Dinosaur Empire! (Earth Before Us #1): Journey through the Mesozoic Era

by Abby Howard

Overview

Travel back in time to the age of the dinosaurs in Abby Howard’s Dinosaur Empire!: Journey Through the Mesozoic Era, first in the hit nonfiction graphic novel series about prehistoric Earth!

Ronnie is just a normal fifth grader trying to pass her science class’s impossible quiz on the history of dinosaurs . . . until she runs into her neighbor—Ms. Lernin, a retired paleontologist. Ronnie and Ms. Lernin travel back through time to experience the age of the dinosaurs firsthand.

They visit three important time periods of the Mesozoic Era: the Triassic, the Jurassic, and the Cretaceous. Along the way, Ronnie finds herself face-to-face with real-life dinosaurs and reptiles, like Stegosauruses, Velociraptors, and Thalattosaurs. She learns the differences between herbivores, carnivores, and omnivores, as well as between dinosaurs, insects, and reptiles.

This hilarious and fact-filled graphic novel brings the age of the dinosaurs to life and shows the important effects this era had on our world today.

The Earth Before Us series:
Dinosaur Empire!: Journey Through the Mesozoic Era (#1)
Ocean Renegades!: Journey Through the Paleozoic Era (#2)
Mammal Takeover!: Journey Through the Cenozoic Era (#3)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419736223
Publisher:	Abrams Fanfare
Publication date:	09/03/2019
Series:	Earth Before Us , #1
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	371,036
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Abby Howard is the creator of the comic website Junior Scientist Power Hour. Before becoming a full-time artist, Howard studied evolutionary biology at McGill University. She lives in Boston.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/05/2017
Howard, creator of the Junior Scientist Power Hour webcomic, ventures into children’s books with a highly entertaining (and equally informative) comic; first in the Earth Before Us series, it investigates the emergence and evolution of dinosaurs. After flunking a quiz on dinosaurs, Ronnie has the chance to retake it, and she gets unexpected help from her neighbor, anthropologist Miss Lernin, who whisks her away to the Mesozoic era via a TARDIS-like recycling bin. What follows is an information-dense but fast-moving exploration of how scientists have come to understand life in that period (dinosaurs, as well as mammals, insects, and sea life), clearly and amusingly explained through the duo’s dialogue. Smartly, Howard’s full-color cartoons (seen in b&w by PW) keep the visual details minimal, since much is still unknown about these creatures. Howard’s goal is to inform, but she doesn’t skimp on jokes (“Don’t you dare alter the course of history!” shouts Miss Lerner as Ronnie prepares to flatten the evolutionary predecessor of wasps and fire ants). A glossary and animal family tree conclude a tour of prehistoric animal life that’s impressive both for its scope and execution. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"It’s an effective way of putting the vast history of the world before humans in perspective; dinosaur nuts (and there are many) will eat it up."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**
"An information-dense but fast-moving exploration of how scientists have come to understand life in that period (dinosaurs, as well as mammals, insects, and sea life), clearly and amusingly explained through the duo’s dialogue."—Publishers Weekly

"Howard details characteristics of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, covers similarities and differences among different species, and offers information on evolution, convergent evolution, and mutations...a great addition to graphic novel or dinosaur collections."—School Library Journal

"It’s an effective way of putting the vast history of the world before humans in perspective; dinosaur nuts (and there are many) will eat it up."

—Booklist

"The graphic panels teem with (labeled) prehistoric life including, along with dozens of dinos, many early mammals and other contemporaries. Howard depicts nearly all of this fauna with snub noses and such friendly expressions..."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

"It’s an effective way of putting the vast history of the world before humans in perspective; dinosaur nuts (and there are many) will eat it up."

Booklist

06/01/2017
Gr 4–6—An in-depth look at dinosaurs, geography, and evolution, presented through an appealing framing device. After Ronnie fails her dinosaur quiz, she travels back in time with her neighbor Miss Lernin, a paleontologist, for a firsthand lesson. The two visit four different time periods: the late Triassic, the late Jurassic, the "early-ish, almost middle Cretaceous," and the late Cretaceous. Miss Lernin educates Ronnie on the geography, climate, vegetation, and animal life of each era. Howard details characteristics of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, covers similarities and differences among different species, and offers information on evolution, convergent evolution, and mutations. Names of species are in bold print and accompanied by a phonetic pronunciation. The simple, cartoon-style color illustrations are detailed enough to indicate differences among species. The conversation between Miss Lernin and Ronnie is fairly easy to follow, but the inclusion of a calendar between different eras to indicate the passing of time may be confusing, as each "day" represents millions of years. The last few pages include "Cool Animals from Other Times" and a drawing of a scientific family tree. VERDICT A great addition to graphic novel or dinosaur collections.—Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA

School Library Journal

2017-06-27
A quick trip through the Mesozoic Era with a paleontologist is all young Ronnie needs to become a dino-maniac.So desperate is Ronnie to better a dinosaur exam's failing grade that she's willing to follow her odd but scholarly neighbor Miss Lernin into a curbside recycling bin—which, thanks to "Science Magic," leaves the two in the late Triassic. Between meeting plateosaurs on that stop and a cozy nuzzle with a T. rex in the late Cretaceous, Ronnie gets an earful about dinosaur anatomy, convergent evolution, types of prehistoric life, protofeathers and other recent discoveries, and (as Miss Lernin puts it) "the exciting world of…phylogenetic trees!!" But mostly what she gets are dinosaurs. The graphic panels teem with (labeled) prehistoric life including, along with dozens of dinos, many early mammals and other contemporaries. Howard depicts nearly all of this fauna with snub noses and such friendly expressions that in no time (so to speak) Ronnie is exclaiming "Oh my gosh…Jurassic crocodylomorphs were so cute!" Indeed, her white tutor agrees, but also cool, dangerous, and majestic. Ronnie, who is depicted as a black girl, returns to the present to earn a perfect score on a retaken test and go on to spread the dino-word to her diverse classmates. Though the lack of source or resource lists is disappointing, closing graphic recaps of major prehistoric creatures and, yes, a phylogenetic tree provide some review. A change of pace from the typical blood-and-guts approach to the topic, populous enough to sate even the most rabid dinophiles. (glossary) (Graphic informational fantasy. 9-11)

Kirkus Reviews