Any book recommendations for a dinosaur obsessed 5 year old?

[Lew12Mum]

I think we may own everything dinosaur related, but I'm on the hunt for decent dinosaur books for my 5 year old. He doesn't want anything 'babyish', but still wants pictures. He gets bored by the encyclopaedia/text book type of thing, but I think it'd be good for the books to be vaguely educational and fact based rather than fiction, whilst he's still soaking information up like a sponge.
Does such a thing exist or am I asking too much?
Any recommendations?

[EmilyMortimer]

Has he had the 'Harry and the .....' books. They are perfect for his age; stories all involving dinosaurs.

[EmilyMortimer]

Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs. Just googled it. Had forgotten full name. As I say the stories are the perfect length for 5 year olds. Lovely illustrations.

[bubblebabeuk]

Not very factual but my DS adores "Dinosaurs love underpants" its fab and i even had to make a world book day costume fir him to go with it.

[EmilyMortimer]

Also have you thought of those tiny dinosaur models you can get? They come in a large jar; you can then use them to sort by meat/plant eater, mode of survival (size, horns, teeth, etc). You could then write out the name labels for them so he'd remember what each one was called and its attributes.

You could also use these (in good time) to look up the period in which they lived. I think they would work best because he could play with them at the same time, thereby stretching his imagination as well as learning facts.

[NoSnotAllowed]

Totally not non-fiction but has he got 'the dinosaur that pooped a planet'?

Poo, space and dinosaurs in one book - what more does a 5 year old (and my husband) want from a book?!

[Lew12Mum]

Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs is already part of our dinosaur collection - as I said I think we may own everything dinosaur! He loves it, but I was hoping there might be something with similar engaging pictures but more fact based....mainly so I don't have to answer questions about why we never see any real life dinosaurs...extinction is a tricky subject to cover with an inquisitive little man! ;-)

[sausagefortea]

My 2 are especially Dino obsessed.

Non fiction

Usborne big book of dinosaurs or inside the world of dinosaurs (both of these are probably most age appropriate for 5+ but not babyish)

Others that are good for older kids to read 8+ or younger to look at pictures - my ds had several of these books from 5-6+

Viewfinder: fossils by Douglas Palmer (comes with little magnifier)
Dinosaurs by Steve brusatte and Michael Benton (huge hardback....great book, would be great for 5+ to be read to....massive pictures, good info. Mine love this one!)
If dinosaurs were alive today - Dougal Dixon
Dinosaur art - more for older kids but fab graphics if he loves looking at the pics

Fiction

Dinosaur dig....not babyish exactly but might be on this cusp. My 5yo loves this book though. Different dinosaurs making a swimming pool.

Dinosaur sleepover

Captain Flynn and the pirate dinosaurs (pirates and dinosaurs!)

Tyrannosaurus drip

Katie and the dinosaurs

I know you haven't asked for DVD recommendations....but my two absolutely love Nigel Marvin's prehistoric park. It's a sort of documentary style fiction thing where Nigel Marvin goes back through the 'time portal' to bring various dinosaurs back to the present day to make a dinosaur zoo. You learn a lot about these dinosaurs but there's no head ripping off gore type stuff that walking with Dino's/beasts/monsters/planet dinosaur etc has.

Everything dinosaur is also a good site.

[Lew12Mum]

Fabulous information fellow dinosaur mum's. I will look into these some more, but keep them coming! :-)

[DuchessofMalfi]

Watching this thread with interest - DS (nearly 5) completely obsessed with dinosaurs. Says he wants to be a palaeontologist when he grows up, apparently :o

We also have a huge collection of dinosaur books, together with anything he can grab on his trips to the school library and our town library.

[whitelaw2424]

I've heard about a new series of factual dino books for early readers, but I'm not sure if they have been published yet. I'll try to find out more if you want...

[Lew12Mum]

Oooh if you could find out more that would be great - thanks in advance

[LumpySpacePrincessOhMyGlob]

Astrosaurs are the answer

You can normally but them for a reasonable price from the book people. Dd is obsessed with dinosaurs and lives these books.

[Leeds2]

The Dinosaur Roar! books. Can't remember who wrote them!

[whitelaw2424]

I've managed to get a bit more info on the new series of dino books. They sound great for your young dinos mad enthusiast as rather than stories they are full of lots of facts and stats, pitched for his age range (4-7 years)

The author, Nicki, is a friend of a friend who says each book is about one dinosaur - so short enough for a bedtime read. They have stats like the dinos size is compared to a bus, their bedroom door or a child's bike. Apparently the tricky names of the dinos are all written out phonetically, so we can read them too lol!

I've asked my friend to find out what they are called for my dino addict, as its all well and good reading about dinosaurs pooing in a house, launching in to space and going on a plane, but these books won't wash with my fact hungry youngster for long.

Anyone else want to know more when I find out? If so I'll post an update when I get it.

[Lew12Mum]

Could you let me know how to get hold of them if possible? Then I can add yet more to his collection!

[whitelaw2424]

It seems my info is more 'hot off the press' than I thought as the series isn't out yet, but should be soon. It's called "The Ultimate Beginners' Guide to Dinosaurs" and I'm told there are 23 books (lots of present potential for grandparents!), 20 about indi dinos and 3 about special stuff - like the mass extinction, what a fossil is made of (apparently not bone!) and the descendants of the dinos (is the chicken related to T. rex???)

Lots of lovely images, here's one I borrowed from the Facebook page - www.facebook.com/UltimateBeginnersGuidetoDinosaurs?fref=ts.

Not sure when they'll be available to buy as Nicky, the author, has hooked up with a company called Kickstarter. Some crowd funding thing which is apparently massive (although I had no idea such a thing existed tbh) - people who want to see the project succeed make a pledge for support and pass on the link to their friends and family.

BUT it's a bit 'Dragon's Den'-ish, in that if they don't get pledges for all the funding the project needs in the time specified (26 days to go) they get nothing. So until we know if they have managed it we won't know when (or if) the books are coming out - we can track it (and back it, if you like what you see) here through kck.st/1oxiPUK looks like we'll find out on Thu, Apr 10 2014.

Hopefully they'll manage it for our little dino addicts!

[Lew12Mum]

So I've spent a lot of time on Google shopping this weekend and 'invested' in several additions to his collection. So I'm waiting for delivery of many of the books you've suggested, the dvd and some dino toys - he selected them, because I heard less 'oh not that one mum' that way!
We're planning a trip to a few bookshops this week to check out some others and we'll keep an eye on the potential new series too.
Here's hoping he approves once they arrive - thanks everyone and if you come across any more please let me know.

[DingbatsFur]

Mo Willems: edwina the dinosaur who didn't know she was extinct
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0786837489?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
Early reading dino book

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0199179689/ref=aw_ls_7_10?colid=1N4J04FM7P6&coliid=I23V3RD3HNXEVV&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Scary Bones!
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0956173241/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?qid=1395084338&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX110_SY165&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
How do dinosaurs
www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&productId=371317

[kittermum]

Great thread... Our house is also dinosaur focused!
My only suggestion is to look at all Usbourne does on the topic, probably looking on amazon.

[BlueChampagne]

Julia Donaldson's Dinosaur Diary - good early chapter book if not strictly factual ...

[gilmoregirl]

DS loves dinosaurs diary bluechampane

What about "how does a dinosaur" books?

[tribpot]

I'm assuming you've got some Astrosaurs .. there's a companion series for younger children called Astrosaurs Academy. Love these books!