Last week we covered five amazing fiction dinosaur books. This week’s list is all about non-fiction adult books about dinosaurs, for those enthusiasts who really want to learn more. Don’t worry, there are no dry textbooks here, just a lot of interesting stories and amazing illustrations.
Rex Appeal: The Amazing Story of Sue, the Dinosaur That Changed Science, the Law, and My Life. Written by Peter Larson, who lived the tale, and Kristin Donnan, this book chronicles the crazy story of Black Hills Institute, and the upheaval and hardship that the people of Hill City, SD went through after Peter Larson and his team discovered Sue, the most complete T-Rex ever found.
Dinosaurs Without Bones: Dinosaur Lives Revealed by their Trace Fossils. Written by Anthony J. Martin, this book combines Martin’s personal experiences as a paleontologist with amazing research and facts people can learn from dinosaur nests, tracks, and even fossilized poop. Pay special attention to the chapter on how sauropods probably shaped our modern landscapes. Mind. Blown.
The Bumper Book of Dinosaurs. Written by Keiron Pim, this giant, heavily illustrated book contains many, many facts and statistics. It’s a great resource, and easy to look up information about specific dinosaurs.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs: The Definitive Pop-Up. Written and illustrated by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, this pop-up book is sure to impress even those who are not dinosaur enthusiasts. Every page has elaborate, detailed works of art to show different dinosaurs at different stages of their lives. Plus there are some crazy facts hidden under the art.
The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction. Written by the famous Robert Bakker in 1986, this book was very controversial when first published, because it changed the way people viewed dinosaurs. Bakker argued that dinosaurs were warm-blooded and more like birds than cold-blooded, slow lizards. Imagine!
And if these aren’t enough, Goodreads has a great list of 108 Best Non-Fiction Dinosaur Books.
What’s on your list of dinosaur books to read? Share with us in the comments!
Richard wing
11/29/2015 at 11:13 amOmg if anyone know what the title of the giant green hardcover dinosaur book from the 80’s is that wouldn’t fit on a shelf it was so tall is, tell me please. I want this book back and it has disappeared from life in all but memory. Its nonfiction and between 50 and 200 pages from what i remember. Best dino book ever. It was probably at least 15 to 20 inches tall and it covered the history of dinosaurs from the birth of earth all the way to kt and a little beyond. I will pay someone ten dollars just for the title of this, the best dinosaur book ever.