Dinosaurs are a fantastic topic for kids because no one really knows what they look like or what they did before human beings arrived. We know these larger than life creatures existed, but the rest is left up to imagination. Which is what makes dinosaur books for kids so unique. Whether paleontology spurs an interest in science – or cartoon dinosaurs spur an interest in fun, art, and creativity – there is sure to be a dinosaur book that’ll thrill your little T-rex.
Many kids go through a dinosaur phase. Mine are no exception. So I’ve had the pleasure of reading lots of dino books before bed. With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of our favorite top 30 Dinosaur Books for Kids!
Table of Contents [CLICK HERE TO OPEN]
Starting: Dinosaur Books For Kids 1-10
Dinosaur Farm by Penny Dale
Dale has an entire series of books with dinosaurs doing amazing things (including a trip to outer space!) but Dinosaur Farm is my family’s favorite. In Dinosaur Farm, the dinos enter a farm show and are competing for the prize!
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen
Written in rhyming text, this bedtime story is a beloved favorite. My kids love the goofiness. Read aloud as several mothers and fathers try to get their dinosaurs to go to sleep!
How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? by Jane Yolen
Yolen has a whole collection of light-hearted funny dinosaur tales, but this one is absolutely tops! Our dino friends roar and stomp and even throw their books in the tub before finally learning how to read them.
The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes
I’m going to be honest, this enchanting book is one of my personal favorites! (Mom can have her own favs, right?) While visiting the beach, a little girl named Marianne digs up a dinosaur skeleton. That night, she makes a wish on a star and the dinosaur comes to life!
How to Catch a Dinosaur by Adan Wallace
The Catch Club Kids try to catch a dinosaur for their school science project. I love how this book perfectly delivers cool dino facts wrapped in a cute and easy to understand story.
Dinosaur A-Z by Roger Priddy
For kids who just want to learn dinosaur facts, this nonfiction picture book gives you fascinating facts for each letter in the alphabet.
Brontorina by Jame Howe
Brontorina the dinosaur wants so badly to be a dancer! But some obstacles get in her way. For one thing, she’s too big to even fit in the dance studio. But that doesn’t stop her. I love the moral of this story – you can achieve your dream no matter what challenges you face along the way.
Tiny T.Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman
T.Rex’s friend, Pointy, is feeling sad and needs a hug. T.Rex wants to help but his big head and short arms make it difficult. That doesn’t discourage him though. He’s determined to help his friend cheer up. Warning: Cuteness overload!
Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs by National Geographic Kids
Recommended for kids age 4-8. This National Geographic Kids book is fact filled with all kinds of dinosaurs for the budding paleontologist in your family.
There’s a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor by Wade Bradford
When Mr. Snore checks into the Sharmore Hotel, all he wants is a goodnight sleep. But every room the bellhop shows him has something hilariously wrong with it. This book will make you and your kids laugh out loud. There’s no need to explain the punchline as the illustrations make it obvious.
Dinosaur Books For Kids 11-20
What The Dinosaurs Did Last Night by Rafe & Susan Tuma
Unexplainable messes. Food all over the kitchen floor. Who could the culprits be? Dinosaurs! This photographed story tells a wacky tale of what toy dinosaurs get up to when everyone else is asleep.
Crunch, The Shy Dinosaur by Cirocco Dunlap
This interactive story is so fun and clever. Crunch the dinosaur wants to play with you (the reader!) but they’re shy! The narrator suggests different ways for you to coax Crunch out from behind his hiding spot so you both can play. This is such a genius way to teach social cues to kids.
Dinosaurs Can’t Roar by Layla Beason
Rex the dinosaur meets a scientist who thinks she knows all there is to know about dinosaurs, but Rex is about to prove her wrong. This cute book is a reminder that even science doesn’t have all the facts and it’s okay to question things.
Dad and the Dinosaur by Gennifer Choldenko
Little boy, Nicholas, has a toy dinosaur that helps him overcome his many fears. But when the toy goes missing, everything is scary again. Luckily, Nicholas has a very brave father who helps him find his toy dinosaur while reminding Nick that “it’s okay to be afraid. All guys are now and then.” I love this book for its message just as much as its humor and wit.
