My Top 10 Dinosaur Picture Books for Pre-K to 2 Special Ed

My top 10 dinosaur picture books for Pre-K to 2 Special Ed are perfect for bringing a big ROAR of excitement into your classroom while supporting language, engagement, and IEP goals in fun and accessible ways. If you’re anything like me, dinosaurs are an instant win in your special ed classroom. Big, bold, stompy, and sometimes downright silly, dino-themed books can hook even the most reluctant readers. So if you’re on the hunt for engaging, visual, and accessible dinosaur picture books perfect for Pre-K to Grade 2 students, I’ve got you covered.

In this post, I’m sharing my top 10 dinosaur picture books for young learners in special education, plus how you can use them to build routines, support IEP goals, and make reading time the highlight of your day.

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1. Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur

A gentle bedtime story with rhythmic text and a sweet little dino who’s not quite ready for bed. It’s perfect for winding down after a busy classroom day.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Repetitive language supports language development
Soft illustrations and predictable structure
Ideal for building routine and transitions

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur
🇬🇧 Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Dinosaur

2. How to Catch a Dinosaur

This fun and fast-paced rhyming story features imaginative traps and wild ideas about catching a dinosaur.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Supports sequencing and problem-solving
Encourages imaginative play
Easy to pair with STEM or trap-building activities

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 How to Catch a Dinosaur
🇬🇧 How to Catch a Dinosaur

3. Dinos Love Donuts

Silly and sweet, this book follows a team of dino police officers training for duty, with plenty of donut breaks!

Why it’s great for SPED:

Perfect for food or community helper themes
Fun visuals and topic encourage engagement
Great for labeling and vocabulary work

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Dinos Love Donuts
🇬🇧 Dinos Love Donuts

4. How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?

This classic in the “How Do Dinosaurs…” series teaches friendship and play skills in a funny and accessible way.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Supports social-emotional learning (SEL)
Rhyming structure helps with language development
Great for modeling turn-taking and peer interaction

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?
🇬🇧 How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends?

5. Welcome to Dinosaur School

Join dinosaurs as they start their first day of school and learn classroom routines.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Supports new student transitions
Reinforces classroom rules and expectations
Great discussion starter for classroom routines

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Welcome to Dinosaur School
🇬🇧 Welcome to Dinosaur School

6. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

Penelope is a T-Rex who struggles with making friends, because she keeps eating them. Hilarious and surprisingly heartwarming!

Why it’s great for SPED:

Excellent for discussing boundaries and empathy
Visual humor engages reluctant readers
Reinforces SEL themes in a memorable way

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 We Don’t Eat Our Classmates
🇬🇧 We Don’t Eat Our Classmates

7. Ten Little Dinosaurs

A lively, rhyming counting book that’s perfect for early numeracy and engaging group read-alouds.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Supports 1:1 correspondence and counting
Rhythmic text supports speech and language goals
Great for movement-based reading

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Ten Little Dinosaurs
🇬🇧 Ten Little Dinosaurs

8. Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble

This book is about what might happen if a dinosaur were allowed to scribble… chaos, creativity, and laughter ensue.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Encourages creativity and imaginative thinking
Great for writing or art extension activities
Supports turn-taking during shared reading

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble
🇬🇧 Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble

9. Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

Mo Willems delivers a hilarious parody of the Goldilocks tale, with dinosaurs. Ideal for comparing and contrasting with the traditional version.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Builds comprehension and compare/contrast skills
Humor keeps engagement high
Useful for introducing fractured fairy tales

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
🇬🇧 Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

10. Funnybones: Dinosaur Dreams

From the classic Funnybones series, this story involves dreaming about dinosaurs and plenty of skeleton fun.

Why it’s great for SPED:

Unique theme engages students who love skeletons/dinosaurs
Great for vocabulary and retell work
Encourages prediction and imagination

Find it on Amazon:
🇺🇸 Funnybones: Dinosaur Dreams
🇬🇧 Funnybones: Dinosaur Dreams

How to Use These Dinosaur Books in the Classroom

1. Build Routine Around Reading
Use Ten Minutes to Bed to establish a quiet storytime routine at the end of the day.

2. Teach Social-Emotional Learning
Books like How Do Dinosaurs Play with Their Friends? and We Don’t Eat Our Classmates are perfect for introducing classroom expectations and empathy.

3. Promote Early Math and Literacy
Use Ten Little Dinosaurs for counting practice and How to Catch a Dinosaur to explore sequencing and rhyming.

4. Spark Creativity
Use Never Let a Dinosaur Scribble to inspire drawing, writing, and sensory bins. Build dino-themed centers around the story!

5. Encourage Predictable Structures
Books like Dinos Love Donuts and Welcome to Dinosaur School are great for students who benefit from routine-based or thematic books.

6. Mix Humor with Skills
Use Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs or Funnybones: Dinosaur Dreams during literacy blocks to explore parody, compare/contrast, and story retell.

Final Thoughts

These 10 dinosaur picture books aren’t just engaging, they’re packed with social skills, early learning concepts, and classroom-ready content your students will love.

Whether you’re setting up a dinosaur-themed book nook, planning a unit, or just want to add some fun to your read-alouds, these books bring the perfect mix of learning and laughter.