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By Melissa Taylor
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Ready for the best dinosaur books for kids of all ages that they’ll love? These are the best nonfiction and fiction book choices for children who love dinosaurs.
Here’s what’s great about the dinosaur books on this list…Even kids with only a passing interest can learn to appreciate the wonder of these creatures of prehistoric times.
And if it’s not a passing fancy,this obsession has proven to be long-term beneficial for children.
While some of these children’s books go into the science and history of dinosaurs, others are playful and fun — perfect for preschool and kindergarten ages.
For example, my kids ADORED Jane Yolen’s HOW DO DINOSAURS series. Which has nothing to do with science or real life but lots to do with kids and behavior. But they’re funny and fun which my kids loved! *I bet yours will, too.
Which of these good dinosaur books will be your child’s favorite?
35 Best Dinosaur Books for Kids
Dinosaur Board Books for Toddlers
Dinosaur Touch and Feel is published by DK.
Touch the smooth horns and the bumpy scales, then feel the sticky tongues.
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My First Pop-Up Dinosaurs is created by Owen Davey and published by Candlewick.
WOW! Each page opens to a sturdy, earth-toned pop-up dinosaur. The artwork is gorgeous and mesmerizing for readers because it POPS! Each of the 15 dinosaur names is written on the bottom right corner of the page as well as a phonetical guide to pronunciation for us clueless adults who don’t know how to say words like Coelophysis. This is one of thebest first dinosaur books you could buy a child!
Hello, Dinosaurs! is written and illustrated by Sam Boughton and published by Templar.
Facts and flaps introduce readers to the coolest dinosaurs and interesting info about each. Dinosaurs like the Diplodocus, who was as long as two school buses. Or the Triceratops, who had between 400 and 800 teeth. Flaps, fold-out pages, whimsical illustrations, and handwritten text.
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Baby T. Rex Finger Puppet Book is illustrated by Victoria Ying
Help the blue Baby T. Rex be the biggest, baddest dinosaur ever. She stomps her feet and roars and roars but accidentally wakes up Grandma. Whoops. What will Baby T. Rex do now? Well, it’s Baby’s bedtime, so she’ll go to sleep.
Stomp! Stomp! is written and illustrated by Sebastien Braun and published by Nosy Crow.
Look under the flaps to find dinosaurs hiding. Find the dinosaur and read along with the noise word — stomp, stomp, munch, munch, roar, roar. Sure to be a hit with dino-loving little ones.
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Stomp and Chomp: My First Book of Dinosaurs is written by Simon Mole, illustrated by Matt Hunt, and published by Candlewick.
Read aloud these cheeky, fun dinosaur poems with brightly colored, oversized illustrations. This is unlike any other dinosaur book you’ve ever read! And your kids will love it. (And what a great way to introduce children to poetry, too.)
Creature Features Dinosaurs is illustrated by Natasha Durley and published by Big Picture Press.
Colorful pages filled with dinosaurs — this dinosaur book is a delight! For each two-page spread, you’re asked to notice a particular feature of dinosaurs like horns, teeth, wings, beaks, armor, and more. Read the question that asks you to differentiate even further, such as, “Which animal also has flippers?” or “Which creatures also have a long neck?” The dinosaurs are all labeled.
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Tiny Dino is written and illustrated by Deborah Freedman and published by Viking Books.
Learn all about the characteristics of dinosaurs as you compare and contrast the little bird’s many features to those of a dinosaur. The story is clever, and the dialogue between the animals is playful and engaging.
Dinosaur Picture Books for Kids in Preschoolers & Elementary Age Kids
We Are the Dinosaursis written by Laurie Berkner, illustrated by Ben Clanton, and published by Simon & Schuster.
Laurie Berkner’s popular songis now a super cute picture book for toddlers. As you read the song lyrics, follow along with Dax as he and his friends go exploring, marching, picnicking, napping, and roaring. Clanton’s animated illustrations with cartoon-like dialogue bubbles make these dinosaur friends inviting and friendly. Get ready to sing your way through this delightful book — it’s sure to be a new favorite.
We Love Dinosaursis created by Lucy Volpin and published by Candlewick.
We love dinosaurs — tall and small, with gigantic roars and snuffly snores — the book narrates. This is a charming introduction to the world of dinosaurs in gentle rhymes and colorful watercolor illustrations. “We love their spots and zigzags, too. Their colors — yellow, red, and blue.”
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?is written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague, and published by Blue Sky Press.
You’ll read this dinosaur book series aloud so many times that you’ll have it memorized. This book is a silly, very silly look at what good behaviors and not so good behaviors look like using your favorite dinosaurs. The entire series of “How Do Dinosaurs…” is wonderful!