The Dinosaur Expert by Margaret McNamara
During a school trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about dinosaurs. But that changes when one of her classmates questions whether girls can be paleontologists. It’ll take some help from her teacher Mr. Tiffin, and a famous scientist, for Kimmy to find her voice again. Such a great message for girls to never doubt themselves!
Dinosaur Feathers by Dennis Nolan
A nonfiction picture book written in rhyming verse. Dinosaur Feathers teaches young kids about evolution and how dinosaurs evolved into birds.
Fly Guy Presents: Dinosaurs by Tedd Arnold
Part of the Fly Guy series by Tedd Arnold. In this book, we learn all about dinosaurs with Fly Guy and Buzz as they go on a field trip to the nation history museum. Written with lots of kid-friendly humor and cool facts, this nonfiction picture book is perfect for the dino aficionado in your family.
Prehistoric Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
We all know dinosaurs were big, but it can be hard to imagine their actual size. In this book, the pages fold out with life-size images that will shock you as they show just how big (and small) these creatures really were.
Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster by Matthew McElligott
Written in graphic novel style, the entire Mad Scientist Academy series is a delight for young independent readers. In the Dinosaur Disaster, Dr. Cosmic sends his class on a scavenger hunt through a dinosaur exhibit. But when a malfunction occurs, the robotic dinosaurs in the exhibit come to life!
Dinosaur Empire by Abby Howard
Ronnie fails her science class dinosaur quiz. She tries to study for a re-do and ends up traveling back in time to the Mesozoic Era where she gets first hand experience with dinosaurs! Written in graphic novel form for independent readers. This is book 1 in the Earth Before Us series, and the entire series is a delight!
Dinosaur Books For Kids 21-30
Dinosaur Boy by Cory Putman Oakes
A delightful middle grade series about a boy who is part dinosaur. I love the anti-bullying message in this one. Sawyer is alienated and bullied when he starts to grow a tail and spikes! But when Sawyer finds out there’s something evil going on with the school principal, it’s up to him and his best friend to save the bullies from a horrible fate.
In The Past by David Elliot
Written in rhyme. Discover all sorts of prehistoric creatures in this nonfiction picture book. The writing is intended for older children, but can be read aloud to a dino-loving toddler. The illustrations are very well done and lifelike.
How The Dinosaur Got To The Museum
Go on a journey with the remains of a “Diplodocus longus” dinosaur. From its discovery in Utah, all the way to the Smithsonian National Museum in Washington D.C., you’ll learn all about how dinosaur bones get to your local museum and all the many jobs it entails.
We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin
This picture book is perfect for dino-loving toddlers. It has beautiful illustrations of dinosaur characters with short, simple verses that rhyme. Your kiddo will learn about opposites like tall and short. Big and small. Fast and slow.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
It’s the first day of school and Penelope Rex can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so delicious! This book is hilarious and cute. My kids and I love it. They ask me to read it all the time.
If You Happen To Have A Dinosaur by Kinda Bailey
If you just so happen to have a pet dinosaur, this book will give you some great ideas on what to do with it. Like using its giant teeth to open cans! I love this book. The kids laugh out loud at all the imaginative things they could do if they had a dinosaur.
What If You Had T.Rex Teeth? And Other Dinosaur Parts by Sandra Markle
Learn about different dinosaurs one dino body part at a time. This quirky fun book will spur your child’s imagination as they think about how their lives might be different if they had the teeth of a T.Rex or the body armor of an Ankylosaurus.
Don’t Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward
When little boy, Jack, accidentally leaves his toy Dexter the T.rex at the doctor’s office, Dexter doesn’t know what to do. So he asks YOU (the reader) for help. I love when children’s books interact with the audience. My kids always get into it and have fun.
Dinosaurs Love Underpants by Claire Freedman
Scientists have a lot of theories about why dinosaurs went extinct. But according to this book, it was an underpants war that did them in! My five year old son goes bananas for this silly story. It’s cute and fun.
Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson
From the author of Room On The Broom and The Gruffalo. When a duckbill egg hatches in the wrong nest, the baby duckbill finds himself growing up with a Tyrannosaurus family. The T-rexes end up learning a thing or two about being mean and scary.
Did we miss any of your favorite dinosaur books for kids? Let us know in the comments.
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