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Children's books and activities

Dinosaurs

Do you know any kids who are fascinated by dinosaurs (and think that T-Rex rules)? We do! And we've gathered up a great collection of books, activities, apps, and websites for learning all about dinosaurs.

Try pairing fiction with nonfiction books and exploring different genres [6] (like poetry and biographies) and formats (like graphic novels and audio books). You'll be creating your own "text sets" — collections of texts focused on a specific topic, such as dinosaurs. Reading widely in this way helps children build background knowledge [7], vocabulary [8], and comprehension skills.

Dinosaurs

How to explore this theme:

  • Read fiction and nonfiction books
  • Try some hands-on activities
  • Build writing skills with these fun ideas
  • Dig deeper with kid-friendly websites
  • Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids
  • Play and learn with mobile apps

More themed resources:

  • Growing Readers tip sheets (English & Spanish)
  • Video interviews with children’s authors
  • Washington DC for kids
  • [1]
  • [2]
  • [3]
  • [4]
  • [5]
Start with a Book is made possible with major support from the Park Foundation [9]

promo for text message tip serviceStart with a Book is made possible with generous support from the National Education Association [10]-->

Other topics to explore

  • Birds and Animals [16]
  • Detectives and Explorers [17]
  • Time and Time Travel [18]

Great Fiction & Nonfiction Books

Age Level: 3-6 years old

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""
While on a family excursion to Africa, the Lazardos find a dinosaur and bring him home to their small town. Dinosaur Bob becomes part of their family and the town’s best baseball player.

Purchase on Amazon [24]

Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo

By:
William Joyce
Illustrated by: William Joyce

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

Does Jesse travel back in time or is an imaginative jaunt when he boards a train with a Tyrannosaurus engineer? No matter; train and dino-obsessed Jesse's imaginative journey is sure to delight.

Purchase on Bookshop [25]

Purchase on Amazon [26]

Dinosaur Train

By:
John Steven Gurney

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

When a boy's toy dinosaurs come to life, a whole new world is created in his bathtub. No words are needed as the adventure grows and then recedes when his mother brings him back to the real world. Black lines on crisp white pages effectively convey the child's fantasy and his reality. Dinosaur names appear on the endpaper to the book.

Purchase on Amazon [27]

Dinosaur!

By:
Peter Sis

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
A long time ago there were dinosaurs. Big dinosaurs and small dinosaurs. Dinosaurs with horns on their heads or spikes down their backs. Dinosaurs with long, long necks and long, long tails. Imaginatively and with a masterful use of color, shape, and composition, the author/illustrator brings to life a unique and endearing vision of what the world may have looked like once upon a time. [Amazon review]

Purchase on Bookshop [28]

Purchase on Amazon [29]

Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs

By:
Byron Barton
Illustrated by: Byron Barton

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
Everyone in town knows Edwina. She is the dinosaur who plays with the kids. She is the dinosaur who helps little old ladies cross the street. And best of all, she bakes yummy chocolate-chip cookies. Everyone loves Edwina except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie. Reginald knows dinosaurs are extinct and is ready to prove it. But will anyone listen? And if they do, what will happen to Edwina? [Amazon review]

Purchase on Bookshop [30]

Purchase on Amazon [31]

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct

By:
Mo Willems
Illustrated by: Mo Willems

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

Dinosaurs are endlessly fascinating. Perhaps because it is hard to imagine giant lizards roaming the earth. In simple illustrations and straightforward text, the size of dinosaurs is related to more familiar things, so that children can picture this prehistoric time. Before embarking on a museum field trip, start kids thinking about how big dinosaurs were!

Purchase on Bookshop [32]

Purchase on Amazon [33]

How Big Were the Dinosaurs?

By:
Bernard Most

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

Ten sleepy dinosaurs get ready for bed in this celebration of funny, endearing, and naughty bedtime behavior. Young children will laugh out loud as they recognize themselves in this larger than life silliness.

Purchase on Bookshop [34]

Purchase on Amazon [35]

How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

By:
Jane Yolen
Illustrated by: Mark Teague

Age Level: 3-6 years old

My First Dinosaur Atlas: Roar Around the World with the Mightiest Beasts Ever!

Journey back in time and around the world to learn about dozens of dinosaurs in this colorfully illustrated atlas for very young children.

Purchase on Bookshop [36]

Purchase on Amazon [37]

My First Dinosaur Atlas: Roar Around the World with the Mightiest Beasts Ever!

