Welcome to Dinovember 2025! This November, Christchurch City Libraries is celebrating all things dinosaurs and prehistoric, and we want you to join us!
For the next four weeks, our Library Dinosaurs will explore lots of the cool resources, events, and spaces available at libraries across the city and they can’t wait to share their adventures!
Dinosaurs are always fascinating and mysterious creatures that ignite the curiosity and imaginations of children and teens. When did they appear? How big were they? How many groups did they belong to? Why did they all suddenly become extinct?
Since 2012, November has become a time for children to explore the world of dinosaurs, thanks to Refe and Susan, who coined the concept of DINOvember with their books What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night and What the Dinosaurs Did At School.
If you are planning to celebrate Dinovember this year, these programmes and resources are just for you.
What's on in Dinovember
Join us for these exciting programmes to bring dinosaurs to life!
(5 to 27 November)
Dinosaur-themed stories, songs and rhymes for preschoolers and younger school children in multiple libraries.
DINOvember after school activity zone (5 to 28 November)
Dinosaur crafts for children and their whānau to learn and have fun together.
At the Create Together: Whānau Drop-in session, you can try on making a dinosaur sticker while exploring creative STEAM equipment in the library. 3.30pm to 5pm, Wednesday 5 November at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre.
If you and your children want to have a unique experience, try a scavenger hunt (Friday 7 November at Redwood) or bedtime stories (Friday 7 November at Fendalton).
There are soft toy sleepovers at Tūranga (Friday 21 November) and Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre (Thursday 27 November) with special storytimes the day after:
Dig, Create and Listen to All Things Dinosaur! 11am to 1pm, Saturday 22 November at Tūranga
Special Storytimes 4pm to 5pm, Friday 28 November at Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre
Dinosaur Collection
The library offers a comprehensive collection for children about dinosaurs.
The following nonfiction books provide an excellent starting point to learn about these fascinating creatures.
This list contains titles for children who want to know about dinosaur facts.
If you enjoy reading Search-and-Find dinosaur books, the list below is for you.
This list contains titles for children who want to know about dinosaur facts.
You can also explore more dinosaur-themed activities with the list below.
This list contains titles on dinosaur arts, crafts and technology activities for children.
A variety of dinosaur books and resources are available for children of different reading level and interests.
Dinosaur eResources
Access Video
Fantastic video clips on dinosaur research, adventure and more. Just for Kids: Access Video is suitable for younger children.
Britannica Library Teens
The online version of Encyclopaedia Britannica provides articles, videos, pictures and journal articles about dinosaurs and palaeontology. There is even an article about fossilized dinosaur poop called coprolites which tell us about a dinosaurs’ diet!
Gale in Context Elementary and National Geography Kids
A variety of resources including magazines, research projects, video clips, and books about dinosaurs.
Kanopy Kids
Short films on dinosaurs are suitable for younger children.
National Geographic Kids
The digital archive of the National Geographic Kids Magazine includes articles, images, videos and colourful online books all about dinosaurs. Did you know that dinosaur bones were mistaken for dragon bones when they first discovered 2,000 years ago?
OverDrive for Kids
If you’d like to know more about dinosaurs, try these free online resources for kids. You may need a library card and PIN number for some of these - ask a librarian if you need help. Lots of eBooks and eAudio books about dinosaurs such as - Dinosaurs Love Underpants, Bruce the Brachiosaurus and We’re Going on a Dinosaur Dig.
Science in Context
Includes the latest news in the field of palaeontology, articles from magazines, academic journals and video and audio content. Learn about the debate about what caused their extinction – asteroid or volcano?
World Book Kids
An interactive encyclopedia with dinosaur articles, video and images. It includes articles all about dinosaurs including the Pterosaur which had a wing span of 12 metres! That explains why the word “dinosaur” is derived from two Greek words, meaning “terrible lizard”.
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