Looking for dinosaur books for your preschool theme? Check out our favorites!
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BOOK LIST: DINOSAUR BOOKS
One great theme to use in your preschool classroom or at home with your little ones is DINOSAURS.
Preschoolers love this theme since they’re endlessly fascinated by the world of dinosaurs. Plus I love that you can teach this theme any time of the year…it’s not tied to one specific season or holiday.
Keep reading to check out some of our favorite Dinosaur books for preschool that you’ll definitely want to read to your little ones…plus I’ve included a freebie and a snack idea to make these books come alive!
Looking for Dinosaur activities to go along with these books? Check these out!
DINOSAUR BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs: This book has gorgeous full-page illustrations and makes for an amazing read aloud! With only a few words on each page, it teaches opposites and shows types of dinosaurs!
Dinosaurs! New Edition Gail Gibbons: This book is truly amazing! With full-page illustrations, informative text, and more, Gail Gibbon’s book would be a good read aloud for older readers, or a reference book for little ones.
Some Dinosaurs are Small: Some dinosaurs may be small, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important! This book is amazing for read alouds with full-color illustrations and only a few words on each page. Even the littlest reader will enjoy this book!
What the Dinosaurs Saw: Although I would not recommend this book for a read aloud, it can be a good reference book about the history of the universe (with illustrations that enhance the text). You also could share a few pages with your little one depending on what you’re learning about.
When Sue Found Sue: Full-page illustrations and informative text make this book one you’ll remember! This story doubles as a read aloud for older readers, but you’ll want to read it again and again! Have you seen Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago before? She’s pretty impressive!
Roar! A Dinosaur Tour: Showcasing the unique features of dinosaurs, Roar! A Dinosaur Tour would make a great read aloud. With a few words on each page and high-quality illustrations, this book is truly awesome!
Smithsonian Dinosaur! Big Book: I added this book, not because it’s a great read aloud, but because it’s an amazing reference book with high quality illustrations. Your little one can just look at it in their own time, but they won’t want to put it down!
Fossil by Fossil: This is an amazing book, but maybe not the best read aloud. With beautiful illustrations, cool facts, and more, it’s a book you’ll want to show off.
Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones: Sung to the tune of “Here we go round the mulberry bush”, the book is quite an interactive story which shows the excavation process. With full-page illustrations and easy-to-read text, this book is a rhythmic read aloud!
Dinosaurs (Scholastic): This book is a delightful read aloud and reference book! With big illustrations and only a few words on each page, even the smallest reader can enjoy it!
Dinosaurs from Head to Tail: This is an interactive book that is informative and engaging. With full-page illustrations, this book is an awesome dinosaur read aloud and a book for all ages!
Roar! Roar! I’m a Dinosaur!: With movable flaps, beautiful illustrations, and only a few words on each page, Roar! Roar! I’m a Dinosaur makes for a great read aloud. Your little one might even be able to read this on their own, all the while learning about dinosaurs!
DINOSAUR BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Smithsonian Little Paleontologist Book Series: Ankylosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Diplodocus, Triceratops, & Stegosaurus: These books have big illustrations and informative sidebars. You probably wouldn’t want to read the entire book at once, but you could pick a few pages out to share.
Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs: This book isn’t added because of read aloud material, it’s added because it’s a fantastic reference book. Full-page illustrations combined with big text equal a book everyone can enjoy!
National Geographic Books (2): T. Rex & Dinosaurs: With cool pictures and even cooler facts, these books are great for a child to read on their own. Not the best read aloud, but you can pick out some pages to show.
Meet the Dinosaurs Books (2): The Smallest Dinosaurs & Feather Dinosaurs: These books are written in an interactive way with beautiful illustrations and fun facts! Again, probably not the best read aloud, but a good reference book nevertheless.
Who Would Win? Triceratops vs. Spinosaurus: A great and engaging tale, this book opens up a discussion on dinos and is chock-full of amazing facts!
DINOSAUR BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
The “How Do Dinosaurs” series is such a fun series for little ones! These rhyming books are silly, playful, and teach great lessons. Check out a few from your local library and see for yourself!
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You, How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad, How Do Dinosaurs Show Good Manners, How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon, How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodbye, How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe, How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read
Princesses vs. Dinosaurs: This book is about princesses-no, DINOSAURS! Wait, it’s a T-Rex and dragon book! Wait… it’s a RUBBER DUCK BOOK! This hilarious story is ideal for read alouds, and it tells you that everybody belongs!
What Kind of Car Does a T-Rex Drive?: This is a hilarious story with tidbits of dinosaur info! Your little one will certainly laugh, and so will you!
Dino-Dancing: This is such a fun read! “Dino-Dancing” is an amazing book with beautiful illustrations! The storyline is amazing and easy to follow, even for the littlest reader.
Triceratops Stomp: Full-page illustrations perfectly compliment the easy-to-follow storyline in this wonderful book. A perfect read aloud, you won’t want to put it down!
The T-Rex Who Lost His Specs: A hilarious story, you and your little one will be laughing so hard. The illustrations perfectly compliment this book!
Dino-Gro: When a grow-in-water dinosaur gets too big— and too wet— a tad bit of craziness follows! Perfect for reading aloud, your little one will want to read it again and again!