By:
Penny Arlon
Illustrated by: Paul Daviz

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

“Millions of year ago, dinosaurs walked the Earth.” Some were small, some walked on two legs, others on four. An easy text and colorful but simple, dramatic illustrations on double page spreads present a variety of the ancient creatures each clearly labeled. Even today, you can see their bones at museums. Endpapers are used to further extend the informative presentation.

Purchase on Bookshop [38]

Purchase on Amazon [39]

Roar: A Dinosaur Tour

By:
Michael Paul

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

The third brother was a different kind of dinosaur. Rather than a more typical stegosaurus, he was a stegothesaurus who knew lots of words and loved to use them. Then he met an equally loquacious allosaurus and learned how this meat-eater acquired his words! Words and wordplay and simple, silly illustrations will delight both non-dinosaur and dinosaur aficionados.

Purchase on Bookshop [40]

Purchase on Amazon [41]

Stegothesaurus

By:
Bridget Heos
Illustrated by: T.L. McBeth

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

Meet massive, wrinkly, stiff-tailed, feathered and more dinosaurs as they stomp, guard, and gulp through this colorful pages of this rhythmic, attractive book. Pronunciation help for dinosaur names is provided on the end pages.

Purchase on Amazon [42]

Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!

By:
Margaret Mayo
Illustrated by: Alex Ayliffe

Age Level: 3-6 years old

A Miss Manners–style primer on how to throw a delightfully proper tea party for a dinosaur without the usual tea-time manners!

Purchase on Bookshop [43]

Purchase on Amazon [44]

Tea Rex

By:
Molly Idle

Age Level: 3-6 years old

A wordless time-travel adventure and a meditation on the scientific theory that dinosaurs were the evolutionary ancestors of birds. This story conveys the tale of a bird trapped in a dinosaur exhibit at a natural history museum. Readers can see the bird enter into a mouth of a dinosaur, and then escape unscathed.

Purchase on Bookshop [45]

Purchase on Amazon [46]

Time Flies

By:
Eric Rohmann

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""

Join Miss Pym's students as they take a memorable train trip across the U.S. to a time and place where dinosaurs roamed. Humor and adventure combine as Miss Pym is horrified but her students delight in getting to know the huge creatures firsthand.

Purchase on Bookshop [47]

Purchase on Amazon [48]

Time Train

By:
Paul Fleischman
Illustrated by: Claire Ewart

Age Level: 3-6 years old

Tyrannosaurus Rex wants breakfast. He stomps and he roars and he gnashes his teeth ― and he scares all the other dinosaurs right out of the forest. Only Edna, the very first chicken, is unafraid. She won't let that bully T. rex push her around! But will Edna's mighty beak and terrible flapping wings be a match for T. rex's mighty claws and terrible jaws?

Purchase on Bookshop [49]

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Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Edna the Very First Chicken

By:
Douglas Rees
Illustrated by: Jed Henry

Age Level: 3-6 years old

""
In a playful take on the stickers and lollipops that bored kids sweep up at businesses as parents do errands, the author imagines what would happen if a dinosaur were the giveaway of the day. A boy's increasing delight at the freebies he collects from the bakery, the doctor, and barber contrast with his mother's increasing panic and dismay as the lumbering beasts start to accumulate. When they acquire the fourth behemoth, Mom decides that the errands are done and whisks everyone home. Once there, she finds some unique ways to put the stegosaurus, triceratops, hadrosaur, and pterosaur to good...

Purchase on Bookshop [51]

Purchase on Amazon [52]

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything

By:
Elise Broach
Illustrated by: David Small

Age Level: 3-6 years old

Age Level: 6-9 years old

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cover of "Archeologists Dig for Clues" showing kids looking at a dig grid map

Archaeologists on a dig work very much like detectives at a crime scene. Every chipped rock, charred seed, or fossilized bone could be a clue to how people lived in the past. In this information-packed Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science book, Kate Duke explains what scientists are looking for, how they find it, and what their finds reveal.

Purchase on Bookshop [53]

Purchase on Amazon [54]

Archaeologists Dig for Clues

By:
Kate Duke

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Even as a child, Barnum Brown started collecting fossils. This boy from Carbondale, Kansas, grew up to be one of the 20th century's premier dinosaur hunters. He provided the American Museum of Natural History in NYC with its first tyrannosaurus Rex and more. Illustrations add wit to the informal telling; an author's note rounds out the presentation.

Purchase on Bookshop [55]

Purchase on Amazon [56]

Barnum's Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World

By:
Tracey Fern
Illustrated by: Boris Kulikov

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
This is a very kid friendly introduction to how a scientific theory is formed through the careful collection and analysis of evidence — and how new evidence can turn a theory upside down.

