10 Adventurous Dinosaur Books for 4-Year-Olds

“What kind of dinosaur is this?” my son asked, pointing at the page and interrupting me mid-sentence.

“Umm…I’m not sure,” I said, trying to remember what this short one with a fin is called.

He quickly pointed to another, “What about this one?”

“Umm…”

“That’s not a mean dinosaur. That one’s nice. The tyrannosaurus rex is mean, but not the triceratops….” I nodded as he continued on like this.

Sometimes reading with a preschooler and their infinite quest for knowledge can be overwhelming.

That’s why I love to have some great books on hand to quench that need for information (so I don’t have to). This list of the best dinosaur books for 4-year-olds is full of fun, adventurous books about dinosaurs that are chocked full of information to satisfy your curious preschooler.

Fun Books About Dinosaurs

These 6 picture books lean more on the fun side. Full of engaging dinosaur stories and guessing games, these fantastic dinosaur books will keep your 4-year-old’s attention (for a few minutes at least).

1. Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs?* Bernard Most

Have you ever wondered what happened to the dinosaurs? Whatever Happened to the Dinosaurs? is a fun book to explore that very question. Get your child thinking and wondering. “Did a magician make all the dinosaurs disappear?” “Are they living underground?” Or “Maybe they’re wearing disguises and we just don’t recognize them?”

Think of silly ways the dinosaurs may have gone extinct. Ask your child to think of a few of their own answers to this question. This is the perfect book to get young children thinking critically.

2. How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? Jane Yolen & Mark Teague

I love these children’s books for the subtle lessons that they teach. How Do Dinosaurs Say I’m Mad? gives your 4-year-old an example of how silly they look when they throw big, angry tantrums over small things. It’s a fun book, where kids can laugh at the destructive dinosaurs as they get mad. And maybe, they’ll consider learning from the dinosaurs and calming down a little when they’re mad too.

Great for kids who love dinosaurs and are still struggling with controlling their emotions (probably every 4-year-old). I also love: How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? and How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Be Kind? for gently discussing behavior with young dinosaur enthusiasts.

3. Who’s That Dinosaur? An Animal Guessing Game Gabrielle Balkan

Now that your child knows so much about dinosaurs, they can have some fun playing a guessing game. Who’s That Dinosaur? An Animal Guessing Game shows an image of a dinosaur skeleton and gives you a few facts to guess from. Your child can guess the dinosaur and lift the flap to see if they got it right. Under the flap, they’ll find a colorful image of the correct dinosaur, along with a description.

Add this fun quiz element to your dinosaur reading to keep your 4-year-old engaged and learning more about each dinosaur.

4. Stop That Dinosaur! Alex English

Sometimes we just need to stop and read a fun book. I have to admit, my favorite books to read aren’t the ones that teach me, but the ones that draw me into a great or fun story. Stop That Dinosaur! is that book. When you need a break from all of the learning and just want a fun story about a dinosaur. Choose this book. It has bright illustrations and simple text with a fast pace that’s perfect for young readers.

When a dinosaur stomps through and kidnaps Grandma, what can you do? Chase after it and yell, “Stop that Dinosaur!” of course.

5. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs: As Retold by Mo Willems

When the dinosaurs go out, they aren’t going to hide and wait for a little girl to come along so they can enjoy their favorite snack. Or, maybe that’s exactly what they’re doing!

This is a twist on the classic book with a dinosaur theme. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is cleverly redone to add touches of fun and humor that your preschooler is sure to love. Even if your child didn’t love dinosaurs, this is a great book.

6. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure! Giles Andrea

In this follow-up to our new favorite from my 3-year-old list, Captain Flinn is here to help find the missing pirate dinosaur treasure.

These books are simply great stories that my son and I both love sitting down to read. Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure! is another energetic addition to this adventure series.

Related: The Best Dinosaur Books for Toddlers

More to Learn About Dinosaurs

At 4 years old, children love to soak in every bit of information they can. And they want to know everything about what interests them. These books are great for answering questions and filling their tank with dinosaur knowledge.

7. The PREXTEX Book of Dinosaurs and Their Habits

This is the perfect gift for your dinosaur lover. What I love about this sound book over others, is that it says the dinosaur’s name alongside its roar. My kids love pushing these sound buttons and trying to duplicate the roar. As children who are still developing language skills, there’s something powerful about listening to the correct pronunciation of the dinosaur names as many times as they like.

The text in The PREXTEX Book of Dinosaurs and Their Habits is informative and provides some extra fun facts. Perfect for a 4-year-old to explore.

8. Usborne Lift-the-Flap Dinosaurs

This book discusses lots of different dinosaurs and includes fun dinosaur facts. 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 young kids to sit and look through on their own.

9. Dinosaur A-Z Roger Priddy

The tagline on this book says, “For kids who really love dinosaurs!” and I would 100% agree with that statement. Dinosaur A-Z is a comprehensive alphabet book about dinosaurs. It includes a dinosaur for each letter of the alphabet, along with lots of facts about each dinosaur, its size, and a pronunciation guide. There are a lot of uncommon dinosaurs in here that your child probably doesn’t know yet.

If your child loves dinosaurs and wants to learn everything about them, this is the book for them. As a bonus, they’ll gain some extra familiarity with the ABCs.

10. Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide

If your child loves Dino Dana, this is a great age to introduce the Dino Dana: Dino Field Guide. This book is meant to be the field guide that Dana uses in the TV series. It includes lots of different kinds of dinosaurs, along with facts about them, and the experiments that she does in the episodes.

This is a great way to introduce your child to the scientific method. The book encourages kids to ask their own questions and create a theory. It discusses a hypothesis and how an experiment is used to test one. Even if this is beyond your child’s interest at this age, it’s still an informative book about dinosaurs and great for kids of all ages.

11. My First Book of Dinosaurs: All About Prehistoric Creatures for Kids

This book is a great introduction to all dinosaur information. Is your child starting to crave some real information about dinosaurs? Rather than just cute stories? This book is the answer. Get answers about where each dinosaur lived, the period they’re from, and other interesting facts.

My First Book of Dinosaurs: All About Prehistoric Creatures for Kids is a new book that fits perfectly for this information-craving age group. Without providing dense text you’ll never want to read to them.

Related: Dinosaur Books for Preschoolers & Dinosaur Books for Kids

Use this list of our favorite dinosaur books to quench your child’s thirst for knowledge, so you don’t have to.

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