Review of "Dinosaurs Before Dark"

"This is what he got for spending time with his seven-year-old sister."

     So thinks a protagonist of Mary Pope Osborne's Dinosaurs Before Dark, a time-bending journey that springboards two ordinary kids into a whole series full of adventures. Eight-and-a-half-year-old Jack is tired of his sister's creative antics. Annie loves all things magical, inventing monsters to chase her down the street while her wise older brother rolls his eyes. There's nothing Jack would like more than for Annie to just grow out of it--until she discovers a tree house full of stories in the woods beyond their house. Allied by their curiosity and love of all things literature, the two kids explore the tree house and as many titles as they can get their hands on. But it's not until Jack makes a wish that they're swept into the past, to a world full of terrifying dinosaurs. The time for games has passed; if they want to make it home alive, they'll need to find a way now. And yet...surely it wouldn't hurt to take a teeny look around. Just for a minute.

     There's something innately enchanting about the world Osborne has created. From the innocent peace of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania to the roaring, stomping creatures Jack and Annie accidentally bump into with their tree house, it only takes a few sentences to immerse readers in the fantastic settings. Although the prose is extremely concise, the brevity speeds up the plot to a rapid clip that adds just the right amount of tension. Whether Jack is fumbling for his glasses or Annie is slipping away at the wrong moment, readers are sucked into the story, feeling every twist and turn, experiencing it all with every sense they have.

     Annie and Jack are not the most rounded of characters. Their personalities are vivid and rigidly defined, and develop very little from chapter one to The End--though the latter is due in part to the story's shortness. Yet the wonderful thing about these kids is that they are decidedly unpredictable. One never knows when Jack's knowledge of dinosaurs or history will come in handy, or when his sister will decide to do something crazy. These skills, combined with the magic tree house and a mysterious memento, set the duo up for some serious adventuring in the sequels, which will undoubtedly lead to subtle character development.

     As this story was written for kids, parents don't need to worry about inappropriate content. Jack and Annie don't swear, and while they face a huge T-Rex and other scary creatures there is no gore. The bond they share is a constructive brother-sister dynamic; even if they annoy each other sometimes, Annie and Jack obviously love each other. Since the siblings are the only human cast members in this installment, there is no romance.

     I would recommend this book to kids looking for a tale of magic, make-believe, and historical monsters brought to life with a simple wish. While grown-ups may find it boring, the prose does a great job keeping younger readers on their toes. It also explores the legends of the dinosaurs, throwing brother and sister directly into their midst. For an exciting premise, fun characters, and an absorbing world, Mary Pope Osborne's Dinosaurs Before Dark deserves five stars.