Purchase on Bookshop [57]

Purchase on Amazon [58]

Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs

By:
Kathleen V. Kudlinski
Illustrated by: S.D. Schindler

Age Level: 6-9 years old

cover of "Chalk" showing a large dinosaur head

Join three children who find a magical piece of chalk that begins an exciting series of events to figure out "what next." This might be fun to use in conjunction with Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Purchase on Bookshop [59]

Purchase on Amazon [60]

Chalk

By:
Bill Thomson

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Chicken Frank wants to prove he’s related to a T.rex ― because of evolution! ― but none of the other farm animals believe him, until he gets his DNA test results. This comic-book style picture book combines information with humor to explore the concept of evolution and the connection between birds and dinosaurs.

Purchase on Bookshop [61]

Purchase on Amazon [62]

Chicken Frank, Dinosaur!

By:
S.K. Wenger
Illustrated by: JoJo Ensslin

Age Level: 6-9 years old

A father-son story about bravery and facing fears. With his toy dinosaur, Nicholas can scale tall walls, swim in deep water, even score a goal against the huge goalie everyone calls Gorilla. But when the dinosaur goes missing, everything is scary again.

Purchase on Bookshop [63]

Purchase on Amazon [64]

Dad and the Dinosaur

By:
Jennifer Choldenko
Illustrated by: Dan Santat

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Where do museum dinosaur skeletons come from? In this introduction to archaeology, the author shows how teams of experts work together to dig dinosaur fossils out of the ground, bone by fragile bone.

Purchase on Bookshop [65]

Purchase on Amazon [66]

Digging Up Dinosaurs

By:
A Aliki

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Through rhyming text, learn about the evolutionary link between million-year-old dinosaurs and modern-day birds.

Purchase on Bookshop [67]

Purchase on Amazon [68]

Dinosaur Feathers

By:
Dennis Nolan

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life

Showcasing more than 90 remarkable fossils, such as a Tyrannosaurus skull, delicate fern leaf, and perfectly preserved woolly mammoth, each plant or animal featured is shown both photographically and illustrated, and children will love poring over the detailed close-up images. The storybook descriptions let you discover the myths and legends surrounding the organisms, as well as key facts about their natural history. Find out why Pachycephalosaurus had such a thick head, how a coral fossil can be used to work out how long a prehistoric year was, and which fossil was thought to protect...

Purchase on Bookshop [69]

Purchase on Amazon [70]

Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Life

By:
Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan

Age Level: 6-9 years old

When an asteroid crashed into Earth about 66 million years ago, it killed all the dinosaurs ... or did it? Who are these dinosaurs living all around us? Find out in this informative, funny, and 100 percent factual nonfiction picture book.

Purchase on Bookshop [71]

Purchase on Amazon [72]

Dinosaurs Are Not Extinct: Real Facts About Real Dinosaurs

By:
Drew Sheneman

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""
Share adventures with Annie and her brother Jack when they accept missions from a magical library in their backyard tree house — and learn a bit of science, history, and more on these fantastic and exciting trips!

Purchase on Bookshop [73]

Purchase on Amazon [74]

Dinosaurs Before Dark (Magic Tree House series)

By:
Mary Pope Osborne
Illustrated by: Sal Murdocca

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Dinosaurs: By the Numbers

Through infographics, illustrations, facts, and figures, readers will learn about the giants that roamed the earth millions of years ago, but that still captivate their imaginations: Dinosaurs. Discover some of the most fascinating aspects of dinosaurs through astonishing numbers:  the varying sizes and shapes of dinosaurs, timelines of when they roamed the earth, charts comparing the fastest dinos with the speedy animals of today, maps of where these giant reptiles lived across the globe, and so much more. 

Purchase on Bookshop [75]

Purchase on Amazon [76]

Dinosaurs: By the Numbers

By:
Steve Jenkins

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

The large format of this book is perfect for the theatrical, sometimes spectacular, full color illustrations of the larger-than-life dinosaurs of yesteryear. The brief but informative text adds to the drama.

Purchase on Bookshop [77]

Purchase on Amazon [78]

Dinosaurs: The Biggest, Baddest, Strangest, Fastest

By:
Harold Zimmerman
, George Olshevsky

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Millions of years ago, huge, hungry prehistoric 'dinotrux' ruled the world. A terrible storm caused some dinotrux to seek better weather. Those that shed their "misbehaving ways" over the millennia are still on the job today. This imaginative take on trucks and dinosaurs is sure to make readers young and old view subjects anew while making them laugh out loud.