Dear Dinosauris written by Chae Strathie and illustrated byNicola O’Byrne.
Max writes the museum’s T. Rex a letter and gets a slightly rude reply from the T. Rex. Max isn’t daunted. He writes back the T. Rex with more questions, and the two begin a pen pal dialogue of funny and entertaining letters, some of which you can lift or open a flap to read. Dear Dinosaur is highly entertaining and engaging — don’t miss this gem of a book.
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How Dinosaurs Went Extinct A Safety Guide is written by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Jennifer Harney, and published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers.
Ready for the most hilarious cautionary tale of all cautionary tales? At the science museum, the child’s dad explains that the dinosaurs went extinct because they behaved badly –they ran with scissors, jumped on the bed, scratched their bug bites, didn’t wear a helmet, pick their nose…you get the idea. Read this uproarious new theory of dinosaur extinction — and see if it makes your wild children behave perfectly, just like the little girl in the story!
In the Past: From Trilobites to Dinosaurs to Mammoths in More Than 500 Million Yearsis written by David Elliott, illustrated by Matthew Trueman, and published by Candlewick.
Aptly oversized to reflect many of the gigantic creatures within, these poems and gorgeous illustrations celebrate prehistoric creatures. Creatures like the weird-looking dunkleosteus or terrifying yutyrannus. Some of these creatures you’ll know, many will be new. The text is very accessible. Each creature includesits scientific name plus the geologic timeline in which they lived. SO cool, right?
“Meganeura
No birds yet.
Only you in the sky.
Meganeuropsis permiana:
the giant dragonfly!”
Could You Ever Dine With Dinosaurs!? written by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Vanessa Morales
In this clever book for young readers, learn more about what each dinosaur eats— and get helpful dining tips like “Be sure you are not on the guest list.” The illustrations are a combination of photorealistic dinosaurs and cartoon dinosaurs and kids which make the visuals very appealing.
Dinosaurs Don’t Have Bedtimes!is written by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Nikki Dyson, and published by Candlewick.
An imaginative boy tries to teach his mother about the dos and don’ts of parenting dinosaurs in this playful story. (Because everyone knows that dinosaurs don’t take baths or have bedtimes!)
The Wonderous Dinosauriumis written by John Condon, illustrated by Steve Brown, and published by Maverick Arts.
SO FUN! This boy wants a pet dinosaur from the Dinosaurium. In an introduction to different kinds of dinosaurs, each one he picks, he’s not happy with each. Finally, he settles on a small, cute dinosaur that doesn’t eat as much as some of the others. A turtle!
Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologistis written by Linda Skeers, illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens, and published by Sourcebooks.
Perfect in every way, this appealing biography recounts Mary Anning’s beach discoveries of the firstdinosaurbones–fossilized ancient creatures that no one had ever seen before. Even though women weren’t invited into the scientific community at the time, she continued her exploring and learning. Pretty illustrations and fantastic writing with impressive sentence variety.
Mad Scientist Academy The Dinosaur Disasterby Matthew McElligott
In this comic book, Dr. Cosmic is a kooky mad scientistteacher to an unusual group of students: werewolf, bug-girl, vampire, robot, and others. He takes his students through aninteractive exhibit on dinosaurs, but can the students can stay safe? Lots of dinosaur facts throughout.
If I Had a Dinosauris written by Alex Barrow and illustrated by Gabby Dawnay.
A young girlknows why having a dinosaur for a pet would be the best. Kids will be sure to nod along at all her reasonable reasons.
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If DaVinci Painted a Dinosaur is written by Amy Newbold, illustrated by Greg Newbold, and published by Tilbury House Publishsers.
Introduce children to great artists like Grandma Moses, Mary Cassat, DaVinci, Qi Baishi, Alma Thomas, and so many more! I adore this book’s engaging illustrations showing the style of each famous artist. You’ll see Degas’ dinosaurs turning pirouettes, Matisse’s colorful paper dinosaurs, Warhol’s dinosaur soup, and even the Dino Lisa. Playful, relatable, and instructive.
I Want That Loveis written and illustrated by Tasuya Miyanishi and published by Museyon.
In the harrowing prehistoric world, the Tyrannosaurus believes the strongest is best. But when he’s old and wounded, he meets baby Triceratops, who shows him kindness. Tyrannosaurus shows love in return and reconsiders what is best. This beautiful story will make you think about what is best and kindness to others.
Mamasaurusis written and illustrated by Stephan Lomp and published by Chronicle.
Babysaurus can’t find his Mamsaurus, so he asks otherdinosaurs he meets if they have seen her. The dramatic black background makes the colorful dinosaurs pop in this sweet story about a Mamasaurus who was really there all along.
