Funny books for a dinosaur preschool theme

Looking for some books to go along with a preschool dinosaur theme?  Here are are favorite funny tales!

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These books may not teach dinosaur facts, but they’re sure to bring some laughs and spark some fun conversations.  Add a few of these to your preschool dinosaur theme!

Suppose You Meet a Dinosaur, by Judy Sierra I love this adorable book that teaches manners in an original way.  A little girl meets a friendly dinosaur in the grocery store, and their interaction provides many opportunities to practice manners.  Here’s an example: “You find her glasses on the floor and hand them to the dinosaur.  She smiles and says, ‘Why thank you, dear.’ What words does she expect to hear?”  Your kids can chime in with the right words.  The rhymes are great! Dinosaur vs. the Potty, by Bob Shea Normally I am not a fan of bathroom books (I really can’t stand that favorite “Everybody Poops”), but this book made me laugh because after potty training three kids, I totally get it.  Dinosaur makes lemonade, runs through the sprinkler, drinks three juice boxes, and more… “You’d think he’d need to use the potty, but he doesn’t!”   If you’ve got a preschooler who claims he really doesn’t need to go after downing a giant bottle of water – you might laugh too.  I got a kick out of some one-star reviews on Amazon – the reviewers said this book was no good as a potty training book. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the point. 🙂

How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? series by  Jane Yolen and Mark Teague Yolen and Teague make an awesome team in this fabulous series of books (over 20 titles).  Each rhyming book teaches proper behavior in an adorable way  — with  giant dinosaurs doing all the wrong things on the first pages —   pouting, throwing tantrums, and tossing stuffed animals.  Is this what dinosaurs do?  “No.  Dinosaurs don’t.”  The book concludes with all the correct things that dinosaurs – and children – should do at bedtime.  A fabulous series!  Great gift books.

 Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct, by Mo Willems This was confusing for my Two (“What’s a stink?”) and exasperating for my Four (“How can she be extinct? She’s right there!”), but I thought it was great.  Edwina is a sweet dinosaur who is a friend to everyone.  But Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie is determined to prove that she is, in fact, extinct.  In the end, even Reginald learns to love her.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus,  by Judith Viorst I’m adding this book to my mental list of chapter books to read to preschoolers.  Unfortunately my kids won’t let me read it to them because my Six has been reading it to my Four.  But I’m saving it for my Three!   Kids love stories about naughty kids, so they’ll love the story of spoiled Lulu who goes on a hunt for a pet brontosaurus. When she finally finds one the dinosaur declares that Lulu is his pet.  Through the difficult experience Lulu learns to think of others first. A quick-moving, hilarious read!

When Dinosaurs Came with Everything, by Elise Broach Out of all these funny dinosaur books, this is my personal favorite.  The narrator is bummed that he has to go along with his mom for her “boring errands…” until he learned that today is the day that dinosaurs come with everything!  Buy a dozen donuts, get a dinosaur.  No sticker at the doctor’s – get a dinosaur instead!  His exasperated mother heads home – and the dinosaurs follow.  But soon his mother discovers that dinosaurs can be useful – and goes back to the bakery for a few more boxes of donuts!

I’m Sure I Saw a Dinosaur, by Jeanne Willis Crowds of people who run to the beach in hopes of seeing a dinosaur.  “They came with dogs and divers and binoculars and bait, and searched the sea for dinosaurs from morning until late.”  Nothing spectacular in my opinion, but my kids liked it.

If the Dinosaurs Came Back, by Bernard Most This classic  (1978) is a charming fantasy about how wonderful it would be if the dinosaurs came back. We wouldn’t have to mow our lawns, they could carry people to work… This book really gets the imagination going.  A favorite! Can I Have  a Stegosaurus Mom?  Can I? Please!? by Lois Grambling An imaginative little boy is sure that life would be perfect if his mom would let him have a stegosaurus for a pet.  A stegosaurus would squash scary monsters, eat yucky vegetables, and take the class to the museum for their field trip.  I would recommend this book for older listeners, as it wasn’t my kids’ favorite – but it’s a definite winner.  Also check out “Can I Have a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Dad? Can I? Please!?” by the same author.

The Super Hungry Dinosaur by Martin Waddell Kids will enjoy this little fantasy about a boy named Hal who must calm the Super Hungry Dinosaur before he eats Hal’s parents and pet.  Hal the hero ties up the dinosaur and demands that he apologize and fix everything he destroyed.  Then his mom feeds the dino a Super Hungry Dinosaur dinner.  Cute.

Dino Pets, by Lynn Plourde A boy keeps buying different dinosaurs from the pet store – but each one doesn’t work out.  “I got a dino for a pet, the smallest dino I could get.  I put it into my back pocket, but I guess I should have locked it.”  This is a favorite of mine because it’s got wonderful pictures, creative rhymes, and just a small amount of text.  Perfect for the youngest dinosaur fan.  Also check out Dino Pets Go to School.   Want some hands-on dinosaur fun?

Where are the Dinos? by Julia Dweck (illustrated by Bob Ostrom)

On a trip to the zoo a boy is puzzled: where are the dinosaurs?  He asks question after question — “What do dinos find in shops – polka-dot tricera-tops?”  The rhyming fun gets sillier with each turn of the page.  My kids loved the rhymes and were drawn to the bright illustrations.  They all got a kick out of the surprise ending! I love that this book is written by a teacher who understands what makes a good story and knows just how to write one.

Need some hands-on ideas for dinosaur fun?  Check out these dinosaur worlds from Fantastic Fun and Learning!

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