Are you looking for some Dinosaurs themed children’s books to use in your classroom that include literacy extension activities? This list may be just what you are looking for!
Dinosaurs can be a great theme to engage your students. It is filled with some exciting literacy experiences to explore. You may have had the opportunity to read some of these Dinosaurs books already, but hopefully some will be a new adventure for you and your kids. Explore with your children the theme of Dinosaurs by trying these engaging books and some of the extension activities suggested.
1. How to Catch a Dinosaur by Adam Wallace
Do dinosaurs still walk among us? Sure, no one has seen one, but if alligators, whales, and even birds still exist, then dinosaurs must still exist, right? Join the daring Catch Club Kids as they try to wrangle a dinosaur in time for the school science fair and prove they’re still around!
Kids will roar with laughter in this dinosaur picture book that blends STEAM concepts with hilarity and clever chaos. Can you catch a dinosaur and prove they’re still around? Use your brain and set your traps to get that dino found!
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: How to Catch a Dinosaur
- I See Dinosaurs Student Color and Count Booklet
- Dinosaur Venn Diagram
- Paper Plate Triceratops Art Project
2. Dinosaur Farms by Penny Dale
They’ve built, they’ve zoomed, they’ve rescued, they’ve flown into space! The have even fought off pirates, and now our dynamic team of dinosaurs is working hard on the farm!
Join them as they plow the stony soil, feed the sheep, harvest the wheat, and much more! But what are they preparing all their animals and crops for? And where are they traveling to in their tractor? Why, it’s a farm show! But will they win the grand prize?
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: Our Favorite Dinosaurs
- Story Retelling: Act it Out
- Dinosaur Math Dice Games
- Dinosaur Facts Art Project
3. We Love Dinosaurs by Lucy Volpin
This perfect book for children who are obsessed with dinosaurs. It is short, simple, and sweet. The author compares and contrasts all sorts of different types of dinosaurs and celebrates them all regardless of how they look or act.
The text rhymes and can be read in a singing voice which will definitely help to attract a youngster’s attention. If you are looking for dinosaur story time material, this book would be a great option.
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: Dinosaurs
- Dinosaurs Story Parts Worksheet
- Dinosaurs Paper Plate Triceratops Art Project
- Penguin & Snowflakes Number Match Game
4. How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read by Jane Yolen
This extremely short book is written in the familiar styles of the authors other books. Tit had been created as a promotional item to teach kids to have good reading habits and to respect books.
The illustrations are lively, and the rhyming text delivers the message well. As short as it is, this could be one book that parents might not mind reading over and over.
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: “All About Dinosaurs”
- “All About Dinosaurs” Student Booklet
- “Dinosaurs” Student Story
- Dinosaurs Roll & Cover Math Game
5. Brontorina by James Howe
A hugely endearing new humorous character heart-warming tale about holding on to your dreams. Brontorina has a dream. She wants to dance. But Brontorina is rather large too large to fit in Madame Lucille s dance studio.
Brontorina does not have the right shoes, and everyone knows you can’t dance without the proper footwear. Still, Brontorina knows, deep in her heart, that she is meant to be a ballerina.
This lovable dinosaur whose size is outmatched only by her determination, and whose talent is outmatched only by her charm. Accompanied by captivating illustrations, this irresistible story proves that no problem is too big when the heart and imagination know no bounds.
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: If I Were a Dinosaur
- Story Retelling Worksheet
- Dinosaur Venn Diagram
- Dinosaur Add & Subtract Match Game
6. Tiny T. Rex by Jonathan Stutzman
A very small T-Rex named Tiny finds himself faced with a difficult challenge, his best friend Pointy is feeling down and he wants to give comfort by hugging her. Unfortunately, his arms are simply too small to provide the necessary embrace. Or are they? Armed with advice from his brother and sister about practicing, Tiny embarks on a quest to learn to do the impossible!
The story here is sweet and the cartoon-like artwork cute and expressive. Recommended to young dinosaurs’ lovers, or children who enjoy hugging.
Literacy Extensions:
- Classroom Book: My Dinosaur
- Story Sequence Worksheet: Sequence events of the story
- Dinosaurs Sight Word Game
- Dinosaur Numbers & Ten Frames
7. What the Dinosaur Did Last Night by Refe & Susan Tuma
Since Toy Story (and maybe since the very first toys!) children and their parents have wondered what it would be like if toys came to life. The authors of this story take this wonder several steps further in this delightful book.
Every November, the writers work into the night to bring their four children, scenes from the secret lives of their toy. Specifically, the nighttime antics of their plastic dinosaurs. The dinosaurs wreck bathrooms, destroy vases, and rocked out. They encounter terrifying hot irons, even do the dishes with hilarious, magical results. Each scene is photographed in detail, letting viewers joyfully suspend disbelief and think, just look what the dinosaurs did last night!
Literacy Extensions:
- “Our Dinosaur Tale” Classroom Book
- Dinosaurs Student Story
- Dinosaurs Letter & Sound Match
- Dinosaurs Build 2 Addend Addition Number Sentences
8. The Dinosaurs Expert by Margaret McNamara
Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in another picture book, and this time the focus is on dinosaur-loving Kimmy. During a field trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about the Stegosaurus and the Archaeopteryx and even the ginormous Titanosaurus.
That changes when one of her classmate’s questions whether girls can be paleontologists. Kimmy starts to feel shy. What if they can’t? What if no one wants to hear what she has to say? It will take some help from Mr. Tiffin, and from a famous scientist for Kimmy to find her voice again.
Literacy Extensions:
- Dinosaurs Writing Station Words
- Dinosaurs Build a Word
- Dinosaurs Art Project
- Dinosaurs Roll & Bump Math Game
Finally, there are so many Dinosaurs children’s books you can choose from. From Dinosaurs fiction to nonfiction, the list of books is endless. Remember to pick the books that best fit the needs of your students or children and support your learning activities. Happy Reading!
Find some more literacy and extension activities in my store, The Teaching Scene by Maureen.
To read more blog topics check out my blog, “A Guide to Using Literature-Based Units of Study.”
