Five Faves: Dinosaur Picture Books

As a kid, I had several unrealistic career paths chosen for myself. I distinctly remember in fifth grade debating between an NFL player and an opera singer. LOL! But one dream job was a little more realistic than the rest and just as exciting to think about --a paleontologist. Not much is cooler than getting paid to find dinosaur bones, except for maybe reading books about dinosaurs. Read on, dinosaur lovers!

Granny Rex
Written by Kurtis Scaletta
Illustrated by Nik Henderson
Petaluma, CA: Cameron Kids, 2023. Picture Book.

A tiny bird getting pushed around by a mean hawk gets inspiration from her ancestor --the mighty dinosaur!

Have You Seen My Invisible Dinosaur?
By Helen Yoon
Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2023. Picture Book.

A little girl has lost her best friend --an invisible dinosaur! She's searched high and low, with no luck. What's a girl got to do to track down her invisible pal?

Parker's Place
By Russ Willms
New York: Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. Picture Book.

A T-Rex named Parker really wants to fit in and find his place at a farm, but no jobs seem suitable for a dinosaur. Will some helpful chickens find the perfect spot for Parker before he gives up?

Penny & Pip
Written by Candace Fleming
Illustrated by Eric Rohmann
New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2023. Picture Book.

On a museum field trip, a young girl named Penny notices a sauropod egg hatching. Penny and the baby sauropod, who she names Pip, have fun going through the museum together until Penny realizes that Pip is the only dinosaur left. She has to figure out a way to take care of her new friend and get him out of the museum!

10 Things I Love About Dinosaurs
Written by Samantha Sweeney
Illustrated by Rob McClurkan
Wilton, CT: Random House Distribution, 2024. Picture Book.

A small boy's favorite thing in the whole world is dinosaurs and he's going to tell you the top 10 reasons why!

Comments

Funny Farm by Mark Teague 2009

There are things I liked about Mark Teague's newest book, Funny Farm , and things I didn't like. Where should I start? I'll do the "didn'ts" first. The illustrations show animals personified. Well, some of the animals are. The main characters, Edward, and his farm family relatives, all dogs, are humanized. They stand upright, do farm chores, eat at a table, wear clothes, knit (yes, with paws) and sleep in beds. Most everybody else on and around the farm, who are also animals, act like animals. They are outside, roll in mud, live in the barn, and require care from their owners. It struck me the most on the page spread where there are pigs playing in puddle in the rain and Edward, a black and white boxer, watches from inside the house. I thought "You're a dog! Go play with them!" But, alas, he can't, seeing as how he goes through his entire visit to the farm wearing a suit and red bow tie. Another picture that bothered me was the maple syrup pa...

Review: Super Boba Cafe

Super Boba Café By Nidhi Chanani New York: Amulet Books, 2023. Comics. 215 pages. 14-year-old Aria is excited to spend her summer in San Francisco getting quality time with her Nainai. She loves helping at her grandmother's Super Boba Café. But she can't help but notice that her grandmother is acting strange and secretive. She refuses to let Aria into the kitchen at all and she disappears at the same time each night without telling Aria where she goes. Meanwhile, Aria is eager to drum up more business for Super Boba Café. She gets a major windfall when the shop cat, Bao, surprises them by having kittens, and Aria realizes this is a major social media opportunity. She knows this will help Nainai's shop, but she is apprehensive to get back on social media after a terrible cyberbullying experience she had back home. As the shop starts to get busier, Nainai is more and more anxious about her secret project. This prompts Aria to investigate with help from her Nainai's neighb...

Review: The Mixed-Up Owl

The Mixed-Up Owl Written by Marzena Sowa Illustrated by Joanna Lorno New York : Hippo Park, 2025. Picture Book. When Owl can't sleep at night, he heads off to see if any forest animals can help him understand why, and even more so, how to fix it! Unfortunately, all the animals Owl runs into at night are asleep and all the animals he meets during the day are too rude or too busy to answer him. Will Owl give up or will a chance meeting with a grumpy hedgehog provide all the solutions Owl was looking for? The premise of an owl trying to stay awake during the day because all the other animals around him do is very fun. Kids who know that owls are nocturnal will get a kick out of Owl's confusion and be quick to try to tell him what's going on. Readers who don't know many facts about owls (or nocturnal animals in general) will get a brief introduction to the different ways animals sleep. The illustrations are charming, especially cute Owl and his expressive body langua...

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