14 books to ROAR about on Dinosaur Day

Mackenzie Cutruzzula  //  May 15, 2019

14 books to ROAR about on Dinosaur Day

Ready for a ROARING good time? To celebrate Dinosaur Day, we've rounded up our most dino-mite books! Readers of all ages can learn about these pre-historic creatures.

Board Books (Ages 0-3)

101 Dinosaurs: And Other Prehistoric Reptiles By April Jones Prince, illustrated by Bob Kolar

Kids will learn about 101 dinosaurs and reptiles in this rhyming romp through prehistoric times! 

Meet the long-necks, flyers, boneheads, duckbills, swimmers, armored, horned, plated, and sharp-toothed creatures of prehistoric times in this oversized board book with 101 creatures for kids to name and sound out! With bite-size information that's perfect for this young age, phonetic spellings of each creature, and an interactive refrain, the first book in this young nonfiction series is sure to be a hit!

Picture Books (Ages 4–8)

How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read? By Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

America's favorite dinosaurs romp and roar as they soak books in the bathtub, throw them, and finally learn how to enthusiastically -- and carefully -- read them...with Mama and Papa at bedtime.

Get ready to laugh at this lighthearted, heartwarming, and funny approach to books!

Titanosaur by Diego Pol and Jose Luis Carballido, illustrated by Florencia Gigena

Get ready to meet the Titanosaur -- the biggest, heaviest creature to ever walk the Earth!

This book tells the story of the discovery of this new dinosaur from the mouths of the paleontologists who led the dig! From its discovery by a local herder, to the organization and completion of the excavation, this riveting story will have readers on the edge of their seats, and the beautifully painted illustrations will mesmerize. The final spread will open up into a gatefold showing a photograph of the full Titanosaur skeleton on display at the museum. Chock-full of back matter like a glossary and extra information and photographs from the dig, and an inside jacket poster of the Titanosaur, kids of all ages will devour this book. 

What If You Had T. Rex Teeth? And Other Dinosaur Parts by Sandra Markle, illustrated by Howard McWilliam

What if you woke up one morning and you had sprouted a dinosaur body part overnight? What If You Had T. rex Teeth? -- the next imaginative book in the What If You Had series -- explores what would happen if you looked in the mirror and saw that you had become part dino! From a Velociraptor's sharp sickle-tipped toes to a T. rex's giant curved teeth, and from the body armor of an Ankylosaurus to the long neck of a Brachiosaurus -- discover what it would be like if you had one of these wild dinosaur parts! Readers will also learn what makes a dinosaur a dinosaur and why they aren't still around today.

Magic School Bus: Dinosaur Rescue by Jenne Simon and Joana Cole, illustrated by Bruce Degen

The Magic School Bus goes back in time to learn about dinosaurs! 

Perfect for young fans of the series, this sticker book includes dinosaur stats and facts, as well as an action-packed story about reuniting a baby Maiasaura dinosaur with it's mother. 

Young Readers (Ages 5-10)

The Bad Guys in Do-You-Think-He-Saurus?!: Special Edition (The Bad Guys #7) by Aaron Blabey

The Bad Guys are back in their first ever super special, including the next hilarious installment of their adventures, plus extras like quizzes. games, and more!

The Bad Guys have flown through outer space, made it back to Earth, and managed to land in exactly the right place... but exactly the wrong TIME. Who knew alien escape pods were capable of time travel?!? And now that they're 65 million years in the past, they must avoid being eaten by dinosaurs and fix their broken time machine if they ever want to get back home before an evil alien destroys the whole world!

This super special edition also includes a hilarious original short story following evil Dr. Marmalade's quest for superstardom, quizzes, games, and more! 

The Test of Time (Geronimo Stilton Journey Through Time #6) by Geronimo Stilton

A fur-raising journey through time! 

I, Geronimo Stilton, found myself traveling through time once again! While testing his latest time machine, Professor von Volt accidently brought some history into the present. Tops, our triceratops friend, Helen of Troy, Attila the Hun, Charlemagne, and Christopher Columbus were all in present day New Mouse City!

My friends and I climb into the new time machine to take them back in time. But we aren't sure the new machine works perfectly! Can we return everyone to their proper place in time and make it back in one piece? 

