The Best Dinosaur Books Plus Other Prehistoric Animals

"There is no reason to suppose that our stay here will be any more permanent than that of the dinosaurs."

- David Attenborough

Welcome to the best dinosaur books for elementary, preschool, and adult readers too! Let's take a closer look at these awesome titles, identify what makes them unique or special, and finally, determine which books would be a great match for you.

Since pterosaurs, marine reptiles, and crocodilians are often mistaken for dinosaurs and are arguably just as cool, we've included a few resources that have them as well.

If you like these dinosaur books, check out the homeschool room.

Jump to:

• Dinosaurs + Other Prehistoric Animals
• The Best Dinosaur Books + Other Prehistoric Animals
• Homemade Frosted Animal Crackers
• The Best Dinosaur Books + Other Prehistoric Animals

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Amazon links are not affiliate links. You can read my full affiliate disclosure.

You can also skip the discussion and head straight over to the collection.

Now, let's take a look at these must-have books.

The Best Dinosaur Books + Other Prehistoric Animals

Dinosaur Art Books, Paleoart Books

• Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art

Looking for a dinosaur book that satisfies your kid's appetite for dinosaurs and paleoart? You want Mesozoic Art: Dinosaurs and Other Ancient Animals in Art.

This book features an incredible collection of art from some of the most talented paleoartists in the industry.

Here's a portion of Stephanie Dziezyk's Disturbing the Neighbors and we can't get enough.

Brennan Stokkermans' Winter Moult features a young yutyrannus that Noah loves to talk about.

Joanna Kobierska's feathered theropods, Velociraptor Mongoliensis and Crowing Asteriornis Maastrichtensis, are smokin' hot!

Get to know dinosaurs and discover different styles of art through the works of these talented artists.

Explore the history of Earth for more!

• The Palaeoartist's Handbook

A paleoartist's handbook by Mark P Witton. You don't need me to weigh in on it. I bought it because I know what's coming.

If your kids are interested in paleoart, you'll want this book too. Your kids will want their subject's form to match its function.

• All Yesterdays: Unique and Speculative Views of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals

All Yesterdays is a unique book and I like the approach it takes of examining form and its relationship to function when depicting dinosaurs. This books presents the reader with the opportunity to dive deeper into their favorite prehistoric animals directly through the details of the art. Are the illustrations we can sometimes take for granted really accurate?

Dinosaur Storytelling

• The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
• The Rise and Reign of the Mammals

Not only are the covers absolutely stunning, but the illustrations and photographs found inside are also incredible. The very start of this duology includes a jolt of excitement and adrenaline, giving us another reason to look forward to our read-aloud experiences.

If you're looking for a read-aloud for your family or an independent read for elementary learners and up, you'll want to check out these books.

• Europasaurus: Life on Jurassic Islands

Europasaurus: Life on Jurassic Islands is an awesome graphic novel for anyone interested in dinosaurs or paleoart. We love the illustrations and that it's bilingual.

Europasaurus is proudly displayed on my older kids' bedroom bookshelves and away from their younger siblings when not in use. I know a book is a hit when they're keeping tabs on it.

Dinosaur Reference Books

• Dinopedia: A Brief Compendium of Dinosaur Lore

Can dinosaur books that aren't picture books be cute? We think so. This pocket reference, with its attractive cover, offers bite-sized info about your favorite dinosaurs.

• Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved
• Ancient Sea Reptiles

Both of these books are elementary curriculum resources we've had the pleasure of working with while covering Montessori's Second Great Lesson, the Story of Life.

They're up-to-date, contain useful diagrams and illustrations for anyone wanting to learn more about prehistoric animals, and they're just plain cool. Many insightful discussions have stemmed from flipping through Dinosaurs and Ancient Sea Reptiles.

If you like these books, you'll want to check out Darren Naish's Tetrapod Zoology.

• Dinosaur Behavior: An Illustrated Guide

This is one of my favorite dinosaur books and I'll tell you why. This book is a bridge.

Typically, when you start introducing larger texts with more detailed information, you can start to see your kids slowly back away from the books, feeling intimidated by the sheer amount of information at their fingertips.

But with this book, the awesome illustrations and larger font-size make it more approachable than the average text. My kids love looking at this book and I don't see them shying away from it anytime soon.

Illustrations like this one about the apatosaurus put in perspective the massive growth & development that took place with dinosaurs and in a relatively short time.

• Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World

In Dinosaurs: New Visions of a Lost World, each chapter focuses on an extinct species with incredible paleoart by Bob Nicholls to draw you in and keep you there. It's hard to put down and another exciting option for art lessons.

• Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know

Uncovering Dinosaur Behavior offers the latest insight into dinosaurs thanks to exciting advances in this field of study.

Take a deep dive into the life of these magnificent creatures, including feeding, signaling, reproduction, and combat alongside breathtaking illustrations and photos.

• Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Theropods

Facts and Figures is the best way to describe these next couple of books.

The Dinosaur Facts and Figures books will be indispensable to my kids in upper el and beyond as they drill down even further into the details of their favorite dinosaurs.

• Dinosaur Facts and Figures: The Sauropods

• Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy

This book is another one of our curriculum resources and it also has phenomenal illustrations. Pterosaurs are not dinosaurs, but if you or your kids are interested in pterosaurs, you're going to want this book.

• Ocean Life in the Time of Dinosaurs

Here's a book that uses its size to its advantage. There are incredible scenes in this book and all my kids enjoy looking at it, even my preschoolers.

If your kids like marine life, you want to check out Ocean Life in the Time of Dinosaurs.

• Locked in Time: Animal Behavior Unearthed in 50 Extraordinary Fossils

Locked in Time is the kind of book I would've loved to have at my fingertips for a research project. It's straight-forward but not intimidating and I'm obsessed with the art.

My oldest is in lower el, so this is a book we look at together, and can be included in read-aloud opportunities while we study certain topics.

• Dinosaurium: Welcome to the Museum

We love the Welcome to the Museum Series. The illustrations are eye-catching and there's just enough information to hook you. Don't be surprised if many of your research interests start with this series of books.

• Dinosaur!: Over 60 Prehistoric Creatures as You've Never Seen Them Before

This was one of our first dinosaur books and we frequently go back to it. This is a great book to flip through while playing with your favorite dinos.

• Extinct: The Story of Life on Earth Series

Looking for a series of books that take a bite out of boredom? With incredible illustrations to entice readers of all ages, the Extinct books make it impossible not to fall in love with the past.

Learn about your favorite prehistoric animals and major mass extinctions with easy-to-digest information and captivating illustrations, perfect for elementary ages and up.

I love that the inside front and back covers include the animals with their labels. Awesome language opportunities here.

• Fossilicious Paleontology Books

These paleontology books pair well with the fossil set from Fossilicious. We like to keep them both on display for easy access. They're an exciting collection of materials for aspiring paleontologists and anyone interested in fossils.

• Ultimate Dinosaurs Series

The Ultimate Dinosaurs series is a lot of fun. They're easy to read and we love that each book is devoted to a different dinosaur. Because sometimes you're only interested in velociraptors.

• Deep Time: A Journey Through 4.5 Billion Years of Our Planet

Looking to spark interest in the story of life? You can't go wrong with Deep Time. Connect the distant past to the present with this book.

The above illustration is Cambrian Explosion Burgess Shale by John Sibbick.

• Sea Mammals: The Past and Present Lives of Our Oceans' Cornerstone Species

Here's another beautiful book about marine life, this one being about mammals. I like that it connects past and present, and the overall size of the book makes it an approachable reference for kids.

Dinosaur Field Guide

• How to Survive in the Age of Dinosaurs

This is such a cool concept for kids who love dinosaur books. Explore what it would be like to live and survive in the age of dinosaurs.

This guide includes maps, decision trees, and all the insider info you would need to come out on top.

Dinosaur Picture Books

• Santiago's Dinosaurios

It's Santiago's first day of school in the U.S. and, of course, a shared love of dinosaurs turns out to be the key ingredient to connection.

This bilingual picture book makes for the perfect summer reading selection or your back-to-school booklist.

• Dugie the Dinosaur

Dugie the Dinosaur is adorable! A cute early mammal accompanies you through the story, sharing cool facts, and we couldn't help but laugh when Maggie, the pterosaur, said she couldn't get back to the sky.

Talking dinosaurs means it does include some fantasy elements in the story.

All in all, a great read with fun illustrations.

Free Dinosaur or Not a Dinosaur Prehistoric Animal Sorting

Grab your free prehistoric animal sorting activity above. Kids can sort the cards into rows or columns using the heading cards: dinosaur and not a dinosaur. The colors of the cards provide a control of error so that kids can self-correct when completing this work independently.

These sorting cards also make excellent three-part cards for introducing vocabulary related to prehistoric animals and dinosaurs. To use these as 3-part cards, simply print two copies of the printable and then cut the labels off the cards on one of the copies. Children can match the picture and then match the label as they show readiness.

Children can also use them to practice object-to-picture matching with their favorite animal figurines.

Is it really a dinosaur? Or is it something else?