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

Review: Faker

Faker By Gordon Korman New York: Scholastic Press, 2024. Fiction. 214 pages. 12-year-old Trey is used to starting over at a new school -- he has the routine perfectly memorized: make new friends, introduce his dad to the wealthy parents of his new friends, and "Houdini" themselves out of there before they get caught running their latest scam. Trey's dad is a master con artist, and Trey has just been promoted to full-partner. Their new scheme for the next big score brings them to the affluent suburb of Boxelder, TN where Trey's dad has cooked up a fake electric car company for investors to buy into. The only problem is that Trey is starting to grow tired of moving around and never putting down roots, especially after forming a fast friendship with Logan and developing a crush on Kaylee, a socially conscious girl in his class. As Trey longs for a normal life, is there any way he can convince his dad to get out of the family business? Gordon Korman is a perennial favorit...

Review: Fresh Start

Fresh Start By Gale Galligan New York: Graphix, 2025. Graphic novel. 270 pages. Ollie Herisson is only in 7th grade, but she has already lived all over the world. Her father is an American diplomat, whose job has taken their family to France, Singapore, Thailand (where her mom is from), and now to Chestnut Falls, Virginia. Ollie loves that her family doesn't stay in one place very long, it allows her to have a fresh start and hide from any embarrassing moments each time they move. But Ollie's parents have big news -- they've decided to buy a house in Virginia and put down roots. Now, Ollie and her younger sister Cat have to figure out how to build lasting friendships which means resolving conflict rather than running away when things get hard. Loosely based on the author's own childhood experiences, this graphic novel is sure to be popular with readers who like coming of age stories. Watching Ollie learn to think of others as she advocates for her sister Cat, and navig...

Review: Will's Race for Home

Willl's Race for Home By Jewell Parker Rhodes Little Brown & Company, 2025. Fiction. 256 pages. Will is a young man whose father and family are working the land as sharecroppers in Texas. When Will's father comes home with the news that there is land available in Oklahoma to those who can stake and settle it, Will's father expresses his deep desire to go and claim land for their family. Will begs to be included, but his mother is reluctant to let him go. After input from the entire family, they decide that Will is ready for the responsibility. Along the way Will and his father develop a deeper appreciation for each other, form deep friendship, discover hidden enemies, and encounter many challenges which force them to make difficult decisions. Will's father has to rely heavily on him, especially as they get closer to their final destination. Will's bravery is inspiring and commendable. This book is full of many amazing elements: suspense, adventure, fr...

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