Purchase on Bookshop [79]

Purchase on Amazon [80]

Dinotrux

By:
Chris Gall

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Information appears alongside beautifully designed pop-up constructions in this overview of all things dinosaur. Each spread features a paper sculpture of a particular species (e.g., Ankylosaurus or Triceratops) along with a brief paragraph of text. 

Purchase on Bookshop [81]

Purchase on Amazon [82]

Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs

By:
Robert Sabuda
, Matthew Reinhart

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Step back in time 124 million years, inside the world of the feathered dinosaurs to learn about the link between dinosaurs and birds. Follow several recently discovered dinosaur species through a typical day, as they feed, fight, hunt, and try to survive..

Purchase on Bookshop [83]

Purchase on Amazon [84]

Feathered Dinosaurs of China

By:
Gregory Wenzel

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Fly Guy and Buzz are ready for their next field trip as they visit a natural history museum to learn all about dinosaurs. young readers will learn lots of fun facts about these prehistoric creatures. 

Purchase on Bookshop [85]

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Fly Guy Presents: Dinosaurs

By:
Tedd Arnold

Age Level: 6-9 years old

What would happen if the dinosaurs returned? A small boy imagines a world where dinosaurs perform public services.

Purchase on Bookshop [87]

Purchase on Amazon [88]

If the Dinosaurs Came Back

By:
Bernard Most

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Travel with Nate Bell and a group of kids whose adventure begins at the Science Museum. They travel back in time to explore dinosaurs and the eras in which they roamed the earth. Several suggestions for further investigation conclude this lighthearted but informative book.

Purchase on Bookshop [89]

Purchase on Amazon [90]

Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs

By:
Nate Ball
Illustrated by: Wes Hargis

Age Level: 6-9 years old

The seven new students at Mad Scientist Academy include a werewolf, a robot, and other odd creatures; and the school is pretty strange, too. Comic book art takes readers through the kids' first day, where they learn about the world of dinosaurs. Dr. Cosmic is their brilliant, sometimes bumbling, teacher, who leads the group through a highly interactive prehistoric exhibit. 

Purchase on Amazon [91]

Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster

By:
Matthew McElligott

Age Level: 6-9 years old

While the dinosaurs walked the earth, pterosaurs (flying reptiles), ancient birds and other monster fliers ruled the skies. With the help of the latest fossil research, 19 of these creatures are brought vividly to life. The book includes a timeline to show when these creatures lived as well as a chart indicating their relative sizes.

Purchase on Amazon [92]

Monster Fliers: From the Time of the Dinosaurs

By:
Elizabeth MacLeod
Illustrated by: John Bindon

Age Level: 6-9 years old

My Book of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life: Animals and Plants to Amaze, Surprise, and Astonish!

Young dinosaur lovers are introduced to an amazing range of prehistoric beasts through facts and detailed illustrations. Discover how the Earth has changed over time, why fossils formed, and the arrival of early humans. A pronunciation guide helps kids with tricky names and encourages early learning and language development. The helpful visual index provides a quick overview of every species in the book.

Purchase on Bookshop [93]

Purchase on Amazon [94]

My Book of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life: Animals and Plants to Amaze, Surprise, and Astonish!

By:
Dean Lomax

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Full of up-to-date facts and discoveries, this encyclopedia includes everything from an in-depth exploration of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods and how fossils are made, to detailed profiles of popular dinosaurs such as the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, to more unfamiliar species such as the mini Microraptor. 

Purchase on Bookshop [95]

Purchase on Amazon [96]

My Encyclopedia of Very Important Dinosaurs

By:
DK

Age Level: 6-9 years old

My First Big Book of Dinosaur Facts

This book introduces young readers to all key science and facts about dinosaurs in a fun question and answer format. The book’s wide-ranging Q&As include: How did dinosaurs become fossils? What happens at a dinosaur dig? Who invented the word “dinosaur”? Were dinosaurs striped and feathery? Which dinosaur’s bite was the most powerful? Did dino poops become fossils? What sounds did dinosaurs make? Did dinosaurs build nests? And what happened to the dinosaurs?

Purchase on Amazon [97]

My First Big Book of Dinosaur Facts

By:
Ruth Owen

Age Level: 6-9 years old

What is it like to come face-to-face with the ten-foot-tall terror bird? Or stare into the mouth of the largest meat eater ever to walk the earth? Can you imagine a millipede that is more than six feet long, or a dinosaur smaller than a chicken? In this “actual size” look at the prehistoric world, which includes two dramatic gatefolds, you’ll meet these awe-inspiring creatures, as well as many others.

