Unearth a Story: 2026 Summer Reading Early Literacy Book List

The books are this list are to align with our 2026 summer reading slogan "unearth a Story". It was chosen to align with our high-interest theme of dinosaurs, paleontology, archaeology. This book list was created for our youngest patrons. They include board books and fiction and nonfiction picture books for babies, toddlers and preschoolers and are available at the Sussex County Library System.

Updated April 7, 2026
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Sussex County Library System (NJ)
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Baby triceratops
Abery, Julie
Paper Book
Take little ones on a prehistoric adventure with baby dinosaurs! Based on facts we know from paleontology, these poetic rhyming stories imagine what Jurassic and Cretaceous life was like for the youngest dinosaurs. Delightful read-alouds for toddlers and preschoolers, these sturdy board books will...
Diggersaurs mission to Mars
Whaite, Michael.
Paper Book
Bigger than a digger...hungrier than a dinosaur...out of this world...it's a DIGGERSAUR ON MARS! This rhyming mash-up of dinosaurs, trucks, and outer space will delight young readers! Roversaurs complete their chores on the planet Mars. Soaring, testing, and exploring, all among...
Dinosaur
Hepworth, Amelia
Paper Book
This interactive board book, which features layered die cuts throughout, is the perfect way to introduce curious toddlers to Tyrannosaurus rex. Dinosaurs were simply amazing! Take a look inside and learn all about how the Tyrannosaurs rex worked with this...
First picture encyclopedia of dinosaurs
Gallagher, Belinda
Paper Book
Step back in time to discover the world of prehistory! This beautifully illustrated hardback encyclopedia is packed with fantastic facts about more than 100 dinosaurs and other ancient animals. From tiny, four-winged Microraptor to skyscraping Sauroposeidon, every dinosaur is a source...
The fossil whisperer : how Wendy Sloboda discovered a dinosaur
Becker, Helaine
Paper Book
Wendy has an eye for the unusual and is skilled at finding things that others don't see. On a middle school field trip, she spots one of those unusual things - it's fossilized coral 100 million years old! Wendy's thrilled! And soon, she gets hooked on hunting fossils. She decides to turn her passion...
Here we go digging for dinosaur bones
Lendroth, Susan
Paper Book
How to catch a Daddysaurus
Walstead, Alice
Paper Book
The newest addition in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling How to Catch series--do YOU have the rad skills needed to catch the mystical Daddysaurus? The How to Catch Kids are at it again! This time, they're out to trap the Daddysaurus--a mystical creature capable of such amazing...
I met a dinosaur
Wahl, Jan.
Paper Book
What is a stegosaurus doing at the gas station? Why is an apatosaurus on its way to the park? After a visit to the Museum of Natural History, a young girl takes the memory of those prehistoric beasts with her and begins to see the creatures in the most unexpected places. Creative Editions is...
Peekaboo Rex!
Boynton, Sandra
Paper Book
Join a T. rex who loves playing peekaboo in this surprising board book from bestselling and beloved Sandra Boynton! Follow a lovable T. rex throughout its day as it plays peekaboo with a tiny dinosaur friend. A story only Sandra Boynton could dream up, featuring two adorable...
Sam & Dave dig a hole
Barnett, Mac
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller! A 2015 Caldecott Honor Book With perfect pacing, the multi-award-winning, New York Times best-selling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen dig down for a deadpan tale full of visual humor. Sam and Dave are...

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