Dinosaurs roamed and roared across our planet a long time ago, but enthusiasm for these fascinating creatures is timeless. If you have a child obsessed with dinosaurs in your life, then this booklist is for you!

Teachers and librarians, I’ve also done a dinosaur unit with preschoolers several times so I will make sure to note below which ones are my favorites to read aloud. 

affiliate links are included below. 

10 Roaringly Good Children’s Books
about Dinosaurs

1. Dinosaur Roar!
by Paul & Henrietta Stickland
Order Online
Great Read Aloud

I have loved this book since I was a toddler teacher and my own kids have enjoyed it for years. It is great for toddlers because it is short, rhymes, and introduces some excellent vocabulary words. It turns out it also works as a great choral reading book for a preschool dinosaur unit. We read this several times a week together to work on recognizing some sight words, identifying rhyming words, and more. This also inspired a fun Dinosaur Sorting Math Activity with my twins. 2. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs
by Catherine D. Hughes
Order Online

We have loved every book in the National Geographic Little Kids series. The illustrations are stunning and then information is age appropriate and interesting. Such high quality books to add to your collection on all of your favorite topics. 3. Dinosaur Atlas
by Anne Rooney & James Gilleard
Order Online

This is an incredible book for dinosaur fans. Dinosaur Atlas is full of flaps to lift, illustrations and photographs, pages that fold open and tons of information. My kids shout with delight at something on each page as they discover new things. Our favorite parts are the images of actual sized dinosaur parts, like the actual sized claw on one page. This book is a must have for children who love dinosaurs and just can’t seem to learn enough about these fascinating animals. 

4. Bigger Than You
by Hyewon Kyung
Order Online

This is a cute and simple read aloud that’s great for toddlers and up. It also has fun extension information in the back that I refer to below. It was super fun to read the book and then extend this to play in our block area.

5. Dinosaurs Roar, Butterflies Soar!
by Bob Barner
Order Online
Good Read Aloud.

This is a another good book for working on rhyming words with preschoolers but it also happens to have some fascinating information about dinosaurs and butterflies. 

6. Dinosaur in the Garden
by Deb Pilutti
Order Online

Millions of years ago dinosaurs roamed our earth, maybe right where you’re sitting right now. This highly readable book quickly captures the immense changes that have occurred over a vast time period and relates it to our modern world and the curiosity of one child. This would be a great book to read aloud during a dinosaur unit or story time or to a child who dreams of uncovering dinosaur bones in their own backyard. 

7. I’m Big!
by Kate and Jim McMullan
Order Online

My kids are hugely fascinated by the big-ness of dinosaurs and Apatosaurus was the biggest. In this story, by the creators of I Stink!, a Sauropod gets left behind by his herd when he oversleeps. In his hunt to reunit with his family, he meets various other friendly dinosaurs and a few less friendly ones. His size comes in handy several times illustrating the way these dinosaurs might have functioned. A simple, funny story that is perfect for preschoolers. 

8. A Dinosaur Named Ruth: How Ruth Mason Discovered Fossils in Her Own Backyard
by Julia Lyon
illustrated by Alexandra Bye
Find Online

Ruth Mason’s story is one of following your instincts, curiosity, and love of science no matter what anyone says. It is the remarkable story of a girl who found dinosaur bones in her yard and was ignored for decades. A great one for girls who love dinosaurs and science.

 

9. Dino-Mike Series
by Franco
Order Online

This series has been a huge hit with my preschoolers and fits perfectly with this unit. The first in the series is Dino-Mike and the T.Rex Attack and there is a whole series of fun titles. We were reading Dino-Mike and the Underwater Dinosaur while doing this unit. They are all fast-paced adventure stories with just enough scientific fact. 

10. History of the World in Comics
by Jean-Baptiste de Panafieu
illustrated by Adrienne Barman
Find Online   

For kids who love graphic novels and the popular SCIENCE COMICS series, this is a fascinating look at the history of the world. Written in comic form, this nonfiction book starts with the earth being born 4.6 billion years ago and marches through history. It visually brings to life the transformation of the planet and in particular the animal life. Kids interested in dinosaurs and animals will find the evolution of animals and the information included fascinating. A well written, thorough look at the world in an appealing format. A nonfiction win for upper elementary schoolers / early middle school.