Lost Time

July 15, 2023
A child separated from their moms by more than 60 million years shares adventures with some Mesozoic companions. Suddenly surrounded by lush greenery after getting trapped in a time machine, Evie--androgynous in appearance and drawn in the clean-lined, richly colored art with big, expressive eyes--is frantic to get a message back to Mom and Mama. Fortunately, an abandoned exploratory base nearby provides shelter and recordings of a previous research team's logs. Unfortunately, the nearest temporal communicator is at another base, far away. But some time later, having raised Ada, a towering Quetzalcoatlus northropi, from a hatchling to a full-grown, flying pterosaur, Evie has the means to get there, fashioning a saddle and setting out on a soaring journey over Cretaceous landscapes for encounters with a colorful, carefully detailed cast of dinosaurs and dino cousins (all identified in an appended portrait gallery) and narrow escapes from natural disasters and toothy predators alike. Along with being laudably resourceful, Evie has a real way with animals; not only is the relationship between small child and intelligent, airplane-sized buddy palpably affectionate, but an injured young T. rex that Evie nurses back to health peaceably sticks around long enough to chase off a gang of smaller raptors and startle Mom and Mama when they at last rush in for a joyful reunion. One parent shares Evie's coppery brown skin and glossy black hair; the other parent reads Black. Delightfully improbable adventures plus dinosaurs galore! (Graphic science fiction. 8-11)

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October 1, 2023

Gr 5 Up-Evie is accidentally thrown back in time to an era where dinosaurs roam the earth. She discovers and grabs an egg, and when the creature hatches, they instantly bond. Along the way, she stumbles on a man-made shelter that once housed other time travelers. With her new dinosaurlike friend, Ada, and the recordings left behind, Evie adapts and learns to survive. But she misses her moms terribly and knows that she must figure out how to get back to them. The fantastic artwork, with bright and vivid illustrations of prehistoric creatures, will charm middle graders. The expressive colors, detailed drawings, and panoramic scenes of a beautiful and undeveloped Earth create a magnificent adventure. VERDICT Young readers will thoroughly enjoy this story. -Esther Keller

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 20, 2023
Grades 3-7 Twelve-year-old Evie is lost in time. During an experiment her moms were running, she was accidentally sent back to the Cretaceous period--alone. Luckily, she is not alone for very long. Evie rescues an egg from being devoured by a hungry dinosaur, and a baby pterosaur she names Ada hatches from it. The two quickly come to rely on each other, and they find shelter in an abandoned research facility, where Evie learns of a device that would allow her to communicate across time with her moms. Only, the device is located halfway across the world. Along the way, they encounter ferocious dinosaurs and inclement weather, all for a chance to get Evie home. Will Evie ever reunite with her parents? Mukanik takes extra care in illustrating the various Cretaceous creatures, all of which are marvelously detailed while still maintaining an expressive cartoon quality, and the action-packed prehistoric jungle setting makes for excellent atmosphere and world building. Middle-grade comics fans looking for adventure with accurate depictions of dinosaurs will be very satisfied with this.

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