Dinosaurs – here’s our list of topic books featuring dinosaur-related fact books, storybooks, poems and picture books for EYFS, KS1 and KS2. This list includes fiction and nonfiction, chapter books and school library reference books by authors including Dean Lomax, Susan Hayes, Chae Strathie, Hollie Hughes, Sophy Henn, Julia Donaldson, Matthew Reinhart and Dieter Braun.
Dinosaur topic books for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 – our recommended titles
Gigantosaurus – The Mysterious Maze by Cyber Group Studios
Join Bill, Rocky, Mazu, and Tiny as they journey through the Mysterious Maze. Determined to conquer the maze’s challenges, the four dinos must master the elements of earth, air, water, and fire. With action-packed scenes and the promise of a hidden surprise, this adventure is sure to captivate young readers and fans of the Gigantosaurus series.
Knowledge Encyclopedia Dinosaur! by DK and John Woodward
A treasure trove of facts and details – ideal for topic work, class discussion and home learning. Over sixty prehistoric animals are brought to life with enthralling text and fearsome illustrations.
Prehistoric Pets by Dr Dean Lomax and Mike Love
An innovative and exciting hardback that traces the origins of common household pets, such as guinea pigs, dogs and goldfish, right back to their prehistoric ancestors. This book features spectacular fold-out sections of paper automata with 3D pop-ups. Packed with accessible facts, this book is ideal for KS2 school libraries and children interested in pets. The way this book uses familiar pets to develop biological and palaeontological knowledge is highly engaging.
Zoom Dinosaur Adventure by Susan Hayes and Sam Rennocks
This chunky board book is ideal to read and examine with children aged 3-5. With cut out windows, pop-ups and clever reveals, there is a lot to look at and plenty to return to for a second reading. This will be a popular book with children learning about prehistoric creatures in EYFS.
Leilong’s Too Long by Julia Lui
Each morning the bus picks up children from around the city and takes them to school. But this is no ordinary bus, this is a Leilong, a brontosaurus bus, and when the school decides he’s too big for the road, the children hatch a plan to cheer him up. After reading this, children will never think about the school bus journey the same way again. A surreal story that will cause children to see the world differently, reconsidering scale, the urban landscape, and how we react to the unexpected and unknown. And, as an aside, if you arrange your books by the colour of their spines, this book features a gorgeous and unusual light green hue.
My Book of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life by DK and Dean Lomax
A comprehensive guide to all prehistoric living things – both animals and plants – and the world they inhabited. With easy to access text and pronunciation guides, together with information on where and how dinosaurs lived, this is a must-have resource and a potential classroom favourite.
The Dinosaur Awards by Barbara Taylor
Ideal for reluctant readers, this cartoon filled volume with light-hearted text is packed with information about a plethora of extinct animals. Find out which was the loudest, largest, noisiest, hairiest and most scary of them all.
Dino Knights Panterra in Peril by Jeff Norton
This ripping action-adventure features a killer combination of knights, not on horseback, but riding dinosaurs. The clever touches of heraldry, names, guides, and detail add to a highly realised world of chivalry, loyalty and fairness. An ideal easy reader for children in upper KS2 who are fascinated by dinosaurs.
Megalodon by Janet Riehecky and John Hughes
The cover alone will tempt children to pick up this book. The easy to read text about the giant prehistoric shark will appeal to younger children. A good starting point for discussing what sea life was like in the age of the dinosaurs.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica by Matthew Reinhart & Robert Sabuda
A really exciting book for KS1 and KS2 children to explore. With multiple pop-ups and lift-up flaps, this well-written and informative text explains recent academic thinking in a child-friendly way. A great resource for class discussion and the school library.
Dear Dinosaur by Chae Strathie
Enjoy the letters written by Max and T Rex, and how they find out about each other through writing. With interactive pop-up flaps to open, this book is not only informative but also a useful stimulus to encourage letter writing in a topic in KS2 classes.
The Dinosaurs Diary by Julia Donaldson
An engaging story about Hypsilophodon, an accidental time-travelling dinosaur. Written in short diary-style chapters, her adventures in the modern world will keep lower KS2 children hooked until the final page.
The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini
With evocative and stunning illustrations, together with catchy rhyming text, this captivating tale of Marianne and her dream of a dinosaur companion, will captivate readers and listeners alike. Perfect for class story time during topic work, this is a book to treasure.
