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Let's Investigate with Nate #3: Dinosaurs
Bill Nye the Science Guy meets the Magic School Bus in this new STEM-based picture book series from the Emmy Award-winning host of PBS’s Design Squad and Design Squad Nation , Nate Ball. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children. Ever head to the museum and wish you could go back in time to see how big dinosaurs really were? Or think about what dinosaurs ate and where they lived? Follow Nate and his diverse team of intrepid scientists as they travel back across the millennia to dig up prehistoric fossils, travel across ancient landscapes, and discover what caused the dinosaur’s mass extinction. Featuring vibrant illustrations by Wes Hargis and a lively and a lovable cast of characters, the Let’s Investigate with Nate books align to grade-appropriate state-level learning standards and curriculum. With sidebars and charts and graphs and interactive elements—including a Do It Yourself experiment at the back of the book— Dinosaurs takes young readers on an adventure in learning and makes learning an adventure!
40 pages, Hardcover
Published April 17, 2018
2 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 12, 2025
Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs! by Nate Hall
A thrilling time-travel adventure through Earth's prehistoric past—perfect for curious young minds and budding paleontologists.
In Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs!, Nate Hall invites readers on a captivating journey through Earth's ancient history, guided by the vibrant setting of a science museum—a true portal to other worlds and other times. Joined by four inquisitive kids, Nate leads an exploration that transforms complex scientific concepts into an exciting, hands-on adventure.
• A Creative Perspective on Time
The book cleverly compares Earth’s entire history to a single day, showing that humans appeared only in the final minute. It’s a powerful way to help children grasp the vastness of geologic time and our place within it.
• Fossils as Clues to the Past
Readers learn that fossils—preserved remains of long-dead creatures—are the key to unlocking Earth’s history. Paleontologists, the scientists who study these clues, are portrayed as detectives piecing together the story of life.
• The Mystery of Dinosaurs
The book dives into the age of dinosaurs, exploring the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era. While the exact reason for their extinction remains unknown, the journey through their world is rich with detail and wonder.
• Geologic Time Made Simple
Nate explains eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages in a way that’s easy to understand. These divisions are based on the layers of rock that make up our planet—each one a chapter in Earth’s story.
• A World in Transformation
During the Triassic, Earth was one giant supercontinent called Pangaea, surrounded by a single ocean. The climate was hot and dry. In the Jurassic, the land began to split, the climate turned hot and wet, and the earliest birds—like Archaeopteryx—took flight. By the Cretaceous, dinosaurs thrived in herds during what’s considered their golden age.
• A Mission to Return a Lost Dino
At the heart of the story is a mission: to return a small lost dinosaur to its correct time period. This quest adds a layer of excitement and purpose, helping readers absorb scientific facts through storytelling.
This book is more than just a lesson in paleontology—it’s an invitation to explore, imagine, and investigate. Nate Hall masterfully blends science with adventure, making Earth’s ancient past feel alive and accessible. Whether used in classrooms, museums, or bedtime reading, Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs! is a brilliant tool for sparking curiosity and inspiring future explorers.
A dynamic and engaging read that turns prehistoric science into a thrilling detective story. With Nate as your guide, learning about dinosaurs has never been more fun—or more meaningful.
A thrilling time-travel adventure through Earth's prehistoric past—perfect for curious young minds and budding paleontologists.
In Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs!, Nate Hall invites readers on a captivating journey through Earth's ancient history, guided by the vibrant setting of a science museum—a true portal to other worlds and other times. Joined by four inquisitive kids, Nate leads an exploration that transforms complex scientific concepts into an exciting, hands-on adventure.
• A Creative Perspective on Time
The book cleverly compares Earth’s entire history to a single day, showing that humans appeared only in the final minute. It’s a powerful way to help children grasp the vastness of geologic time and our place within it.
• Fossils as Clues to the Past
Readers learn that fossils—preserved remains of long-dead creatures—are the key to unlocking Earth’s history. Paleontologists, the scientists who study these clues, are portrayed as detectives piecing together the story of life.
• The Mystery of Dinosaurs
The book dives into the age of dinosaurs, exploring the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods of the Mesozoic Era. While the exact reason for their extinction remains unknown, the journey through their world is rich with detail and wonder.
• Geologic Time Made Simple
Nate explains eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages in a way that’s easy to understand. These divisions are based on the layers of rock that make up our planet—each one a chapter in Earth’s story.
• A World in Transformation
During the Triassic, Earth was one giant supercontinent called Pangaea, surrounded by a single ocean. The climate was hot and dry. In the Jurassic, the land began to split, the climate turned hot and wet, and the earliest birds—like Archaeopteryx—took flight. By the Cretaceous, dinosaurs thrived in herds during what’s considered their golden age.
• A Mission to Return a Lost Dino
At the heart of the story is a mission: to return a small lost dinosaur to its correct time period. This quest adds a layer of excitement and purpose, helping readers absorb scientific facts through storytelling.
This book is more than just a lesson in paleontology—it’s an invitation to explore, imagine, and investigate. Nate Hall masterfully blends science with adventure, making Earth’s ancient past feel alive and accessible. Whether used in classrooms, museums, or bedtime reading, Let’s Investigate with Nate: Dinosaurs! is a brilliant tool for sparking curiosity and inspiring future explorers.
A dynamic and engaging read that turns prehistoric science into a thrilling detective story. With Nate as your guide, learning about dinosaurs has never been more fun—or more meaningful.
January 25, 2022
We grabbed this as a cute addition to my kindergartener's requested unit study on dinosaurs. The art is good. I liked the concept of traveling through the eons. The dialogue added very little. My 4 year old just liked the pictures. My 5 year old only wanted to hear the facts. He was constantly pointing to things and asking what they were.
Is this a book I'll go out and purchase full price? Probably not. If it's a gift or I thrift it, I'll keep it (saying a lot there because I'm very limited on space). I'm very glad the library had it.
Is this a book I'll go out and purchase full price? Probably not. If it's a gift or I thrift it, I'll keep it (saying a lot there because I'm very limited on space). I'm very glad the library had it.
August 13, 2018
Interesting story - the framework is familiar, but as science marches on, it's good to have new books come out to explain what's changed since I was a kid in *my* dinosaur phase. (Though I totally still guessed Tiny was a Compy the first time I saw him. :-p )
October 27, 2018
Super cute book about dinosaurs. Includes names and descriptions. Makes science come to life!
February 23, 2021
A lot of big scientific terms and it kept my 5 and 7 yo enthralled. Many opportunities for questions
May 3, 2021
Mason and I read this before bed together. I felt like this book was way over his head in the length. It didn't not keep his attention at all. I did like how it had lots of facts explaining different dinosaur time periods. But I felt like the facts got lost in the story-line. The illustrations in this book are cute and kept Mason's attention somewhat. This book is worth checking out. It was not our favorite but it was okay.
December 27, 2020
I really liked this book. I thought it was a fun way to learn a lot about dinosaurs and the times during which they lived. It had a fairly indepth story and lots of good information. I recommend it for kids 6 to 12.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews