A Guide to Buying The Perfect Dinosaur Books for 3-Year-Olds
My 3-year-old grabbed his favorite dinosaur books and pulled himself into my lap.
Some moms enjoy doing activities with their kids, playing with them, or taking them to crowded theme parks. But my favorite time is sitting and reading books with my children.
I spend a lot of time searching for the perfect books to make this time enjoyable for us. I want books that hold their interest and teach them about topics they’re already interested in.
My son continues to love dinosaurs but has outgrown some of his 2-year-old books. This is the new collection that I’ve put together for him as a 3-year-old. All of these books are perfect for any 3-year-old who loves dinosaurs.
The Perfect Dinosaur Books for 3-year-olds
Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!*
This book has more of a storybook feel than many of the others on this list. Making it fun for both kids and adults to read. Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp! brings many of the dinosaurs together in a rhyme that’s easy to fall in love with.
It’s catchy and engaging, with vibrant colors, and includes a list of pronunciations in case you’re unfamiliar with some of the dinosaurs and how to say their names.
Night Night, Dino-Snores
This is one that my son liked as a 2-year-old, but reading through the paragraph on each page was a little brutal at that age and I found myself skipping sentences. As a 3-year-old, Night Night, Dino-Snores is right in line with where he’s at.
This is a great bedtime dinosaur story. It goes through many of the species as they go to sleep. It doesn’t give you the pronunciation or teach you anything new, but it’s a nice bedtime story for dinosaur lovers.
Dinosaurs Galore!
This is another colorful, rhyming book, similar to Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp! Dinosaurs Galore! gives the name of each dinosaur and a short paragraph of rhyming description.
I like that the pronunciation is on the page with the name (and not in an appendix). Though, if you’ve been reading dinosaur books for a while, you probably won’t need it.
There are a few extra dinosaurs in this book that aren’t often covered, along with all the regular favorites. Plus, the illustrations are beautiful.
Ten Minutes to Bed Little Dinosaur
This is a book that my son has continued to love. Ten Minutes to Bed Little Dinosaur is a story about Rubble the dinosaur who goes out seeking an adventure with just ten minutes left until bed. He faces obstacles that are familiar to a typical dinosaur setting, like a volcano. I read this with him at 2, but he continues to get more from the story as a 3-year-old.
This is one of my favorites to read because it tells a story instead of just giving information. However, if you’re strictly looking for books your child can learn from, this doesn’t provide any specific dinosaur information.
Hello, World! Dinosaurs
This is another beautifully illustrated book. Similar to the others, Hello, World! Dinosaurs lists a number of dinosaurs, giving little bits of information about each. This one provides more information than some of the others. Bringing out relevant and little-known facts about some dinosaurs.
It also references the fact that dinosaurs aren’t around anymore, pointing kids toward museums to see them. It’s perfect for 3-year-olds who are starting to explore the pages and ask questions.
Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur?
This book is still a favorite of mine and is perfect for a 3-year-old who loves dinosaurs. Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur? is an encyclopedia for young kids. What I love about this one is that the name of the dinosaur and its pronunciation are in the book in a way that causes your child to repeat the name. This is fantastic for helping your child learn the names of dinosaurs with the correct pronunciation.
The book also uses the easy rhyming of Dr. Suess, making it a fun and quick read. Though it is long, it’s easy to get through and you can explore every aspect with your engaged 3-year-old.
Clever Creatures and Boundless Beasts – A Land of Dinosaurs
When my son was 2, he loved pressing the buttons on this book and identifying the dinosaurs. At 3, we can read the characteristics that are included and learn a little about each dinosaur. (There’s also an option to buy the book with a mat and dinosaur figurines.)
Clever Creatures and Boundless Beasts – A Land of Dinosaurs is a big help with learning the correct pronunciation of dinosaur names. When we got this, my husband and I knew little about dinosaurs and struggled to pronounce their names. We quickly learned the correct pronunciation by hearing them from this book. It was the perfect introduction to dinosaurs for my son and all of us.
Usborne Lift-the-Flap Dinosaurs
This book discusses different types of dinosaurs and gives various information about them. Even after reading many dinosaur books and watching Dino Dan and Dino Dana, this book taught us a few things we didn’t know.
Usborne Lift-the-Flap Dinosaurs includes many flaps and reads less like a story and more like bits of interesting information that you can explore through the pages. It’s great for 3-year-olds that have trouble focusing on a story but can explore bits and pieces as they go.
Note: I bought the hardcover from Thriftbooks.com for a lot less than the $50 Amazon has it listed for. I’m not certain the board book or paperback that Amazon has listed are the same book.
Noisy Dinosaurs
This book isn’t as great as Clever Creatures and Boundless Beasts, but my kids love these sound books. The button is embedded in a textured piece on the page. They love pressing it, hearing, and imitating the dinosaur sounds. The actual story in Noisy Dinosaurs is somewhat unimpressive, but it encourages kids to repeat the sounds they hear. And they love it!
Poke-A-Dot! Dinosaurs A to Z
These Melissa and Doug books include dots for kids to poke. I’ve found that kids of all ages love sitting and poking the dots. Poke-A-Dot! Dinosaurs A to Z is an ABC dinosaur book. It has a dot to poke, a dinosaur, and some short facts about each as they go through the alphabet. It includes many well-known dinosaurs and quite a few little-known species.
The book also identifies each dinosaur as either an herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore, which I haven’t found in many other books.
Dinosaur Roar!
This book is simple. It identifies many dinosaurs using one descriptive word – “dinosaur short, dinosaur tall.” I like this for 3-year-olds because it helps them understand opposites. Have you ever tried to describe something to your 3-year-old and felt like they weren’t quite getting it? This book will help them understand those specifics that aren’t easy to explain.
Dinosaur Roar! was originally published in 1994 and is now considered a classic (crazy for those of us who feel like 1994 was a few years ago). Because of this, there is one dinosaur that is described as “fat,” which isn’t a word I’d like to teach my 3-year-old. You can change this to “big” when you read.
Dinosaur Books for 3-Year-Olds
If you’re looking for some great dinosaur books for 3-year-olds, pick these up to make the perfect collection for reading time.
- Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!
- Night Night, Dino-Snores
- Dinosaurs Galore!
- Ten Minutes to Bed Little Dinosaur
- Hello, World! Dinosaurs
- Oh Say Can You Say Di-no-saur?
- Clever Creatures and Boundless Beasts – A Land of Dinosaurs
- Usborne Lift-the-Flap Dinosaurs
- Noisy Dinosaurs
- Poke-A-Dot! Dinosaurs A to Z
- Dinosaur Roar!
I hope you use this list to build the perfect library for your 3-year-old so you can spend time reading together. I’d love to know which books are your kids’ favorites.
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