Dinosaur Picture Books for Kids
Authors Jane Yolen and Chris Gall Offer Prehistoric Fun
Oct 31, 2009
Whether they appear in a picture book, museum, or Jurassic Park movie, dinosaurs never fail to thrill kids. Now, in the hands of fantasy author Jane Yolen and award-winning artist Chris Gall, dinosaurs take on new creative looks that provide silly, strange, and wonderful entertainment for preschool and early elementary children.
How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?
The latest in award-winning author Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s series of dinosaur books (which include How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? And How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?) How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? imagines children as giant dinosaurs who wake up in bad moods, flood the bathroom when they play with the sink, and kick the front seat in the car – but also never fail to show their parents that they love them.
Teague’s hilarious illustrations of enormous dinosaurs sulking, fussing, or playing with their normal-sized (and often stressed out) human parents gives this dinosaur picture book an appealing silliness that kids will enjoy and all parents can relate to. Yolen’s rhyming narrative is also very catchy and makes a nice accompaniment for parents, teachers, and librarians who want to read the book out loud with their kids.
A creative and offbeat addition to the list of fun dinosaur picture books for kids, How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? makes a good book to read with young dinosaur lovers.
Dinotrux
Long ago, when the earth was young, there lived prehistoric earthmovers known as… Dinotrux! Part dinosaur and part truck, these prehistoric creatures – which included the powerful Dozeratops, Garbageadon, and Tyrannosaurus Trux – spent their days being messy, stubborn, ill-tempered beasts. But as the world changed, the Dinotrux found they had to evolve as well – and gradually matured into the forms familiar to readers today.
The brainchild of award-winning picture book author/artist Chris Gall, Dinotrux combines a kid’s love of dinosaurs and monster trucks to create a storybook full of unique dinosaur pictures. Gall, who enjoys restoring classic cars, showcases a good understanding of mechanical design in his dinosaur-truck hybrids, resulting in a dinosaur book that will also thrill any fan of monster trucks or Transformer robots.
Story-wise, Dinotrux, much like Jane Yolen and Mark Teague’s dinosaur books,lets dinosaurs embody the immature messiness and bad tempers sometimes expressed by children, making it relatable to parents and kids. Like How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You?, however, Dinotrux also shows that these prehistoric beasts will, like children, grow to be more civilized and helpful over time.
According to a recent interview conducted with Chris Gall, movie rights to Dinotrux have been bought by DreamWorks Animation, and a 3D dinosaur movie based on the book is scheduled to hit theaters within the next few years. Until then, kids, teachers, librarians, and parents can definitely enjoy Dinotrux in its original form.
More Dinosaur Books and Articles for Kids
They may have become extinct millions of years ago, but dinosaurs still thrive in thousands of children’s books, articles, and movies. Find more book recommendations and stories about kids and dinosaurs at Time Travel Books for Kids and 10-Year-Old Dinosaur Expert Loves Paleontology.
Yolen, Jane and Mark Teague. How Do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? New York: The Blue Sky Press/Scholastic. 2009. ISBN: 978-0-545-14314-1
Gall, Chris. Dinotrux. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 2009. ISBN: 978-0316027779
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