Dear Dinosaur: T Rex on Tour by Chae Strathie
The sequel to Dear Dinosaur. Max and T Rex return – this time exchanging letters from all around the world. With pop-out letters and cards, humorous illustrations and fascinating dinosaur facts, this is another winner for a dinosaur topic book collection.
Doctorsaurus by Emi-Lou May and Leire Martin
A lovely laugh out loud storybook. Told in easy to read rhyme with bright illustrations, the reader follows many different dinosaurs visiting the doctor, with hilarious outcomes. KS1 children will love this. Highly recommended.
The Dinosaur Department Store by Richard Merritt and Lily Murray
A perfect book for circle time, or to read to EYFS and KS1 classes. With catchy rhyming text and eye-catching illustrations, follow Eliza Jane as she shops for a prehistoric pet. Which dinosaur will she choose?
Lifesize Dinosaurs by Sophy Henn
A book that will intrigue and inform. Using life-size examples including eggs, feet and even a T Rex mouth, children can discover and appreciate the sheer scale and size of dinosaurs. Very informative and great fun.
National Geographic Little Kids: First Big Book of Dinosaurs by Catherine Hughes and National Geographic Kids
With magical illustrations, each chapter features a different dinosaur – from the tiny to the gigantic. The text is suitable for both an emerging reader, and class discussion as a topic book. The interactive sections will encourage further exploration and learning.
How the Dinosaur got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland
This book is well worth adding to any school or classroom library. Follow the story of the discovery of Diplodocus fossil remains, to the construction of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. Covering an often neglected area – how do we know about dinosaurs and where they lived, this book is well illustrated and highly informative.
Prehistoric: Dinosaurs, Megalodons and Other Fascinating Creatures of the Deep Past by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld & Julius Csotonyi & The Smithsonian Museum
An exciting adventure in time travel where the reader goes back to prehistory and experiences the different life forms there. Aimed at KS2 aged readers, this book cleverly links past to present and encourages discussion on climate change and the impact of humans upon the planet.
Dictionary of Dinosaurs by Matthew Baron and Dieter Braun
A book to feed children hungry for information. Detailed and peppered with vibrant illustrations, this text is full of facts and figures for KS2 aged readers to soak up. A great resource for a year 3-6 classroom or library.
Life Through Time – The 700 Million Year Story of Life on Earth by John Woodward
An epic book that tracks evolution from the earliest species, through to the first civilisations. A perfect guide to help children understand the concept of how life on Earth has taken millennia to develop. Ideal for classes in KS2.
Seek and Find – Dinosaurs by Romain Amiot and Loic Mehee
This book will inspire dinosaur enthusiasts in both KS1 and KS2. Search the amazing illustrations for dinosaurs in the forests and giant reptiles in the sea. Read about the discovery of dinosaur fossils, what dinosaurs ate, and how they died.
The Dinosaur Detectives Collection by Stephanie Baudet
A great adventure series for KS2 aged readers interested in all things dinosaur! Matt has a special secret – when he touches a prehistoric egg, he sees flashbacks of a prehistoric world. Follow his adventures with his palaeontologist father, as he evades dangers to search out rare fossils.
Raptor by Paul Zindel
In a world of mutant dinosaurs in Utah, Zach tries to find which dinosaur infected him with reptilian blood. A challenging read for more confident and mature pupils in years 6-8.
Topic resources
- BBC Teach has a useful set of videos and resources to support teaching a dinosaur topic in EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
- There’s also a series of songs for EYFS, and KS1 music lessons, to help link together different subjects on the theme of dinosaurs. CBeebies offers a useful dinosaur facts minisite.
- STEM Learning offers a free set of downloadable lesson plans for KS1 and KS2 covering extinction, fossils, Mary Anning, the scale and size of dinosaurs, classifying dinosaurs, the Jurassic Coast, and a song to teach children about palaeontology.
- London Grid for Learning LGfL features a stunning set of free videos, resources and inclusive worksheets to download – about dinosaurs – for EYFS, KS1 and KS2.
- The Natural History Museum has a mini-site devoted to dinosaurs that’s perfect for individual projects and home learning in KS2.
- The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History has a spectacular virtual tour of its exhibits – which include many prehistoric fossils and recreations of dinosaurs.
- National Geographic and National Geographic Kids include an immersive and interactive presentation and a ‘Meet Some Deadly Dinos‘ fact site – both of which are ideal for children in KS2.
If you liked this list, you might also enjoy our collection of recommended magazines and newspapers for children, our topic books for EYFS-KS3 and our children’s books for Christmas ideas.
