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I Used to Be a Dinosaur
A mama hen demands respect for herself and her chicks—after all, they used to be dinosaurs! From acclaimed author Casey Lyall and award-winning artist Laurie Keller, this is a laugh-out-loud picture book about farmyards, self-esteem, and evolution for fans of Interrupting Chicken and Are You a Cheeseburger?
Did you know that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs? A soon-to-be mother hen just found out, and now she is reexamining her entire life. She used to be a dinosaur, a prehistoric queen with a mighty roar! Now she spends her days on a farm, waiting for her eggs to hatch. It’s downright fowl! At least, it is until she decides to summon her own inner dinosaur.
This award-winning author and artist pair is a comedic dream team! A Spoonful of Frogs author Casey Lyall’s read-aloud text is rhythmic and sassy. And Geisel Award winner Laurie Keller brings her signature zany sense of humor and irresistible energy to the expressive chicken and her dinosaur dreams. The result is a story time pleaser that gets sillier with every page turn.
A very funny, inventive picture book with themes of self-love and evolutionary science, I Used to Be a Dinosaur is a perfect choice for those who love Click, Clack, Moo and Mother Bruce.
Did you know that chickens are descendants of dinosaurs? A soon-to-be mother hen just found out, and now she is reexamining her entire life. She used to be a dinosaur, a prehistoric queen with a mighty roar! Now she spends her days on a farm, waiting for her eggs to hatch. It’s downright fowl! At least, it is until she decides to summon her own inner dinosaur.
This award-winning author and artist pair is a comedic dream team! A Spoonful of Frogs author Casey Lyall’s read-aloud text is rhythmic and sassy. And Geisel Award winner Laurie Keller brings her signature zany sense of humor and irresistible energy to the expressive chicken and her dinosaur dreams. The result is a story time pleaser that gets sillier with every page turn.
A very funny, inventive picture book with themes of self-love and evolutionary science, I Used to Be a Dinosaur is a perfect choice for those who love Click, Clack, Moo and Mother Bruce.
32 pages, Hardcover
Published June 9, 2026
About the author
Casey Lyall
14 books160 followersCasey Lyall lives in Southwestern Ontario where she also works at her local library. When she’s not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle, and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 17, 2026
Dinosaurs are a distant ancestor of the modern chicken. Can one plucky hen rediscover her ancestral roar and take back center stage for all chickenkind? Of course she can!
The title of this book immediately reminded me of Trout Fishing in America’s “I Used to be a Dinosaur,” which means I mentally sang ¾ of the book to that tune. It scanned surprisingly well! Lyall’s catchy, rhyming text has a bouncy rhythm and features occasional alliteration (e.g. “cheerful, carefree carnivore”) and puns (e.g. “and things have turned quite fowl”).
The typeface occasionally changes in size or is set at an angle for emphasis or humor. For instance the word “I’m” in one scene is in the process of being eaten by a goat, while the words “teeny tiny” are smaller than the rest of the text surrounding them.
Keller’s textured illustrations add further character and humor to the story. Her chickens have very expressive body language and facial expressions. There are often fun details for readers to find in the background, such as an illustration from one page’s foreground reappearing in the background of another scene, farmyard chickens gossiping about our main character, and the various hobbies hens are engaging in inside their chicken coop. Despite this, the scenes never feel overcrowded or visually overwhelming.
Back matter is an illustrated Q&A session with the chicken (i.e. the author’s note) that talks about the facts behind the story. Her note concludes by encouraging readers to visit their local library to learn more.
Recommended for purchase for ages 3-8. Between sparse text, dynamic illustrations, and a topic with high kid-appeal, this book would work well in a storytime or the classroom.
Thanks to HarperCollins for the copy via the Southern Ohio Young Adult Media Group.
The title of this book immediately reminded me of Trout Fishing in America’s “I Used to be a Dinosaur,” which means I mentally sang ¾ of the book to that tune. It scanned surprisingly well! Lyall’s catchy, rhyming text has a bouncy rhythm and features occasional alliteration (e.g. “cheerful, carefree carnivore”) and puns (e.g. “and things have turned quite fowl”).
