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.

About the author

Casey Lyall is the author of the acclaimed picture book A Spoonful of Frogs, illustrated by Vera Brosgol, as well as the picture book I Used to Be a Dinosaur, illustrated by Laurie Keller; the middle grade novels Gnome Is Where Your Heart Is; Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities; and the popular Howard Wallace, P.I. series; and the graphic novel The League of Littles, illustrated by Sara Faber. She lives in southwestern Ontario, Canada, where she also works at her local library. 
Laurie Keller is the bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including The Scrambled States of America, Do Unto Otters: A Book About Manners, Potato Pants!, and Arnie the Doughnut. We Are Growing!, part of the Elephant and Piggie Like Reading series, received the Geisel Award. She lives in Michigan with her cats, who were disappointed to learn that they did not descend from dinosaurs. www.lauriekellerbooks.com

Product details

• Authors: Casey Lyall, Lyall Casey
• Assisted by: Laurie Keller (Illustration), Keller Laurie (Illustration)
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 4 to 8
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 12.05.2026
• EAN: 9780062890313
• ISBN: 978-0-06-289031-3
• No. of pages: 32
• Subjects: Children's and young people's books; JUVENILE FICTION / Humorous Stories, JUVENILE FICTION / Animals / Farm Animals, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Humorous stories, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Birds, Picture storybooks: imagination and play, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Farm animals, JUVENILE FICTION: Humorous Stories, JUVENILE FICTION: Imagination & Play, JUVENILE FICTION: Animals / Ducks, Geese, etc., JUVENILE FICTION: Science & Nature / General, JUVENILE FICTION: Animals / Farm Animals