15 Books for T. Rex Fans
I started today’s post wanting to highlight some newer picture books about dinosaurs, but as I started my list, I realized I had an abundance of Tyrannosaurus Rex books and decided to shift my focus just a little bit and focus solely on the ferocious T. Rex. Dinosaur books are an evergreen popular topic in my library, there will always be a little kid who can pronounce any dinosaur name you throw at them! And although the T. Rex is one the better known dinosaurs, it doesn’t make them any less cool! Check out these great picture books and a handful of nonfiction titles that make great read alouds to young dinosaur fans with this list 15 Books for T. Rex Fans!
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15 Books for T. Rex Fans
Don’t Forget Dexter by Lindsay Ward
When his best friend, Jack, leaves him behind at the doctor’s office, Dexter T. Rexter panics. First he tries to find Jack. Then he sings their special song. Then he sings their special song even louder. But when Jack still doesn’t appear, Dexter starts to wonder. What if he’s being replaced by another toy? It can’t be―after all, he can STOMP, RAWR, and CHOMP! Right? Right?!
How to Be a T. Rex by Ryan North, illustrated by Mike Lowery
Being a regular old human is kind of a drag. That’s why Sal is not going to be a teacher or doctor or lawyer when she grows up. She is going to grow up to be an awesome Tyrannosaurus Rex. Her brother thinks it’s impossible, but Sal sure shows him! And in the beginning, being a T. Rex is AWESOME. But did you know that it’s kind of hard to make friends when you are a super-giant, super-loud, super-stompy dinosaur? If only there were a way for Sal to be 100% awesome, 100% of the time…
How to Care for Your T-Rex by Ken Baker, illustrated by Dave Coverly
There are a few important things to know about your pet T-Rex:
What does it like to eat? Your T-Rex will eat approximately 300 pounds of food each day. Where will it have space to exercise? Your T-Rex can cover fifteen feet in a single step. How do you brush its many teeth? Especially when those teeth are nine inches long.
And, most of all, how do you show your T-Rex that you love it? Get ready for a day full of giant adventures in dinosaur care!
If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova
You never know what will happen when a T. Rex crashes your birthday party. Sure, you’ll be super excited when he turns up at your door. But then he’ll stomp. He’ll ROAR. He’ll look at you as if he’s wondering how you taste with a little mustard. In the end, though, you just may find yourself asking him to come back next year! This delightfully whimsical picture book has a fun twist kids will love.
No T. Rex in the Library by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa
It’s a quiet morning in the library until a little girl roars out of control! Tess resigns herself to a time-out, but finds that she must be the one who has to maintain order when T. Rex leaps from the pages of a book into real life. Books scatter, knights clatter, and a pirate brandishes a sword as T. Rex leads the charge to the stars.
Will Tess be able to get this T. Rex under control? And will the library ever be the same?
Tea Rex by Molly Idle
Some tea parties are for grown-ups.
Some are for girls.
But this tea party is for a very special guest.
And it is important to follow some rules . . .
like providing comfortable chairs,
and good conversation,
and yummy food.
But sometimes that is not enough for special guests,
especially when their manners are more Cretaceous than gracious . . .
Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug by Jonathan Stutzman, illustrated by Jay Fleck
Tiny T. Rex has a HUGE problem. His friend Pointy needs cheering up and only a hug will do. But with his short stature and teeny T. Rex arms, is a hug impossible? Not if Tiny has anything to say about it!
T. rex by Andrea Silen
Giant teeth! Crushing bite! Slicing claws! And … feathers? Scientists have unearthed new knowledge about the king of the dinosaurs, and now you can, too. Travel back in time to the Mesozoic forests to meet the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex. Learn how their bodies were perfectly adapted for hunting, how T. rex parents guarded their nests, and just how much meat they could guzzle down in a single bite. Then explore some of the fascinating fossils―including Sue and Scotty―that have helped scientists make important discoveries (for example, T. rex may not have roared at all!).
T. Rex: Hunter or Scavenger? by Dr. Thomas R. Holtz Jr., illustrated by Michael Skrepnick
Was Tyrannosaurus rex a speedy and savage hunter, or was it a slow-moving scavenger, surviving on scraps left from other dinosaurs’ kills? World renowned tyrannosaur expert Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr., shares the evidence on both sides of the argument in this easy-to-read, easy-to-understand Step into Reading book that young dinosaur enthusiasts will heartily devour.
T. Rex Time Machine by Jared Chapman
When two hungry dinosaurs jump into a time machine, they’re transported to an unbelievable, magical, surreal future: RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! On the T. Rexes’ madcap voyage into the unknown, they encounter the many wonders of the modern world: Police cars! Phones! Microwaves! They don’t know how they’ll get home—but why would they want to? Acclaimed author and illustrator Jared Chapman combines two favorite kid topics—time travel and dinosaurs—with bold colors, big jokes, and a hilarious escapade. This raucous, laugh-out-loud adventure will delight the very young and keep older readers giggling long into the future.
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks! by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, illustrated by Zachariah Ohora
In this read-along picture book, a classroom full of young dinosaurs plays with toys, does art projects, and reads books. But each activity is another opportunity for the over-enthusiastic Tyrannosaurus Rex to wreak havoc.
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins
It’s the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can’t wait to meet her classmates. But it’s hard to make human friends when they’re so darn delicious! That is, until Penelope gets a taste of her own medicine and finds she may not be at the top of the food chain after all. . . . Readers will gobble up this hilarious new story from award-winning author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins.
When Sue Found Sue by Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Diana Sudyka
From a very young age, Sue Hendrickson was meant to find things: lost coins, perfume bottles, even hidden treasure. Her endless curiosity eventually led to her career in diving and paleontology, where she would continue to find things big and small.
In 1990, at a dig in South Dakota, Sue made her biggest discovery to date: Sue the T. rex, the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ever unearthed. Named in Sue’s honor, Sue the T. rex would be placed on permanent exhibition at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Who Would Win? Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor by Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Rob Bolster
What would happen if a Tyrannosaurus rex and a velociraptor met each other? What if they had a fight? Who do you think would win?
This nonfiction reader compares and contrasts two ferocious dinosaurs. Kids learn about the dinos’ anatomies, behaviors, and more. The book is packed with photos, charts, illustrations, and amazing facts.
You Look Yummy by Tatsuya Miyanishi
A long, long time ago, a baby Ankylosaurus is born on a volcano erupting ground. As the little Ankylosaurus begins wandering around, a big Tyrannosaurus comes along. He is about to pounce when the baby cries out, “Daddy!” and grabs onto his leg. The baby thinks the Tyrannosaurus is his father, so as not to disappoint the little one, he takes on the task of raising a baby Ankylosaur. The two develop ever stronger bonds of love, but soon comes the day when they must part. Highlighting the importance of family, this sweet picture book celebrates the love between father and son.
