Newish Dinosaur Books for Little Ones
Dinosaur books are a crowd favorite and they always will be! I’m not sure how it became a right of passage for so many little ones to go through a stage of absolute adoration of these prehistoric beasts, but here we are caregivers of little ones who can barely saw their own name, but can rattle off a dinosaur name with ease!
Today, I’m sharing a host of dinosaur picture books that have been recently published (think post-COVID). I have my dino classics like Jane Yolen’s series How Do Dinosaurs or the dino-sports combos of Lisa Wheeler, but with many kids reading through any dinosaur book they can get there hands on, I thought it might be a good idea to share some newer titles for you! So head straight to your public library or independent book store to browse these dino books and grab a few to take home to read together, you won’t be disappointed!
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Newish Dinosaur Books for Little Ones
Dinosaurs Can Be Small by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Ariel Landy
World-class zoologist Darrin Lunde celebrates the power of the small. Small dinosaurs weren’t just cute; their size had evolutionary benefits. And when that giant meteor hit, who do you think survived?
Sure, you’ve heard of Triceratops, but do you know Microceratus, one of the smallest horned dinos? Love T. rex? Allow us to introduce Compsognathus, a tiny meat-eater that hunted insects.
Little (and big) kids alike will appreciate the SIZE-mic fun to be had with this prehistoric introduction to dinos of all shapes and sizes.
Dinosaur Day by Diana Murray, illustrated by Luke Flowers
On Dinosaur Day, dinosaurs love to stomp and chomp. But they like silly singing, rowdy swimming, and yummy desserts too. All this fun makes the baby dinos want to join, but something unexpected pops up. Will the dinos accept this new addition to keep Dino Day going?
Hooray! Hooray!
It’s Dino Day!
The dinosaurs are on their way!
The ground starts shaking-
Here they come!
Thumpa-bumpa,
rum-tum-tum!
Dinos Driving by Lynn Leitch, illustrated by Scot Ritchie
What kind of a car would a tiny Velociraptor drive? Perhaps a mini car? But what would suit a vegetarian Iguanodon or a pack of rowdy Triceratops? What would an ideal vehicle be for a T-rex? Whatever it is, it had better come with an adjustable steering wheel for those short arms!
Granny Rex by Kurtis Scaletta, illustrated by Nik Henderson
When little Dee is harassed by the neighborhood hawk, Mama tells her that her 20-million-times great-great-great-grandmother was an enormous dinosaur named Granny Rex and that Granny Rex still lives in Dee’s feathers and bones. It’s true: Not only did birds descend from dinosaurs, but they are related to the Tyrannosaurus rex, one of the mightiest dinosaurs of all! “Never forget,” says Mama to her little bird, “that you are a dinosaur.” Dee discovers she might be small, but she is mighty.
Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur? by Helen Yoon
Help! This little girl has lost her best friend. He’s a dinosaur (not the extinct kind). He’s enormous (bigger than a panda!). He was last seen before she gave him a bath and washed off all the mud (maybe that wasn’t a good idea?). She’s tried to lure him with snacks and put up Lost Dinosaur posters, but nothing has helped. If only it weren’t such a clear day—if only it were raining, or snowing, or the leaves were falling, or . . . something. Would it help if she drew a picture? With delicate visual sleights of hand and an underlying sweetness, author-illustrator Helen Yoon invites us to see through a child’s eyes.
How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Jennifer Harney
In this outrageous “safety guide,” a child in a museum asks their parents how the dinosaurs all became extinct. Well, their father has some theories. Gallimimus? Ran with scissors. Ankylosaurus? Tipped in their chair. Spinosaurus? Swam after eating. Tyrannosaurus rex? Didn’t change their underwear. By the end of the story, the child vows to never do any of these “dangerous” things again. Those dinosaurs should have been more careful!
How Many Dinosaurs is Too Many? by Lou Peacock, illustrated by Nicola Slater
When a dinosaur comes to play, you’re sure to have lots of fun. But wouldn’t 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . or even 10 dinosaurs be better still? Or would they be too big, too messy, and just a little bit too naughty? Perhaps one very special dinosaur is just perfect!
Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey, illustrated by Joy Ang
This is a princess book!
No, it’s a dinosaur book!
No, it’s . . . a T. rex book? A dragon book? A rubber ducky book?!
From Linda Bailey, award-winning and critically acclaimed author, and Joy Ang, Adventure Time-artist and illustrator of the Mustache Baby series, comes an irresistibly irreverent picture book in which plucky princesses and determined dinosaurs have a battle royale over whose book this is. When they start calling in the big guns — or rather, the big carnivores — and decide to build a wall to resolve their differences, princesses and dinosaurs alike learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and sharing.
Stomp and Chomp: My First Book of Dinosaurs by Simon Mole, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Did you know that Giganotosaurus had a tongue big enough to be your bed? That plant eaters evolved at different heights to assure there would be more than enough food for all—with each nibbling at a different point on the tree? Thirty exuberant poems, divided into four fact-packed sections, put readers up close and personal with species from T. rex and Triceratops to Stegosaurus and Velociraptor. Some have lines of terrible teeth, while others sport feathery peacock tails. All thunder off the page in vibrant illustrations pitched to poems that ring with humor and heart, while relaying well-researched facts about dinosaur anatomy, diet, herd behavior, and more. Young devotees will demand to read this energetic tribute to the dinosaurs, in all their larger-than-life glory, over and over again. Back matter includes a time line and information about the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods.
Tiny Dino by Deborah Freedman
A small but mighty bird declares it is a dinosaur! But no one believes that dinosaurs still exist. How can it be a dinosaur when it is so little? Dinosaurs didn’t have feathers . . . or did they? This tiny dino is here to explain to its animal friends that birds are, in fact, dinosaurs, and all creatures are connected to one big animal family. With a playful ensemble of animal characters and dynamic bursts of dialogue, celebrated author and illustrator Deborah Freedman has created a spirited and informative picture book for dinosaur lovers of all ages.
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Tiny T. Rex has a HUGE problem. His friend Pointy needs cheering up and only a hug will do. But with his short stature and teeny T. Rex arms, is a hug impossible? Not if Tiny has anything to say about it!
Join this plucky little dinosaur in his very first adventure, Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug—a warm and funny picture book that proves the best hugs come from the biggest hearts.
A Unicorn, a Dinosaur, and a Shark Walk Into a Book by Jonathan Fenske
Absurdity abounds in this funny picture book that tries to tell the tale of a unicorn, a dinosaur, and a shark.
While the narrator insists that the characters are in the best book ever, they are all less than impressed, and won’t cooperate with the storyteller’s cues. Can the narrator find a way to convince them to stick around, or will the creatures choose to skedaddle off the page?