Fictional Dinosaur Books for Ages 7 to 12
T. Rex Generationsis a graphic novel written and illustrated by Ted Rechlin.
In a graphic novel for ages 8+ with realistic, dramatic illustrations, readers follow a T Rex family from the birth of hatchlings all the way to their adulthood or at least the adulthood of those infants who survive. Life is dangerous even for the top predators — it’s an eat-or-be-eaten world. Kids won’t be able to put down this well-done illumination of the Cretaceous period, filled with action and drama.
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Jurassic Jeff: Space Invader is written and illustrated by Royden Lepp.
JURASSIC JEFF is a story about dinosaurs, aliens, and friendship. Jeff is a space alien picked on by the other members of the Intergalactic Cadets. He’s sent to conquer a planet called Earth, where the lifeforms are surprisingly unadvanced, but they’re able to teach him things he knew nothing of before: friendship, forgiveness, and not having to prove yourself. It’s a sweet story for anyone who has ever felt like an outcast — and also for anyone who likes dinosaurs
Magic Tree House The Graphic Novel Dinosaurs Before Darkis written by Mary Pope Osborne, adapted by Jenny Laird, and illustrated by Kelly & Nichole Matthews.
Even kids who have read the novels will love rereading the books in graphic versions. In this first story, brother and sister Jack and Annie find a magical treehouse filled with books. Jack begins a book ondinosaurswhen he wishes that he could travel to see them, they do! Annie befriends a flying dinosaur, and the siblings help save baby dinosaurs before they return home.
Terra Tempo The Four Corners of Time is written by David Shapiro, illustrated by Christopher Herndon, and colored by Erica Melville.
I’m over-the-moon thrilled by this comic for kids story! Three friends use a time map to travel waaaay back to the four corners area of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona to the Cretaceous age of dinosaurs, but their troubles are more complex than just the gigantic beasts. Unfortunately, they are not the only humans trying to survive. LOVEit!
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Dactyl Hill Squadis written by Daniel Jose Older.
In this middle grade book, you’ll take a thrilling ride through Civil War history — with DINOSAURS!In this exciting adventure with diversity, slavers kidnap most of the orphans in NYC’s Colored Orphan Asylum, but the small group of kids escapes to join the Vigilance Committee, where they fight back and eventually rescue their kidnapped friends.I love everything about this Civil War book–it’s so clever!
Best Nonfiction Dinosaur Books
You Can Be a Paleontologist! National Geographic Kidsis written by Scott D. Sampson, Ph.D. and published by National Geographic Kids.
Each section of information begins with a question like “How do you find fossils” then answers the question using text, photographs, and informational insets. Dinosaur fans will be excited to learn how scientists find, store, study, and figure out more about the dinosaurs they study — all from the bones. Clear information with enticing photographs.
Dinosaurs By the Numbersis written and illustrated by Steve Jenkins published by Clarion Books.
Kids love this big, eye-catching illustrated book of interesting facts and figures about dinosaurs. The well-designed layout will appeal to kids who will enjoy the timelines, charts, infographics, and numbers.
Ultimate Dino-Pedia Second Editionis written by “Dino” Don Lessem, illustrated by Franco Tempesta, and published by National Geographic Kids.
With incredible illustrations of dinosaurs that aren’t skeletons, kids who are interested in dinosaurs can see the appearance of all 600 species of dinosaur, along with the illustration, each dinosaur page shows how to pronounce their name, facts, and information, often with photo inserts of bones and paleontologist reports.
The back of the book includes a dino dictionary listing names, meanings, geological age, where it lived, fossils, length, and group. It’s incredible!! Kids who love dinosaurs NEED this book. It’s the one-stop field guide to everything dino.
Dictionary of Dinosaurs is edited by Dr. Matthew G. Baron and illustrated by Deiter Braun.
Got a dinosaur-loving kid? I predict this illustrated encyclopedia of dinosaurs will be their new favorite book! Learn how to pronounce their name, information about their size, when it lived, where it lived, their diet, and plus more information. It’s FASCINATING. I also love the graphic-style illustrations. How about you?
Dino-Mite (Science with Stuff ) by Sarah Parvis
Will the fossilized dino poop entice your kids to read this book? It just might help you turn the pages to learn more about dinosaurs. The book is well-organized and informative, with full-color, glossy pages, and kid-friendly layouts, making it a good choice for elementary school dinosaur fans.
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Dinosaur!by DK
Starting with Triassic life and continuing to Cretaceous and Cenozoic, discover the timeline of the dinosaurs and important facts about each. The photo-realistic pictures will make your children think they’re seeing the actual creature, not just the bones from a museum.
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Head over to Living Life and Learning for some fun dinosaur dig activities!
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Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.
