Reading recommendations from our own Dr. Alice Mar
This year marks 200 years since the first dinosaur (Megalosaurus) was discovered by William Buckland. That’s a good reason to check out these dinosaur themed with the young future paleontologist in your house. Another reason is that many kids are fascinated by dinosaurs and these books are a way to share that fascination with them.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague is a modern-day classic. If you haven’t yet read it, run to your nearest library and find it or one of the many other books in the series (including the Halloween themed How Do Dinosaurs Say Trick or Treat?) These books are the perfect combo of silliness, warmth and a little education (each dinosaur is accurately illustrated and labeled) and kids LOVE them.
Dinosaur Roar by Henrietta Stickland and Paul Stickland is a simple book for preschoolers. Colorful pictures of dinosaurs are paired with simple rhyming text that makes for the kind of book that very young children will enjoy reading over and over again.
Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae combines two things kids love: dinosaurs and pirates. A young boy is at school drawing dinosaurs and goes to the school supply closet where he finds a pirate sobbing. The pirate’s ship has been taken over by pirate dinosaurs so Flinn joins him on an adventure to get the ship back.
Harry and the Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow tells the story of a young boy who finds a bucket of dinosaurs at his grandmother’s house. They become his friends after he cleans them up and names them. One day he leaves them on a train and is very sad but his Gran takes him to the station and he is able to prove they are his by naming them. This is also the first in a series of many books about Harry and his dinosaur friends.
Have a kid who loves ballet and dinosaurs? Then Brontorina by James Howe is the perfect book for you. Brontorina knows deep down that she is meant to be a ballerina but her size is a problem. And she doesn’t have the right shoes. But the kids in the ballet class at Madame Lucille’s Academy convince the teacher to let her have a change anyway.
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs by Mo Willems is a retelling of sorts of the familiar story. The wry humor will appeal more to older kids. Three dinosaurs (Papa, Mama, and a visiting dinosaur from Norway) get up one day, make the beds, and prepare three bowls of chocolate pudding of different temperatures and then loudly announce they are going SOMEWHERE ELSE. They are definitely 100% NOT trying to trap a delectable blond haired child. Right?
One of my favorite books to read when my kids were little was When Dinosaurs Came With Everything by Elise Broach. A young boy is reluctant to go on errands with his mother until he discovers that on this day every business is giving away a special treat. Not lollipops or stickers. But real live dinosaurs. The scene at the doctor’s office when he gets a dinosaur after a shot especially makes me laugh. The Mom’s increasing distress and the boy’s glee will delight kids.
If you want more of a non-fiction look at dinosaurs, then The Greatest Dinosaur Ever by Brenda Z. Guiberson is a great place to start. Different dinosaurs present their cases of why they were the greatest dinosaur every. Each one presents a few facts and is accompanied by realistic illustrations.
Another simple factual book for younger kids is The Colorful World of Dinosaurs by Matt Sewell. Colorful watercolor illustrations are paired with facts about each dinosaur.
How Big Were Dinosaurs? by Lita Judge is a fascinating book that pictures dinosaurs next to familiar animals to get across the idea that not all dinosaurs were the enormous beasts we might imagine. A fold-out chart compares the dinosaurs to each other to really see the variation in size and type.
How the Dinosaur Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland tells the story of how a Diplodocus made it’s way from Utah to the Smithsonian. This book starts with the live dinosaur and explains how it becomes a fossil but primarily focuses on what happened from the point of it’s discovery until it’s display in museum. It’s a great book to pair with a visit to the Smithsonian.
When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers Her T. Rex by Toni Buzzeo is the story of a young girl who discovered the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ever found (in South Dakota and now on display in Chicago). It’s a great book to inspire buddying scientists.
