Dinosaurs Before Dark Graphic Novel (Magic Tree House (R))

I had just started the Magic Tree House novel set with my six year old when I learned about this new reimagining of an old favorite. As an educator, I'm a huge fan of graphic novels. They captivate my third grade students, providing a bridge between early chapter books and the longer ones they'll encounter in the years to come. They are colorful and engaging, and Dinosaurs Before Dark did not disappoint. The plot remains almost identical to the original, which will thrill parents and educators who remember reading these years ago, but the vibrant colorful illustrations add so much to the story (props to twin sister illustrators (Kelly and Nichole Matthews).

My only critique would be the missed opportunity to add some inclusivity to the novel by not changing Jack and Annie's ethnicity. There is nothing in the original books to hint at their background, and it would have been a wonderful addition to this book to show BIPOC characters.

Kids from 6 to 12 will be thrilled to read this one, and it shouldn't matter if they've read the novel version or not. I can see students who HAVE read the novel version enjoying a more illustrated version, and also kids who have not read the chapter book wanting to after reading this graphic novel. I will be purchasing for my classroom.

Our son is now in his 20s and he loved these books. Our ten year old daughter does as well!

Beautiful hardcover book. The graphics are exceptional. Super colorful and the storyline unleashes children's imaginations. Kiddo wouldn't put it down!

I got this for my ELL students. It's great!

I love that magic treehouse has this graphic version since my son loves to read these types of books. The books arrived damaged so that’s why I’m a little disappointed.

I bought this book for my grandson to get him to reading more and less game playing on the phone or console. He loved the book and has asked for more.

My 5 year old daughter didn't want to stop reading this at bedtime. She's not super excited about reading most of the time, but I picked up a couple graphic novels from the library for her hoping they'd pique her interest, this book being one of them, and so far it's been great! She's not reading yet, (even if she was this would not be an easy read for beginners) so I am reading this aloud to her. The illustrations are really cute & I'm enjoying reading it with her. We previously have read a regular chapter book from the series & she didn't enjoy it as much since there are few pictures to keep her interest. If you have a reluctant reader I highly recommend that you get them some graphic novels, this is a great one to start with.

My daughter really liked that it had pictures and was at her reading level. She’s listened to many of the other stories and looks forward to Merlin Missions in this format.

Join Jack and Annie as they discover a mysterious (and magical!) tree house in the woods not far from their house. The tree house is filled from top to bottom with books and when Jack and Annie make a wish, they find themselves thrust back into the time of the dinosaurs!

My daughter and I started reading this chapter book series last year and really enjoyed all the time travel adventures that Jack and Annie find themselves on. They are quick and easy reads that are perfect for beginner readers and are filled with facts about the time period that they end up traveling to so they are both fun and educational.

This new graphic novel adaptation was even more fun to read, especially because my daughter picked this one up and read it out loud to me instead of the usual vice versa. The 'he said's and 'she said's were left out and there's a lot of onomatopoeia that makes this beginner-reader friendly.

This series is perfect for fans of history and magic and this first adaptation is perfect for dinosaur lovers!

A well-done graphic novel version of the "classic" first book of the Magic Tree House series. (Yes, it is now a classic. It came out in 1992 - almost 30 years ago. While I'm not sure the writing is classic, the concept certainly is!) This will serve as a transition to the idea of chapter books, as well as an entree into the much loved series.