What Are Dinosaurs?

🕐 4 min 4 sec 👦 Ages 4–5 🌍 English
Join Koko and Owlo as they explore the fascinating world of dinosaurs, sparking curiosity about these ancient creatures.
Understand what dinosaurs are Learn about the age of dinosaurs Encourage curiosity about history
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo! Owlo! Look what I found in my bag from the museum trip yesterday!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh my, Koko! That is a wonderful little toy triceratops. Did you enjoy the museum?
                
                    Koko:
                    It was the best day ever! There were giant bones everywhere. They were SO big, Owlo!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Those giant bones belonged to some very special creatures. They are called dinosaurs.
                
                    Koko:
                    I know that word! But, what actually ARE dinosaurs? Like, what were they?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Dinosaurs were incredible animals that lived on Earth a very, very long time ago.
                
                    Koko:
                    How long ago? Like, before my mom and dad were born?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Much, much longer than that, Koko. Dinosaurs lived about sixty-six million years ago.
                
                    Koko:
                    Million? That is a number I can barely even say!
                
                    Owlo:
                    It truly is enormous. Let's walk over to the school library and find a good book about them.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Here we go! This big picture book is perfect. See all these amazing creatures on the cover?
                
                    Koko:
                    Wow, they look so different from each other! That one is huge and that tiny one is the size of a chicken!
                
                    Owlo:
                    You are exactly right. Dinosaurs came in all shapes and sizes. Some were as tall as a building.
                
                    Koko:
                    And some were small? I did not know that!
                
                    Owlo:
                    The smallest ones were about as big as a pet rabbit. Dinosaurs were a very diverse group.
                
                    Koko:
                    Diverse means lots of different kinds, right?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly right! Diverse means many different types. You are getting so good at new words.
                
                    Koko:
                    So were dinosaurs like really big lizards? They kind of look like lizards in the pictures.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a very smart observation. Dinosaurs were actually reptiles, just like lizards and crocodiles.
                
                    Koko:
                    Crocodiles! Those are still around. Why are crocodiles still here but dinosaurs are not?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is one of the best questions I have heard all week. Something very big happened to Earth long ago.
                
                    Koko:
                    Something big? Like what?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Scientists believe a giant rock from space, called an asteroid, crashed into Earth.
                
                    Koko:
                    A rock from SPACE crashed into Earth? That sounds like something from a story!
                
                    Owlo:
                    It really does, but it truly happened. It caused enormous changes to the weather and plants on Earth.
                
                    Koko:
                    And the dinosaurs could not survive those changes?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Most of them could not, sadly. But here is a surprising secret hiding in this book.
                
                    Koko:
                    A secret? Tell me, tell me!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Birds! The birds we see flying outside every single day are actually related to dinosaurs.
                
                    Koko:
                    BIRDS are related to dinosaurs? The little ones that sit in the school garden?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes, those very ones! Scientists discovered that birds evolved from a group of small dinosaurs.
                
                    Koko:
                    So when I see a bird, I am sort of seeing a tiny little dinosaur? That is the coolest thing ever.
                
                    Owlo:
                    I think so too. Nature is full of the most wonderful surprises, Koko.
                
                    Koko:
                    I want to learn everything about dinosaurs now. Can we come back to this book tomorrow?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Absolutely. But first, can you tell me what we discovered together today?
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay! Dinosaurs were real animals that lived millions and millions of years ago. They were reptiles, and they came in all different sizes, from super giant to tiny little ones. A huge rock from space called an asteroid made them disappear. But here is the best part, birds are still here today and they are related to dinosaurs! So every bird is basically a tiny dinosaur wearing feathers. Next time I want to find out what dinosaurs actually ate for dinner!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That was a perfect summary, Koko. I could not have said it better myself.