Gift for Dinosaur Lovers: Best Books

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Kids of all ages love to learn about dinosaurs.  Once they have that love, have you noticed how it stays with them as adults too?

They are so fascinating, it is easy to see why.  Such huge creatures capable of such destruction even moving across the land, yet now extinct.

That interest is also a wonderful way to inspire them to learn more about geology, geography, paleontology, and archaeology.  All good things, I think.  It must be so appealing to children who enjoy playing in the dirt to begin with.  What fun to think of uncovering a fossil or a bone on their own.  Possible future career choices?

Since it is such a love, I thought it would be interesting to see what the best books are out there for dinosaur lovers.

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs

It isn’t a surprise that National Geographic would have the best seller in children’s dinosaur books.  You can always count on them for their wonderful photography, the knowledge they include, and the lessons they teach.

This particular book does all of that and more, though since photos of dinosaurs are very hard to come by today, wonderful drawing are used to recreate the variety and their setting.  With 128 pages, your child will find fifty dinosaurs, described, placed when and where they lived, and even details on what they liked to eat.

There are lessons too.  The names are shown phonetically to help them read and pronounce them. (Good for parents too I imagine). There are interactive games you can play together.

It’s pretty amazing when a three or four year old can explain the differences between two dinosaurs.  A favorite with kids, and perfectly done for the age group.

Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages

Written by a paleontologist, Dr Thomas R Holtz Jr., Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages,  is my second recommendation.  Considered one of the most complete and most accurate, it crosses over many age groups.  Recommended for 8 to 12 year olds, younger children will still enjoy the wonderful drawing by Illustrator Luis V Rey.

They will be memorizing names and appearances in fascination.  For the older children the book includes habitat information, and even recent discoveries.  That is sure to interest any dinosaur lovers, child or adult.

Over 800 dinosaurs are included, some briefly, some in more detail. You will learn science, biology, paleontology, and all things dinosaur.  It is a book any family with any interest should include in their library.  It will be a treasure for a child for years.

The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs

As the title may tell you, the Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs is not especially recommended for children, though I think your older dinosaur lovers would appreciate its depth.

You will find it a field guide, more of an exhaustive scientific study perhaps.  Over 300 pages, wonderful illustrations by author and illustrator Gregory S. Paul.   735 species are described within, and 600 illustrations,  a combination of color and black and white are included.

This book includes their history, their biology and their extinction.  You will even learn about the early beginning days of paleontology itself.

It sounds like a book that will take you back in time, allow you to glimpse how they lived and interacted.  Maps and scenes of the area they inhabited will show you more.  The scientific descriptions may make it harder for children to understand, so that will depend on age and knowledge about these prehistoric giants.

So Many More

There are a wealth of dinosaur books to enjoy.  There is something about them that draws fans to the point that many will memorize each one, often including the facts surrounding them.

Click here to see more dinosaur gift ideas.  

Below, in addition to several other factual books on dinosaurs, you will find fictional stories too that will delight children.  Just don’t be surprised if you are reading it over and over again!


It seems like a wonderful knowledge to encourage in boys and girls of any age, doesn’t it?  Science, history, animals, all in one popular package.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Merry Citarella, often writing as Merrci, writes on a wide range of topics. Recently relocated to the Oregon Coast in the northwest United States, she frequently writes travel features on the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She specializes in health and aging, Alzheimer’s Disease, food, lifestyle, and book reviews. For more information you can see her on The Writers’Door. You can read more articles here or at her websites Mystery Suspense Reviews .

Author: Merry Citarella

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