Dinosaur Empire!

Starred review from June 5, 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.

July 15, 2017
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)

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June 1, 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

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Grades 4-7 When Ronnie flunks what's supposed to be an easy quiz about dinosaurs, she's understandably dejected. How is she supposed to learn everything about dinosaurs before her retake test tomorrow? Enter her eccentric ( Means she's a weirdo ) neighbor, Miss Lernin, a retired paleontologist who's happy to educate Ronnie. But Miss Lernin takes a page out of Ms. Frizzle's book when it comes to teaching methods, and she whisks Ronnie back in time to the Mesozoic Era ( Science Magic ). One quick lesson on evolution later, the pair is off, traveling through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods to explore the way dinosaurs and other creatures lived and evolved. This is more a creative presentation of facts than a true adventure story, although there are plenty of tongue-in-cheek jokes buried in the energetic, sometimes frenzied illustrations, which pack in as many dinosaurs and diagrams as possible as well as cartoonish figures with wide-eyed gazes. 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
When Ronnie flunks her dinosaur quiz, quirky neighbor Miss Lernin, a paleontologist, whisks them back to the late Triassic; other periods are explored from there, with thorough introductions to flora and fauna. There's a lot of information imparted, but the humor and graphic-novel format keep things from getting pedantic. Ronnie aces her re-test, and her budding interest in science paves the way for book two. Glos.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)