Every blog needs a heart, and the heart of this one is a story about two brothers, a closet door and a world of dinosaurs. This page is the home of everything about The Closet Jungle: what it is about, who is in it, the ideas inside it and where to find it.

The story in a few sentences

Reid and Josh are brothers who share a bedroom and, one day, a very big surprise. Behind their closet door lies a living, breathing prehistoric world. There are towering plant-eaters, strange new sounds and a jungle that seems to go on forever. Their curiosity pulls them through, and what they find there changes how they see each other, their home and what it means to be brave. Along the way they rescue a baby Maiasaura and take care of Luna, a glowing baby Parasaurolophus, and discover that some adventures are too big for one person to handle alone.

We keep this overview spoiler-light on purpose. The real fun is turning the pages with your child.

Meet the characters

Reid and Josh

The two brothers are the heart of the story. They do not always see things the same way, and that is exactly the point: their different instincts help them solve problems together. For siblings reading along, they feel recognizable, from the arguments to the moments when one is there for the other.

The baby Maiasaura

Maiasaura’s name means “good mother lizard”, a name given because fossil nesting sites suggest these duck-billed dinosaurs may have cared for their young. It is a fitting species for a story about looking after someone smaller than yourself.

Luna, the glowing baby Parasaurolophus

Luna is a baby Parasaurolophus, a real duck-billed dinosaur famous for a long, hollow crest on its head. In the book Luna glows, which gives the boys both a gentle light in the dark and a big responsibility.

What children and families can take from it

Dinosaurs get children through the door, but the book is really about people. These are the ideas the story keeps coming back to:

Curiosity: asking “what is behind that door?” is how all discovery begins.
Courage: being brave does not mean having no fear; it means going on together.
Imagination: the ordinary bedroom closet becomes a gateway, a reminder that wonder is closer than we think.
Teamwork and sibling bonds: two brothers who are stronger as a pair.
Empathy: noticing how a frightened baby dinosaur feels, and responding kindly.
Responsibility: caring for something small is a serious and rewarding job.

Who it is for

The book is written for families to enjoy together, with young children being read to, confident readers going solo, and classrooms sharing it as a class. The author describes readers from toddlers up to about age 12, and the main website suggests ages 6 to 10 as the sweet spot for independent chapter-book reading. If you are not sure it is the right level, try reading the first chapter aloud and see how your child reacts.

Ways to use the book at home

Read a chapter at bedtime and ask, “What do you think is behind the next door?”
Build a pretend jungle with blankets and cardboard (our Free Activities page has ideas).
Talk about how the brothers work as a team, and when your own children have done the same.
Act out a scene using soft toys as the dinosaurs.

Teachers can find discussion questions and classroom activities in the Teacher & Classroom Guide.

Questions to ask while you read

Good read-aloud time is half reading and half conversation. Try these open questions, which work with almost any chapter and with children of different ages:

What do you think is going to happen next, and why?
How do you think Reid felt just then? How about Josh?
If you could step through your closet door, what would you hope to find?
What would you do if you met a baby dinosaur who needed help?
Which character are you most like today?

Younger children may answer with a point or a roar, and that is perfectly fine. For more ways to get children talking, see our guide to chapter books.

Where to buy The Closet Jungle

The book is published by Storytime Publishers. You can learn more and see the book on the official website, or buy it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. As explained in our Disclaimer, this blog is written by the book’s author, so these links are promotion of her own work.

Want to know the author better? Visit the author page.