Middle Grade (Ages 8–12) 

Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older

It's 1863 and dinosaurs roam the streets of New York as the Civil War rages between raptor-mounted armies down South. Magdalys Roca and her friends from the Colored Orphan Asylum are on a field trip when the Draft Riots break out, and a number of their fellow orphans are kidnapped by an evil magistrate, Richard Riker. 

Magdalys and her friends flee to Brooklyn and settle in the Dactyl Hill neighborhood, where black and brown New Yorkers have set up an independent community--a safe haven from the threats of Manhattan. Together with the Vigilance Committee, they train to fly on dactylback, discover new friends and amazing dinosaurs, and plot to take down Riker. Can Magdalys and the squad rescue the rest of their friends before it's too late?

Freedom Fire (Dactyl Hill Squad #2) by Daniel José Older

Magdalys and the squad are flying south on pteroback. South to rescue her older brother. South to war. 

The squad links up with the dino-mounted troops of the Louisiana Native Guard, an all-black regiment in the Union Army fighting to free their people. They're led by General Sheridan, surrounded by enemy forces in Tennessee and desperate for any edge to sway the tide of battle. Magdalys's burgeoning powers might be the Union's last hope. But she doesn't want to abandon the search for her brother. And she might not be the only one with a mysterious connection to dinosaurs.

With the Civil War raging around her and the Union on the brink of collapse, how can Magdalys choose between the army that needs her help to survive and the brother she risked everything to save?

For a Tricera-top time, don’t miss these upcoming Dino-mite titles!

Board Books (Ages 0-3) 

Roar! Roar! I’m a Dinosaur! By Jo Lodge / On sale: September 3, 2019

An interactive first introduction to dinosaurs that will have little ones ROARING with excitement! 

Discover a first introduction to dinosaurs, in this super sturdy, chunky board book with sliding tabs. Little ones will delight at the innovative tabs that make the dinosaurs move and dance on every spread, from the swoop of the pterodactyl's bat-like wings to the swish of a diplodocus's long tail.

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? By Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague / On sale: September 3, 2019

From the warm glow of holiday candles in the menorah to the fun of family gatherings, little dinosaurs love to celebrate the Festival of Lights. But sometimes the excitement of Chanukah, its treasured rituals, and the tradition of gifts can tempt a youngster to misbehave. . . .

How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? By Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague / On sale: September 3, 2019

From decorating the tree to wrapping presents, little dinosaurs love to celebrate Christmas-and everything about it. With ornaments on the branches and carolers singing at the door, the spirit of Christmas is finally here and filling the hearts of families everywhere. But when the stockings are hung on the chimney, and the cookies are left out for Santa, how can little dinosaurs go to sleep? It's so exciting! How can they possibly calm down and behave?

Young Readers (Ages 5-10) 

Dodging Dinosaurs: A Branches Book (Time Jumpers #4) by Wendy Mass, illustrated by Oriol Vidal / On sale: July 30, 2019

Get ready for Chase and Ava's newest adventure! When they touch a dinosaur egg inside their magical suitcase, Chase and Ava jump back to prehistoric times! They'll need to work to return the egg to its rightful nesting place before they become dinosaur dinner. But bad guy Randall is still following them... Will they finally get some answers about this mysterious bad guy? Newly independent readers will eat up this time-travel series from New York Times bestselling author, Wendy Mass! 

Everything Awesome About Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts by Mike Lowery / On sale: October 15, 2019

Discover a wealth of weird, wacky, and wild facts about dinosaurs, told in Mike Lowery's signature comic style with bright and energetic artwork, fresh framing devices, and hilarious jokes. This will be the go-to book for dinosaur enthusiasts that kids will put in their backpacks and obsess over, bridging the gap between encyclopedic nonfiction content and lighter picture book fare, filling the need with a one-stop shop for the legions of 6-9 year olds who want to know absolutely everything there is to know about dinosaurs.

Discover the must-have book for dinosaur enthusiasts, a madcap field guide full of facts and humor, and learn everything you ever wanted to know about prehistoric beasts!

If your young reader is picking up one of these books, make sure they're logging their reading minutes in the Scholastic Read-A-Palooza Summer Reading Challenge!