Dinosaurs (and People) at the Museum!

 Every now and then I get some picture books that I know will appeal to older kids – the six-to-nine-year olds who still love picture books but revel in something with more depth. Here are two that might go together…

themes: dinosaurs, museums, science

Brontosaurus Is Back!: A Dinosaur's Name and Return to Fame

by Sarah Albee; illus. by Chris Hsu 

40 pages; ages 6-9

Charlesbridge, 2026

Before we even get to the first line of the story, we know something big is coming. STOMP! “Do you hear that?” asks a bird, who then announces (at the title page) that the awesome Apatosaurus is coming. But, on the first spread we learn…

Behold! It’s … Brontposaurus! “Wait!” says Bird. “Mistake! This is Apatosaurus. We’re not supposed to call it Brontosaurus.”

And who, at this point, would NOT turn the page to find out why?  Such a great lead-in to a tale of bones and skullduggery and the famous fossil rivalry between Marsh and CopeBack in their day, there was such a rush to discover – and name – dinosaur fossils that sometimes the science got … sloppy! 

What I like about this book: I like the humor Sarah Albee brings to her books, and this one is no different. It’s fun to read, a bit sassy in places, and shows how our understanding of paleontology has evolved over time – and how scientists continue to seek answers. I also like the fact boxes – they come with fun headings such as “Dig This!” and “Talk Like a Scientist.” Plus, Bird shows up in every spread lending his own point of view to the discussion. Brontosaurus fans (of which I am one) will appreciate the extensive timeline at the back as well as discussion about how we know what we know about apatosaurus and brontosaurus… and how scientists shifted their thinking as they accumulated more data.

Since the dinos we see are fossils at the museum, I thought this book would be a good companion.

What Do People Do at the Science Museum?

by Maggie Tokuda-Hall; illus. by Qin Leng

48 pages; ages 5-8

Chronicle Books, 2026

Welcome to the Science and Natural History Museum! It’s a good place for curious people to ask questions and learn.

Not only will we see all kinds of things in there, but we’ll meet all kinds of people who work in STEM fields… starting with a structural engineer who made sure the building was safe to be in. In this book readers learn what museum educators and geologists and paleontologists do – pretty important folks if you love dinosaurs and fossils! They’ll meet collections managers and preparers – the folks who clean the dino bones and help arrange the skeletons. One of the jobs that you rarely think about is that of the conservator – the folks who keep the specimens in good shape. There are even museum artists!

What I like about this book: Each spread highlights different scientists or other kind of museum specialist. Sidebars provide further information and details about what they do, sometimes in a humorous fashion. For example, “Herpetologists ssssspecialize in ssssnakes….” The last spread encourages kids to get involved in community science projects because “… [they] can do science all the time” – not just at school or in a museum.

Beyond the Books:

Visit some dinosaurs at a natural history museum. Draw a picture of your favorite one. How tall is it? How long? How is the skeleton supported? 

Look at the signs for your dinosaur. What information is on the signs? Did you learn something new about your dinosaur by visiting the museum?

When you’re at a natural history museum, visit one of the dioramas. Take some time to study the details: what does the painted landscape look like? What sort of trees and animals are in the diorama? Are there human artifacts? Why do you think the artist designed the display this way?

Read about the brontosaurus debate at the Natural History Museum website

Sarah Albee is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her books at her website sarahalbeebooks.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM books at www.steamteambooks.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading.  Review copies provided by the publishers.