Kids love dinosaurs and dinosaurs love books. Or something like that. Dinosaurs definitely love starring in books and there are so many out there to choose from. But which ones are really good?
I based my favourites on dinosaur books that offer a meaningful theme, beautiful illustrations and careful attention to language and story. And, of course, books that are super fun for young kids – both early readers and even younger.
The final 11 books I chose are all of these things – just a delight to read from cover to cover for kids and parents both. These books are a fantastic way to nurture a love of dinosaurs into a love of reading too.
Incidentally, you know a book is good when it’s been read so many times that the cover is sticky-taped together and the pages are whisper-thin.
This post was sponsored by DeAgostini ‘Dinosaur & Friends’
More good dinosaur fun:
- DIY Plywood Dinosaur Art: Bam!!!
- Play to Go: Dinosaurs and Other Portable Play Tub Ideas
- Small Worlds: Dinosaur Play Time
Dinosaur books - AU
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11 Best Dinosaur Books for Little Kids
All loved by my kids and reviewed for you.
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Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo – William Joyce
This classic is a sophisticated book for curious kids. The illustrations are detailed and quirky, with so much for little kids to explore. Older kids will appreciate the humour and flair that the Lazardo family bring to life, especially in their assumption that having a giant dinosaur for a pet is nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever.
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If Dinosaurs Came Back – Bernard Most
A small boy imagines a world where dinosaurs live in modern times and perform public duties. So instead of riding the bus, you’d ride a dinosaur and dinosaurs would help people plow the garden, build buildings and let kids ski down their backs. They would even make a fine pet. The graphic-style images are really funny and lines like “If dinosaurs came back, giraffes would have something to look up to” will give both adults and children a nice belly laugh.
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Dinosaur and Friends – DeAgostini
Not strictly a ‘book’, but rather a series of collectable books that tell the whole story of the mighty dinosaurs from their arrival in the Triassic era to their sudden extinction. The adventure stories, quizzes, games and facts will fascinate dinosaur lovers everywhere. Even better, each book comes with at least one, often two, toy dinosaurs to extend the play beyond the books.
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Dinosauritis: Rex the Tyrannosaurus – Jeannette Rowe
This lift-the-flap story is told in rhyming verse and it made the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge list for K-2 readers in 2013. There are three more colourful books in the series. The books include a story, fun facts, games and jokes – perfect for the dinosaur-mad kid who likes to amuse all her friends.
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How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? – Jane Yolen and Mark Teague
Such a funny book – both the illustrations and the story – that kids will love it, even though it’s technically about sleeping. The expressions on the parent dinosaur faces will be well-known by every parent reading the book. Those grown-up dinosaurs really get what it’s like! The kids will be laughing over the giant dinosaurs trying to fit into kid-size spaces. Luckily the poetic rhymes will soon soothe all savage beasts off to sleep. Incidentally, there are more books in this series, featuring dinosaurs showing kids how to clean their rooms and more!
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Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs – Sandra Boynton
Did you love Boynton cartoons as a kid (I know I did!). Her colourful dinosaurs are as quirky as you’d imagine – sunbathing, dancing, playing volleyball and creating art. The book is a good introduction to opposites for young kids and a fun one to read for older kids. There’s a fun YouTube video telling of this book here.
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Dinosaurs Roar! – Paul and Henrietta Strickland
This colourful board book is a total classic. Our copy at home has been read so many times that there is more sticky-tape than board left. The rhymes are clever and give the book a steady beat that keeps us all turning pages. There’s a Dinosaur Roar website these days and colouring and ‘how to draw’ books too.
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Stomp Dinosaur Stomp – Margaret Mayo
From the same writers who penned the parental earworm Dig Dig Digging comes a new rhyming extravaganza that is also sure to get stuck in your head in no time. The paper-collage images are bold and bright and brilliantly splashed right across double pages. The language is full of all the toddler must-haves – repetition, rhyme and onomatopoeia. They’ll want to leap up and start stomping, guzzling and chomping along with the dinosaurs.
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Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar – Bob Barner
Who knew that butterflies were around in times of the dinosaur? Bob Barner knew! This book is a great introduction to prehistory for young learners and, although a little heavy-going at times, with the right kind of expressive reading it would be suitable for toddlers through to young school learners. Dinosaur lovers of any age will go crazy for the collage-style illustrations.
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Rex – Simon James
A heartwarming family story about what happens when a terrifying T-Rex suddenly becomes a dad. It’s so nice to find a children’s book that creatively explores the father-child relationship. The illustrations are simple and eye-catching and Rex is equal-parts scary and cute – just the way a dinosaur needs to be in a young children’s book!
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Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur: First Book of Manners – Judy Sierra and Tim Bowers
Manners are good, right? Well, as we know, lots of preschoolers might not agree with us, but this book will get them one step closer to seeing why manners are so important. A little girl meets a dinosaur in a supermarket one day and models the way manners help people get along in life. The language zips along rhythmically and encourages kids to interact by calling out answers to questions about manners.
