The Christmasaurus audiobook vs book: which should you choose?
A boy called William Trundle meets a dinosaur on Christmas Eve in Tom Fletcher’s festive adventure. The Musical Edition audiobook, with songs and a full orchestra, is the one to get.
Listen on Audible
Listen to The Christmasaurus in its Musical Edition. Tom Fletcher wrote and sings 14 original songs with a full orchestra, joined by Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher, and they sit inside Paul Shelley’s complete reading, so you get the whole story plus a soundtrack no book can give you. At 6 hours 25 minutes it’s ideal for a long car journey or a run of Christmas bedtimes.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | Musical Edition, our verdict | Plain reading (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Performed by | Paul Shelley reads; Tom Fletcher sings 14 songs with Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher | Paul Shelley reads |
| Length | 6 hours 25 minutes (6h 25m), unabridged | 5 hours 38 minutes (5h 38m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 4h 17m | about 3h 45m |
| At 2x | about 3h 13m | about 2h 49m |
| Audio publisher and date | Penguin Audio (Puffin), 1 November 2018 | Penguin Audio, 6 October 2016 |
| Audiobook price | £7.76 on Audible UK, $10.86 on Audible US | Not checked |
| Kindle price | £4.99 on Amazon UK | Same book |
| Puffin paperback, 400 pages, illustrated by Shane Devries | Same book | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.89 from 183 ratings (Audible UK) | Not checked |
The Musical Edition is sold under the same listing on Audible UK and US. It is unabridged and runs 47 minutes longer than the plain 2016 reading by the same narrator, which fits the full story with the songs added. It is not a dramatisation, so it is the one scored.
A US edition read by Paul Shelley (Listening Library, 2018, 5h 39m) is also listed; we couldn’t confirm whether it is the same recording as the 2016 UK reading. Ratings and prices checked 4 November 2026. They change often. Amazon US does not show Kindle prices outside the US, so US Kindle prices are not given.
Lengths checked 4 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
The Christmasaurus
Tom Fletcher
- Genre
- Children’s Christmas fantasy
- First published
- October 2016
- Illustrated by
- Shane Devries
- Length
- 400 pages (UK paperback)
- On audio
- 6 hrs 25 mins (Musical Edition); 5 hrs 38 mins (plain reading)
- Age
- 9 to 11 (Kirkus)
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Checked, not a factor here (12)
The songs and orchestra make the Musical Edition a produced recording, which gives listening 10 points. That puts it at 70%, leaning to audio. Nothing scores for reading, but a clear-cut verdict needs more than 10 points on one side.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 4 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Paul Shelley, with songs by Tom Fletcher, Penguin Audio (Puffin), 2018, 6h 25m, unabridged
- Critic review
- None found for the Musical Edition
- Alternatives
- Plain reading by Paul Shelley, 2016 (5h 38m)
- What you miss
- Shane Devries’s illustrations on nearly every spread
What this book actually is
The Christmasaurus is a children’s Christmas adventure by Tom Fletcher, illustrated by Shane Devries. It begins long ago, when a dinosaur egg freezes in the ocean, and follows William Trundle, a boy who meets the dinosaur on Christmas Eve. Kirkus lists it for ages 9 to 11.
It is the first book in a series that continues with The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch. A stage version, The Christmasaurus Live, ran at the Eventim Apollo in London in December 2017.
The case for reading it
The book is illustrated throughout, and Kirkus describes Shane Devries’s pictures or spot art on nearly every spread. The story doesn’t depend on them, but reading together lets children follow along with the art.
At 400 pages it also suits a chapter a night at bedtime.
The case for listening to it
The Musical Edition adds something a reading can’t. Paul Shelley reads the full story, and Tom Fletcher sings 14 original songs with a full orchestra, joined by Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher.
It’s unabridged, so nothing is cut to make room for the music. At 6 hours 25 minutes it fills a long car journey or a run of Christmas bedtimes, and Audible UK listeners rate the performance 4.89.
The audiobook in detail
Paul Shelley has recorded the book twice, both unabridged. His plain 2016 reading runs 5 hours 38 minutes. The 2018 Musical Edition from Penguin Audio (Puffin) runs 6 hours 25 minutes and adds the 14 songs from the print Musical Edition, which came with a CD, to the full reading. Penguin UK credits Max Reader and Harry Judd on two of the songs.
Neither recording comes with a PDF of the illustrations. One listener says the songs come in louder than the reading, so keep a hand on the volume at bedtime.
Who should ignore this verdict
Read the book together if your children want to see the pictures.
If you’d rather have the story without the singing, choose Paul Shelley’s plain 2016 reading, which is 47 minutes shorter.
Audiobook
- Musical Edition: Paul Shelley reads, Tom Fletcher sings
- 6h 25m, with 14 songs
- Unabridged
Kindle
- 400 pages (UK paperback)
- Shane Devries’s illustrations throughout
- About 6½ hours to read (our estimate)
Related verdicts
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The Snowman and the Snowdog
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The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
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The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
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A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
Unlike most of W. Bruce Cameron’s dog books, it isn’t told by one dog. The story moves between the family and their dogs, old Winstead among them, and Mary Steenburgen reads them all, so it’s easier to follow on the page whose section you’re in.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates The Christmasaurus audiobook?
Paul Shelley reads the story. In the Musical Edition, Tom Fletcher sings 14 songs with an orchestra, with Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher also performing.
How long is The Christmasaurus audiobook?
The Musical Edition is 6 hours 25 minutes. The plain reading is 5 hours 38 minutes.
Is The Christmasaurus Musical Edition abridged?
No. Audible lists it as unabridged: the full story with songs added.
How many pages is The Christmasaurus?
The UK Puffin paperback has 400 pages.
What age is The Christmasaurus for?
Kirkus lists it for ages 9 to 11, and WHSmith calls it a middle-grade novel.
What order are the Christmasaurus books in?
The Christmasaurus comes first, followed by The Christmasaurus and the Winter Witch. The series also includes The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List and A Christmasaurus Carol.
Is there a Christmasaurus film?
An animated musical film was announced in October 2016, and WHSmith says a film is reportedly in development. No release date has been announced.
Was The Christmasaurus a stage musical?
Yes. The Christmasaurus Live ran at the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, from 21 to 28 December 2017, with Tom Fletcher, Harry Judd, Matt Willis, Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher.
Should I read or listen to The Christmasaurus?
Listen, and choose the Musical Edition. It adds 14 songs, sung by Tom Fletcher with a full orchestra, to Paul Shelley’s complete reading. Read the book together if your children want to see Shane Devries’s illustrations.
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