You know who knows the most you could possibly ever know about dinosaur books without being a palaeontologist? No, not four year olds with a dinosaur obsession - the parents of a four-year-old with a dinosaur obsession.
Over the last three years, I have read all of the following 21 dinosaur books - many, many times - with my now-four-year-old son. And all parents know that, while it's important your child loves a book, it's also important that the parents like a book too. Because they'll also be reading is 4,573 times. Sometimes in a row.
So, whether you're looking for a birthday present, a Christmas present or a 'well done you made it through the week without throwing too many tantrums' reward, this list of the best dinosaur books comes well researched.
The best dinosaur books are not just the ones that are entertaining, but the ones that contain a liiiitle bit of a message in there too. You know, so you can scream things at your child when they're going mad in the playground like 'WHAT WOULD THE HUGASAURUS DO?!'
So, extensively researched in libraries, bookshops, trains, planes, automobiles and bedrooms, here are the best dinosaur books for pre-schoolers and beyond.
The Best Dinosaur Books For Pre-Schoolers
1 of 22Harry and the Dinosaurs
The Harry and the Dinosaurs series is adorable and tackles everything from sleepovers to sibling rivalry via homesickness and extinct animals (there's a lot of them) as Harry carries around his bucket of beloved dinosaurs.
2 of 22The Dinosaur That Pooped A Planet
Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter's series of the greedy dinosaur causing havoc is a sure fire way to raise a giggle on even the most tantrum-y days.
3 of 22The Girl And The Dinosaur
I absolutely love this book, it's such a gorgeous story of imagination and is a real point of difference to lots of the more... roar-y books. A must-have for dino fans for some balance.
4 of 22Dinosaur Roar
The Dinosaur Range are really fun and at the younger/shorter end of the spectrum for dino fans. They're a really good introduction to the different types of dinosaurs and what their various qualities are.
5 of 22Silly Dizzy Dinosaur
We love reading this book at bedtime. If your child struggles with speech or you find it hard sometimes to get your kid to interact with books, this is a great one. On each page, Dizzy might need a kiss, a tickle or a little jiggle. A great way to have a little bit of quality time.
6 of 22Dear Dinosaur
We first bought this book during a trip to the Natural History Museum and the whole series has become a favourite since. One for the older end of dino fans, Max goes to the dinosaur and strikes up a friendship with the T Rex, and they exchange letters.
7 of 22If I Had A Dinosaur
A really sweet book filled with gorgeous illustrations about the ultimate dino fan fantasy... dino pet ownership.
8 of 22Little People, Big Dreams: Mary Anning
Another book bought on a museum trip, this book tells the story of Mary Anning, the famous English fossil collector. A lovely one for female dino fans who - sadly - might not see themselves in as many dinosaur tales.
9 of 22Ten Little Dinosaurs
Our first World Book Day costume, I remember reading this book to my son from around 18 months old - and we still read it today. A favourite of the 10 Little series, the 10 little dinos get in a series of scrapes...
10 of 22The Hugasaurus
A helpful book for anyone struggling with the old sharing and caring... The Hugasaurus struggles on his first day of nursery when the children start fighting... will a hug solve everything?
11 of 22Say Hello to the Dinosaurs
One for the younger dino fans, this book encourages children to say hello to all the different dinosaurs while learning.
12 of 22Flip Flap Dinosaurs
An Axel Scheffler classic packed with funny rhymes, this book allows the imagination to slow, matching tops and bottoms of favourite dinos.
13 of 22Tyrannosaurus Drip
You cannot go wrong with a Julia Donaldson - this tells the story of Tyrannosaurus Drop, whose egg accidentally hatches in the wrong nest.
14 of 22Count The Dinosaurs
Sometimes you need a way in... and if you're trying to introduce your dinosaur fan to numbers, this book is a great start. Even if sometimes I've realised that even I've counted the wrong number of pink dinos...
15 of 22Gigantosaurus
Now also a series on Netflix, this original book tells a 'Boy who cried wolf' style story of four friends sent out to play for the day.
16 of 22Happy Hatchday
All of the books in the Dinosaur Juniors series, by Rob Biddulph, are a total joy, but we started with this one, introducing Greg and his dinosaur friends to the world.
17 of 22The Dinosaur Games
A fun story about learning to SLOW DOWN and paying attention (if you have the issue) and a twist on the meteor-hitting-the-earth story...
18 of 22Dinosaurs vs Humans
The dinosaurs and the humans hate each other, until one day two become friends and need the help of their tribes. A really sweet story with a Romeo and Juliet/Smeds and Smoos vibe.
19 of 22Brrr!
This was one of those books I sometimes had to read three times in a row at bedtime. The dinosaurs need to cope with the ice age and there's only one thing for it - the T Rexes need to start knitting.
20 of 22Do You Love Dinosaurs?
For a long time we'd finish bedtime reading by asking 'Do you love Dinosaurs' and adding, 'Yes, Blake loves dinosaurs. One for the older dino fan, this book is a start point for learning about the different types of dinosaurs and what they each were best at.
21 of 22Am I Yours
One to bring a little tear to the eye if you're feeling especially tired An egg gets knocked from its nest and doesn't know who it belongs to...can the dinosaurs help the egg find its home in time?
22 of 22I'm A Name-O-Saurus, Wonderbly
We were lucky enough to be gifted one of these amazing Wonderbly books. The online store has loads of different books for various occasions that you can insert your child's name into. This book about a child (well, your child - you choose the name and a character who closest resembles your child) whose biggest dream is to become a dinosaur, is a great present for any dino fan.