How to Catch a Dinosaur: A delightful read, or read aloud, this book is a great example of the Scientific Method and Engineering Design Process in action. This book can be a perfect kickoff for a STEM unit or a unit on dinosaurs!
DINOSAUR BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
How to Be a T-Rex: This book has a great message and even better illustrations! Since it’s in a comic format, even a child who might not love regular books will love this one!
What the Dinosaurs Did at School: True humor mixed with real world images and an engaging storyline, no one will want to put it down. This book is also perfect for reading aloud!
Norman’s First Day at Dino Day Care: Everybody can feel shy sometimes, and that’s okay! This book conveys that message, and it’s also delightful to read out loud!
Dino Pajama Party: An amazing read aloud, it has an engaging storyline and full-page illustrations. Easy to read for a beginner, you’ll love this book!
That’s What Dinosaurs Do: Sometimes, you just can’t help yourself. Neither can William, when it comes to roaring. A great read aloud, you will absolutely love it!
Dino: A hilarious and delightful book, Dino is an amazing read aloud! With full-page illustrations, you won’t want to put it down!
Dinosaur Derby: If your little one likes transportation or dinos, this story’s perfect for them! An amazing yet informative story with a clever message, this book won’t be one you can easily pass over.
Goldilocks and the 3 Dinosaurs: Mo Willems, author of the Pigeon book series and the Elephant & Piggie book series, has put his hilarious spin on this classic fairy tale. Three dinosaurs just happened to be leaving their house and were *definitely not* waiting for an unsuspecting child to enter. (Spoiler alert, they were!) If your little one looks closely, they might even see Pigeon in the illustrations.
Dino Duckling: When a dino hatches in a mama duck’s nest, it results in happiness and a valuable lesson! A great read aloud that teaches everybody belongs.
Marlo and the Dinosaurs: When this little dog with a big imagination wakes up, he’s in for amazing adventures!! With barely any words and full-page illustrations, Marlo and the Dinosaurs is an amazing story.
Tiny Dino: When a hummingbird claims she’s a dino, you get to learn about cool dinosaur features, family trees, and more!
Little Dinos Don’t Push: This book has great illustrations and is a very engaging read. With only a few words on each page and a great message, even the littlest dinos can read it, too!
Little Dinos Don’t Yell: This book is engaging and informative, and it can start a good discussion at school or home! Plus, with full-page illustrations, it’s easy for kids to read on their own!
Stomp, Stomp: A fantastic read aloud, Stomp, Stomp boasts an engaging storyline, flaps, and sliders. Interactive and engaging, your little one will love it!
DINOSAUR BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOL
Diggersaurs: This book is a great and fun read aloud! With full-page illustrations and only a few words on each page, what’s not to like?
Diggersaurs Explore: The Diggersaurs return in this fun book, great for reading out loud! There’s even a funny subplot for the keen eye about human construction workers following along. You and your little one will absolutely LOVE this one!
T. Rex Time Machine: We take a lot of things in the modern world for granted. But these dinos sure don’t! A hilarious tale perfect for reading out loud, you won’t want to put it down!
T. Rex Time Machine Dinos in De-Nile: In this crazy sequel to “T-Rex Time Machine”, Tut likes comic books, and there are aliens in Egypt! An amazing read aloud, you will absolutely love it!
Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark: Being scared of the dark is normal, but Pointy and Tiny T-Rex are looking to solve that in this silly tale!
Tiny T. Rex and the Grand Ta-Da: Sharing and being brave are key parts of this tale. You and your little one will absolutely adore it!
Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs: We love Sandra Boynton books! This one is a good read aloud, and it teaches opposites, too!
DINOSAUR SNACK
Want to pair one of your Dinosaur preschool books with a fun snack? Try these delicious Stegosaurus Waffles! Your preschooler is sure to enjoy making (and eating!) these cute waffles. All you need is half a waffle, then add oranges for the spine and a banana for head. Use some yummy chocolate chips for the eyes and kiwi for legs. Or use different fruit if you’d like!
2D SHAPES PLAY DOUGH MATS FREEBIE
If you’re looking for a great dinosaur freebie for your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten kiddos, try these 2D shape play dough mats! Your little can make all different kinds of shapes that you would find on a dinosaurs (like triangles that look like a T-Rex tooth or Stegosaurus spine!) You can also tap into your child’s creativity and challenge them to make actual Dinos from the Play Dough!
This activity (along with all of our freebies!) can be downloaded from the Free Activity Library. If you’re already a member of our email community, you can click HERE to head to the Free Activity Library, enter your password (it’s on your most current email from me), and download your copy!
If you’d like to join our email community & receive the password as my way of saying THANK YOU for joining, you can click HERE to subscribe. Once you enter your information, the password will be emailed to you within minutes.
DINOSAUR MATH & LITERACY PRINTABLES
I hope this book list helped you fill-in your Dinosaur lesson plans for your preschool classroom or homeschool. If you want an entire pack of printable math & literacy centers for this theme, check out my Dynamite Dinos Preschool Activity Pack.
SHARE YOUR FAVORITES
Do you have any favorite Dinosaur books for preschool? I’d love to hear them and add them to our list! Comment below or find me on Instagram [@littleslovelearningblog].
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Looking for other book lists for preschool and kindergarten? Click HERE to check them out!
Happy Learning!
