Mo Willems pigeon among the pages.
Dinosaurumpus! by Tony Mitton – This fun to read rhyming story will have your kids dancing and giggling like crazy. They will stomp and bomp and “shake, shake, shudder” their way through the bouncy rhymes, all up until the dancing dinos get tuckered out and fall fast asleep. As a bonus, several pages include questions designed to stretch little brains and engage the reader further.
National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs by Catherine D. Hughes – This reference book has full-page vibrant drawings of dinosaurs that are sure to captivate little learners. The book divides the dinosaurs by size, and my 4-year-old loved seeing how small a human would be standing next to each dinosaur. Parents won’t have trouble pronouncing the names with phonetic spellings provided for each species. As a bonus, the last pages of the book provide additional activity ideas for kids to explore.
Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems – Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie is on a mission to prove that Edwina, the town’s beloved dinosaur, is actually extinct. When no one will listen to him, he decides to confront Edwina directly. He secretly hopes that if he can convince her she’s extinct, she will disappear out of existence. — This was a very enjoyable story that sparked a discussion about attitude and believing in oneself.
If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party by Jill Esbaum- We loved the humor in this book warning us of the dangers posed by dinos at birthday parties. My 5-year-old cracked up when the T-Rex had trouble catching water balloons or hitting a pinata due to “those little arms.” When the story was over, we tucked our arms in close like the T-Rex and ran around laughing as we tried to toss balls back and forth with short arms. Definitely a fun book.
Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Edna, the Very First Chicken by Douglas Rees- This is the hilarious tale of a small chicken brave enough to face the mighty T-Rex and emerge victorious. Lines like, “Beware my pointy claws and many feathers,” had us cracking up, as did the humorous illustrations of poultry determination. This was a fun book!
I’m Sure I Saw a Dinosaur by Jeanne Willis– A boy at Sandy Bottom Beach alerts the town that he’s seen a dinosaur – and he’s sure the dinosaur saw HIM. Soon the entire community – from priests and paratroopers – finds itself at the beach, watching and waiting to catch a glimpse of the elusive creature. But did the boy REALLY see a dinosaur? Or was this scheme part of a larger plot? The surprise ending of this story was super cute!
Rory the Dinosaur: Me and My Dad by Liz Climo – One afternoon, while Rory’s dad is taking a rest, Rory decides to embark on an adventure – all by himself. As Rory encounters difficulties, like a stampeding pig or forgotten drink, he feels proud to overcome the challenges – all by himself. But page by page, we see that Rory’s dad has been secretly lending a hand all along. The relationship between Rory and his dad is charming – a lovely story!
Have You Seen My Dinosaur? by John Surgal – Told in a typical Dr. Seuss rhyming style, this is the story of a boy who goes in search of his missing dinosaur. My 4 & 5 loved finding the dinosaur hiding in obvious places on each page. When the boy asks you, the reader, if you’ve seen his dinosaur, my kids eagerly answered back. They loved it!
The Dinosaur that Pooped a Planet by Tom Fletcher & Dougie Poynter – A boy and his dinosaur take an illicit trip to outer space. But when they realize they’ve forgotten to bring lunch, the dinosaur begins to eat everything in sight – including their rocket ship! With a belly full of …everything – the ready-to-blow dino devises a plan to get them back home. And it’s disgusting. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book – bathroom humor isn’t really my thing… But the illustrations are adorable and the rhymes had my kids laughing and yelling “Ewwww!” at the same time.