DINOSAUR TRAIN® “Dinosaurs A to Z”

The EMMY^®-nominated animated children’s series DINOSAUR TRAIN^® premiered the new “Dinosaurs A to Z” one-hour special  May 14 on PBS KIDS^® to encourage preschoolers to practice the letters of the alphabet while learning about the diversity of dinosaurs. If you missed the premiere of the special you can catch it again tomorrow May 18 (check local listings).

In DINOSAUR TRAIN, young viewers join Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons, on whimsical adventures through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans as they discover basic concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology.  The Dinosaur Train, a colorful locomotive, is customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs, and has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds, while the Train’s Conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with fascinating facts along the way.

“Dinosaurs A to Z” consists of four stories that follow Buddy, Shiny, Tiny and Don as they explore the diversity of dinosaur species while practicing the letters of the alphabet (“Dinosaurs A to Z The Big Idea”/”Spread the Word” and “Dinosaurs A to Z Classification”/”Dinosaurs A to Z Picnic”).

The one-hour special begins aboard the Dinosaur Train where Tiny gets the idea to gather all the dinosaurs in the “Dinosaurs A to Z” song for a picnic at Troodon Town.  The conductor agrees, and as the Train starts picking up dinosaurs, Tiny, Buddy, Shiny and Don help keep track of how many of the different species have come on board.  They learn about classification and organize the dinosaurs by their species, features, and size. When all 26 dinosaurs finally come on board, the Train has more extra cars than ever before and they need an additional engine to help pull it! Once they arrive at Troodon Town for the picnic, Tiny leads the 26 different “A to Z” dinosaurs in a fun, rousing, and historic singing of the “Dinosaurs A to Z” song!

• Dinosaurs A to Z

Premieres Monday, May 14

Repeats Friday, May 18

“The Big Idea” Part 1

While riding the Dinosaur Train with Buddy and Mom, Tiny gets the idea to gather all the

dinosaurs in the `Dinosaurs A to Z’ song for a picnic at Troodon Town.  The Conductor

agrees, and the Train starts picking up dinosaurs, as Tiny and Buddy help keep track of how many of the different species have come on board, and where they are on the dinosaur A to Z list.

“Spread the Word” Part 2

The Dinosaur Train continues traveling around the Mesozoic picking up more and more dinosaurs that are in the `Dinosaurs A to Z’ song, on the way to a picnic at Troodon Town.  As more train cars are added, and the rest of the Pteranodon family comes on board, Tiny and Mrs. Conductor team up to help keep order on the increasingly crowded Train.  

“Classification” Part 3

The Pteranodon family rides the Dinosaur Train – now with extra cars attached – as it continues picking up more dinosaurs that are in the `Dinosaurs A to Z’ song.  The Pteranodon family reunites with some dinosaurs they’ve met before, and are introduced to species they’ve never met!   The Pteranodon kids also learn about classification, and Don leads the way organizing the dinosaurs on the Train by their species, features, and size.  

“A to Z Picnic” Part 4

The Pteranodon family is on the Dinosaur Train, now very crowded with all 26 dinosaurs mentioned in the `Dinosaurs A to Z’ song.  The Train has added more extra cars than it ever has, and there’s even an additional engine to help pull the Train to Troodon Town.  At Troodon Town, all the dinosaurs have fun at a picnic, and then Tiny leads the 26 different `A to Z’ dinosaurs in a fun, rousing, and historic singing of the `Dinosaurs A to Z’ song!