Purchase on Amazon [98]

Prehistoric Actual Size

By:
Steve Jenkins

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Discover the true story of the race between two paleontologists to find the best dinosaur fossils in this fascinating, fast-paced nonfiction picture book. They each wanted the biggest, best dinosaur bones. And fast! They used code names and disguises, they snooped and tricked, and did everything possible to keep their finds secret. 

Purchase on Bookshop [99]

Purchase on Amazon [100]

The Bone Wars: The True Story of an Epic Battle to Find Dinosaur Fossils

By:
Jane Kurtz
Illustrated by: Alexander Vidal

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Join Mr. Tiffin's class as they learn about dinosaurs big and small, feathered and scaly, winged and ocean-dwelling. And root for Kimmy, the dinosaur expert ... who might just learn something about herself.

Purchase on Bookshop [101]

Purchase on Amazon [102]

The Dinosaur Expert

By:
Margaret McNamara
Illustrated by: G. Brian Karas

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

This interactive guide takes you on a room-by-room tour of a natural history museum.You can open the specimen drawer filled with fossils, look at specimen slides through the microscope, and try these interactive features: a pop-up fossil finds map, a dinosaur time line, and a sliding chart that allows you to compare the size of dinosaurs with modern animals.

Purchase on Bookshop [103]

Purchase on Amazon [104]

The Dinosaur Museum

By:
National Geographic
Illustrated by: Sebastian Quigley

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Mr. Hawkins was a 19th century British artist with a passion for dinosaurs. This illustrated biography introduces the man, his time, and how he worked both to satisfy his own curiosity and stimulate that same curiosity in others. Additional notes from both the author and illustrator provide insight into the person and how his knowledge evolved.

Purchase on Bookshop [105]

Purchase on Amazon [106]

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins

By:
Barbara Kerley
Illustrated by: Brian Selznick

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Everyone's favorite science teacher is back as Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a journey into the Mesozoic Era. The Magic School Bus becomes a time machine, giving the students a first-hand look at many dinosaurs and the eras in which they lived. The text and illustrations are blended in this amazing fact and trivia-filled field trip to the past.

Purchase on Bookshop [107]

Purchase on Amazon [108]

The Magic School Bus: In the Time of the Dinosaurs

By:
Joanna Cole
, Bruce Degen
Illustrated by: Bruce Degen

Age Level: 6-9 years old

""

Friends and amateur detectives Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose set out to help their friend whose money for a new dinosaur museum has been stolen. Who could have gotten into the life-sized Tyrone the Tyrannosaurus and why?

Purchase on Bookshop [109]

Purchase on Amazon [110]

The Talking T. Rex (An A to Z Mystery)

By:
Ron Roy
Illustrated by: Jon Steven Gurney

Age Level: 6-9 years old

There is something a bit unusual about the Sharemore Hotel. When an exhausted Mr. Snore checks in, he doesn't notice the twin snakes wrapping around the front desk's posts and heads straight for his bed on the first floor. Unsatisfactory rooms abound right up to the 13th floor where Mr. Snore finds an empty, quiet place with absurdly large accommodations. He promptly falls asleep. The final call to the bellhop comes from the rightful inhabitant of the 13th floor: a dinosaur unhappy about finding Mr. Snore asleep in his bed.

Purchase on Bookshop [111]

Purchase on Amazon [112]

There's a Dinosaur on the 13th Floor

By:
Wade Bradford
Illustrated by: Kevin Hawkes

Age Level: 6-9 years old

Age Level: 9-12 years old

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Full of fascinating facts and dramatic illustrations, and based on the latest paleontological research, this is a definitive A-Z of dinosaurs-from Allosaurus to Zuniceratops.

Purchase on Bookshop [113]

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Children's Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs

By:
Clare Hibbert

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs with fifth-grader Abby and her neighbor—Ms. Lernin, a retired paleontologist in this installment of the graphic novel series about prehistoric Earth.

Purchase on Bookshop [115]

Purchase on Amazon [116]

Dinosaur Empire! Journey through the Mesozoic Era

By:
Abby Howard

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Dinosaurs, endlessly fascinating, continue to be explored. Current information is presented in an intriguing format that includes a foldout timeline. More standard information is included such as an examination of what a dinosaur is, when they lived, when they ceased to exist, as well as some of the paleontologists who discovered them.