The typeface occasionally changes in size or is set at an angle for emphasis or humor. For instance the word “I’m” in one scene is in the process of being eaten by a goat, while the words “teeny tiny” are smaller than the rest of the text surrounding them.
Keller’s textured illustrations add further character and humor to the story. Her chickens have very expressive body language and facial expressions. There are often fun details for readers to find in the background, such as an illustration from one page’s foreground reappearing in the background of another scene, farmyard chickens gossiping about our main character, and the various hobbies hens are engaging in inside their chicken coop. Despite this, the scenes never feel overcrowded or visually overwhelming.
Back matter is an illustrated Q&A session with the chicken (i.e. the author’s note) that talks about the facts behind the story. Her note concludes by encouraging readers to visit their local library to learn more.
Recommended for purchase for ages 3-8. Between sparse text, dynamic illustrations, and a topic with high kid-appeal, this book would work well in a storytime or the classroom.
Thanks to HarperCollins for the copy via the Southern Ohio Young Adult Media Group.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I Used to be a Dinosaur by Casey Lyall and Laurie Keller. PICTURE BOOK. Greenwillow (Harper), JUNE 2026. $20. 9780062890313
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
The chicken is discontented with its chicken life, reminiscing the days when they were dinosaurs. Chicken decides that though they are no longer a dino in fact, they can still be a dino at heart.
Lyall includes a little back matter to explain the evolution from dinosaur to chicken, too. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on the “You are Awesome” style of picture book.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL
APPEALS TO: MANY
The chicken is discontented with its chicken life, reminiscing the days when they were dinosaurs. Chicken decides that though they are no longer a dino in fact, they can still be a dino at heart.
Lyall includes a little back matter to explain the evolution from dinosaur to chicken, too. I thoroughly enjoyed this twist on the “You are Awesome” style of picture book.
Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS
July 8, 2026
Dino or chicken ST. A rhyming text book about a chicken who is lamenting about only being a chicken, when they used to be a dinosaur. It is silly in it's making fun of the everyday life vibe of a chicken. And it's short enough for a ST. Feel like there are several pictures books about this subject now...
Review of advance copy received from Author
A cute explanation of evolution from the perspective of a chicken! Perfect vehicle for young children to begin to understand evolution. Casey Lyall is a prolific author of stories for children through tweens
June 25, 2026
I just finished reading this for story time! I liked it personally, but it is hard to have the kids wrapped up in this book for a group setting. Love it though and would suggest it for families personally to read at home.
July 10, 2026
Funnier than I'd expected with super big font for those us needing a bit of help during storytime/read alouds. Cute illustrations and silly-eyed chickens make this book a crowd pleaser!
Themes: chickens, dinosaurs, stories that rhyme
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2026
Themes: chickens, dinosaurs, stories that rhyme
Ages: preK-2nd grade
Pub year: 2026
July 28, 2026
The text and illustrations offer a playful and engaging story that is sure to delight young readers. This is a fun way to introduce evolution, and extra back matter offers more facts and details to spark conversations.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This rhyming story with simple text and bold, funny illustrations will delight the preschool set.
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February 12, 2026review text for 80
June 15, 2026
Hysterical... loved this! The expression on the chicken is worth the read. Book flows and encourages you to stop and look over the illustrations!
June 25, 2026
This picture book is exactly what I wanted it to be; and that earns it a perfect score. Silly, fun, lightly-educational, and rhyming. This book is story time gold.
July 29, 2026
Short, rhyming, humorous text. Be sure to read the back matter for additional facts!
Pair with Tiny Dino by Deborah Freedman.
Pair with Tiny Dino by Deborah Freedman.
July 31, 2026
I found this a fun read.
A chicken brags to her eggs how she used to be a dinosaur. Heard it was well received in story time. A fun twist for a dinosaur book.
A chicken brags to her eggs how she used to be a dinosaur. Heard it was well received in story time. A fun twist for a dinosaur book.
July 9, 2026
Funny, rhyme-y (in a good way, if you're worried about that), and you get to learn about our modern dinosaurs from a spunky chicky herself. The illustrations are so dynamic and funny and packed with fun little details and peak into the lives of chickens.
Review of advance copy
Such a cute book.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews