Book Review: Dinosaurs Divorce, A Guide for Changing Families

By Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown

It’s not easy to talk to your children about your divorce; it will be hard to maintain the neutral, matter-of-fact tone that most experts recommend when your own heart is breaking. Sometimes a good book can help. 

Among the many useful resources available to help parents start a conversation with their children about divorce is Dinosaurs Divorce, published by Little Brown and Company.  Although originally published in 1988, it’s a book for young children that stands the test of time.  

Its straightforward, simple language, accompanied by engaging illustrations, explains many of the facts surrounding divorce. Dinosaurs Divorce explains divorce from start to finish in just 32 illustrated pages. It’s a book to read with your children and to refer to when your children have questions about the changes to your family. 

The glossary at the beginning explains what common terms mean, and the section on feelings, titled “What About You?” will be particularly helpful.  The chapter discusses the many feelings children have surrounding their parent’s divorce.  Thoughtful parents will use the “sad, angry, ashamed, guilty, afraid, confused, relieved and worried” illustrations as jumping-off points to spark deeper discussions about what your child is feeling, and how to help the child identify and understand what they are feeling. 

Dinosaurs Divorce is not a substitute for talking with your child about your divorce.  Instead, you should use it as a conversation starter. The book encourages children to be patient and resilient with the changes to their families, including how to adjust to their parent’s new partners and the step and half-siblings that may come with them.

The illustrations and simple language of Dinosaurs Divorce make it appropriate for children as young as age three. Children older than ten may find the book simplistic. Parents should review the book before their children read it to assess its appropriateness for their child. 

Because of its age, the book does not mention same-sex divorces, although all of the same principles apply.