Purchase on Bookshop [117]

Purchase on Amazon [118]

Dinosaurs! (Explorer series)

By:
Christopher Lloyd
, Nick Forshaw
Illustrated by: Andy Forshaw

Age Level: 9-12 years old

The history of all life on Earth, with a special focus on dinosaurs, featuring details of over 100 species. 

Purchase on Bookshop [119]

Purchase on Amazon [120]

Dinosaurs: A Visual Encyclopedia

By:
DK

Age Level: 9-12 years old

In this graphic novel, learn all about the history of paleontology! This fascinating look at dinosaur science covers the last 150 years of dinosaur hunting, and illuminates how our ideas about dinosaurs have changed, and continue to change.

Purchase on Bookshop [121]

Purchase on Amazon [122]

Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers (Science Comics Series)

By:
MK Reed
Illustrated by: Joe Flood

Age Level: 9-12 years old

In this fantasy classic, young readers imagine an isolated island inhabited by shipwrecked humans and intelligent dinosaurs who have learned to coexist peacefully as a cooperative society. 

Purchase on Bookshop [123]

Purchase on Amazon [124]

Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time

By:
James Gurney

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life

With engaging text, photographs, and vivid paleoart, this biography introduces Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter and self-taught scientist who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and...

Purchase on Bookshop [125]

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Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life

By:
Cheryl Blackford

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Renowned for their courage, their chivalry, and their ability to fight mythical creatures, the Knights of the Round Table must face their most dangerous opponents yet—DINOSAURS! 

Purchase on Bookshop [127]

Purchase on Amazon [128]

Knights vs. Dinosaurs

By:
Matt Phelan

Age Level: 9-12 years old

The Age of Dinosaurs: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Remarkable Animals

Think you know about dinosaurs? Think again! Paleontologist Steve Brusatte brings young scientists and readers everywhere into his world of massive herbivores and fearsome predators, daily unexpected discoveries, and all the new science used to learn about some of the world’s oldest beings.

Purchase on Bookshop [129]

Purchase on Amazon [130]

The Age of Dinosaurs: The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Remarkable Animals

By:
Steve Brusatte

Age Level: 9-12 years old

""

Embark on an exciting adventure with paleontologist Karen Chin as she hunts for treasure unlike any other — fossilized dinosaur poo! The book provide readers with a unique perspective on understanding how dinosaurs lived and what the ancient world looked like. 

Purchase on Bookshop [131]

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The Clues Are in the Poo: The Story of Dinosaur Scientist Karen Chin

By:
Jane Kurtz
, Karen Chin
Illustrated by: Francisco Riolobos

Age Level: 9-12 years old

The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science

As a young student, Mayor wondered: Is the mythical griffin based on ancient people’s interpretations of dinosaur bones? This biography shares her fascinating efforts to prove her theory correct and reveals other connections between science and human myth as well. (School Library Journal)

Purchase on Bookshop [133]

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The Griffin and the Dinosaur: How Adrienne Mayor Discovered a Fascinating Link Between Myth and Science

By:
Marc Aronson
, Adrienne Mayor
Illustrated by: Chris Muller

Age Level: 9-12 years old

Hands-on Activities

Build on what you’re learning together through books with these family-friendly activities, experiments, and crafts.

  • small stack of chocolate chip cookies
    Cookie Excavation [135]
    Florida Public Archaeology Network
  • drawing of a dinosaur print that you can cut out
    Dinosaur Footprint Template [136]
    Schleich
  • child comparing size of hand with dinosaur footprint
    Dinosaur Footprints [137]
    Little Bins for Little Hands
  • drawing of a hand making a pteranodon shadow puppet
    Dinosaur Hand Shadows [138]
    PBS Parents
  • green dinosaur from Dinosaur Train animated show
    Dinosaur Train Geocaching [139]
    PBS Parents
  • dinosaurs from animated show for kids
    Dinosaurs A to Z [140]
    PBS Parents
  • cartoon pterodactyl
    Dinosaurs: What's in a Name? [141]
    Start with a Book
  • Evolve or Perish Board Game [142]
    National Museum of Natural History
  • flying dinosaur illustration
    Flying Dinosaurs [143]
    Start with a Book
  • a hand sketching a palm tree in a notebook.
    Junior Paleontologist [144]
    National Park Service
  • salt dough fossil of a shell
    Make a Fossil [145]
    Florida Museum of Natural History
  • a purple, a blue, and a green dinosaur standing in a line. They are all different types and heights.
    My Favorite Dinosaur [146]
    Science Naturally

Great Websites for Kids

Dive deeper into topics of interest with these media-rich and interactive sites.

  • Age of the Dinosaurs [147]
  • Archaeology: Clues from the Past [148]
  • Brain Pop: Paleontology and Anthropology [149]
  • Construct-a-saurus [150]
  • Dinosaur Train [151] video
  • Dinosaurs 101 [152] video
  • Dinosphere [153]
  • National Geographic Kids [154]
  • Prehistoric Road Trip [155] video
  • Virtual Dinosaur Dig [156]
  • Virtual Dinosaur Exhibit [157]

Great Podcasts for Kids

Listen and learn with these podcasts especially for kids. These podcasts are free and easy to listen to from any device via Apple Podcasts [158] or Stitcher [159] — or from Listen Notes [160], a podcast search engine.

  • A Dinosaur Discovery and the Hottest Place on Earth [161] audio
    Fun Kids Science Weekly
  • A Dinosaur Special! [162] audio
    Fun Kids Science Weekly
  • Can You Dig It [163] audio
    Wow in the World (NPR)
  • Dino Explosion! [164] audio
    Sum of All Parts
  • Dinosaurs Take Flight! How Birds Evolved to Fly [165] audio
    Wow in the World (NPR)
  • Let’s Investigate: Dinosaurs [166]
    Home School Hub
  • Mary Anning: Dino Discoverer [167] audio
    The Past and the Curious
  • Paleo Nerds [168] audio
  • T-Rex Is Coming [169]
    Hello Family
  • The Call of the Antarctic Dinosaur [170] audio
    Tumble Science Podcast
  • The Rise of the Dinosaurs [171] audio
    Tumble Science Podcast
  • Underwater Dinosaurs and a Real Life Indiana Jones [172] audio
    Fun Kids Science Weekly
  • Velociraptor: Dinosaur Terrorist of the Cretaceous! [173] audio
    Cool Facts About Animals
  • World of Dinosaurs [174] audio
    Aaron's World (Season 1)

Educational Apps

Educational apps recommended by Common Sense Media and other trusted reviewers.

  • Ansel and Clair: Jurassic Dinosaurs [175] $
  • Ansel and Clair: Triassic Dinosaurs [175] $
  • Archaeologist: Jurassic Life for Kids [176] $
  • Britannica Kids: Dinosaurs [177] $
  • Dinosaur Zoo [178] $
  • Dinosaurs 360 [179]
  • It's Tyrannosaurus Rex: Smithsonian's Prehistoric Pals [180] $
  • Kerpoof Tell a Story: Dino Edition [181] $
  • Paleontologist: Ice Age for Kids [182] $

More Themed Resources

Growing Readers Tip Sheets

Simple activities for parents and kids to do together to build reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Read online or print the PDF.

  • Capturing and Sharing Images [183]
  • Cause and Effect [184]
  • Journals and Field Notes [183]
  • Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions [185]
  • STEM Tools at Home [186]
  • The Night Before the Museum [187]
  • Meet the Author

    Climbing inside the dinosaurs. Author and illustrator Brian Selznick [188] (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) talks about how first-hand research at the Crystal Palace Park in London made his illustrations for The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins feel more authentic.

  • Watch & Learn

    Finding the Right Book. The library is a vital resource for one mom whose son’s appetite for information — especially about dinosaurs — is growing as quickly as his shoe size. (From Reading for Meaning [189], part of our PBS Launching Young Readers series.)

Our Summer Blog

Our Summer Blog

  • And … We’re Off! [190]
  • Sharks in Socks? [191]
  • Hear me out about summer reading [192]

See more blog posts > [193]

Washington DC for Kids

Places

  • National Museum of Natural History [194]

See all DC Places > [195]


Source URL:https://www.startwithabook.org/summer-reading-learning/dinosaurs

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https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0439114942/readingrockets-20 [107] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780590446891 [108] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0590446894/readingrockets-20 [109] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780375813696 [110] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375813691/readingrockets-20 [111] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780763686659 [112] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0763686654/readingrockets-20 [113] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781784284664 [114] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1784284661/readingrockets-20 [115] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781419723063 [116] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1419723065/readingrockets-20 [117] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780995577053 [118] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0995577056/readingrockets-20 [119] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781465470119 [120] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1465470115/readingrockets-20 [121] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781626721449 [122] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1626721440/readingrockets-20 [123] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781606600221 [124] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1606600222/readingrockets-20 [125] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780358396055 [126] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0358396050/readingrockets-20 [127] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780062686244 [128] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062686240/readingrockets-20 [129] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9780062930170 [130] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062930176/readingrockets-20 [131] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781478876182 [132] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1478876182/readingrockets-20 [133] https://bookshop.org/a/24266/9781426311086 [134] https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1426311087/readingrockets-20 [135] http://www.southeasternarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/Cookie-Excavation.pdf [136] https://www.startwithabook.org/content/pdfs/dinosaur-footprint.pdf [137] http://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/simple-fun-dinosaur-footprint-activities/ [138] https://www.startwithabook.org/sites/default/files/dinohandshadows.pdf [139] http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/more-dinosaur-train-fun/geocaching-challenge/ [140] http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/activities/dinosaurs-a-to-z/ [141] https://www.startwithabook.org/content/pdfs/whatsinaname_dinosaurs.pdf [142] https://naturalhistory.si.edu/education/teaching-resources/paleontology/evolve-or-perish-board-game [143] https://www.startwithabook.org/sites/default/files/reading-rockets-bird-buddies-flying-dinosaurs.pdf [144] https://www.nps.gov/subjects/fossils/upload/Junior_Paleontologist_Reprint_2015_Spreads.pdf [145] https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/educators/resource/make-a-fossil/ [146] https://www.startwithabook.org/content/pdfs/my-favorite-dinosaur.pdf [147] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/prehistoric_life/dinosaurs/ [148] http://www.amnh.org/explore/ology/archaeology [149] https://www.brainpop.com/science/paleontologyandanthropology/ [150] http://www.brainpop.com/games/constructasaurus/ [151] http://www.pbs.org/parents/dinosaurtrain/ [152] http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-videos/dinosaurs-101-sci [153] http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/home [154] http://kids.nationalgeographic.com [155] https://www.pbs.org/show/prehistoric-road-trip/ [156] http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/interactives/dig/dinodig.html [157] http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/interactives/tour/main.html [158] https://apps.apple.com/us/app/apple-podcasts/id525463029 [159] https://www.stitcher.com/ [160] https://www.listennotes.com/ [161] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/fun-kids-science/a-dinosaur-discovery-the-VEZkF-fOgNC/ [162] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/fun-kids-science/a-dinosaur-special-iQN2mUg7hvE/ [163] https://www.npr.org/2020/04/20/839378948/two-whats-and-a-wow-can-you-dig-it [164] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/sum-of-all-parts/110-dino-explosion-AVHY8zy3f4n/ [165] https://www.npr.org/2019/05/31/728756629/dinosaurs-take-flight-how-birds-evolved-to-fly [166] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/home-school-hub/lets-investigate-dinosaurs-625yXHSFZo0/ [167] https://thepastandthecurious.com/stories/she-sells-sea-shells-mary-anning/ [168] https://www.paleonerds.com/ [169] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/hello-family/44-a-t-rex-is-coming-6Wc_TYPFKdG/ [170] https://beta.prx.org/stories/229124 [171] https://beta.prx.org/stories/299185 [172] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/fun-kids-science/underwater-dinosaurs-a-real-LHgBZpDF9el/ [173] https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/cool-facts-about/velociraptor-dinosaur-MCaNoyEfmJO/ [174] http://www.mydogrocket.com/ [175] http://www.anselandclair.com/apps/ansel-and-clair-jurassic-dinosaurs/index.html [176] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/archaeologist-jurassic-life/id669920885?mt=8 [177] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/britannica-kids-dinosaurs [178] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/dinosaur-zoo [179] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/dinosaurs-360 [180] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/its-tyrannosaurus-rex-smithsonians-prehistoric-pals [181] https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/kerpoof-tell-a-story-dino-edition [182] https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/paleontologist-ice-age-for/id879433975?mt=8 [183] http://www.readingrockets.org/article/41463/ [184] http://www.readingrockets.org/article/43150/ [185] http://www.readingrockets.org/article/43410/ [186] http://www.readingrockets.org/article/40703/ [187] http://www.readingrockets.org/article/31910/ [188] http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/selznick/ [189] http://www.readingrockets.org/shows/launching/meaning/ [190] https://www.startwithabook.org/blog/and-we-are-off [191] https://www.startwithabook.org/blog/sharks-socks [192] https://www.startwithabook.org/blog/hear-me-out-about-summer-reading [193] https://www.startwithabook.org/blog/summer-adventures-read-talk-explore [194] http://www.mnh.si.edu/ [195] https://www.startwithabook.org/dc-for-kids