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Magic Tree House Graphic Novel #1
Dinosaurs Before Dark
The #1 bestselling chapter book is now a graphic novel! Magic. Mystery. Time-travel. Get whisked back in time in the magic tree house with Jack and Annie!
Where did the tree house come from?
Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark...or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?
For the first time in graphic novel--live the adventure again in the very first Magic Tree House book, with new art from comic artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews!
Where did the tree house come from?
Before Jack and Annie can find out, the mysterious tree house whisks them to the prehistoric past. Now they have to figure out how to get home. Can they do it before dark...or will they become a dinosaur's dinner?
For the first time in graphic novel--live the adventure again in the very first Magic Tree House book, with new art from comic artists Kelly and Nichole Matthews!
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
April 4, 2023
How was this even more enjoyable than the book!?
There isn't much to say about this one because it pretty much follows the same exact plot as the original story, BUT the art was FANTASTIC. I'm not sure why I felt myself more invested in the graphic novel than the originally published novel, but I quickly devoured this. I'm particularly excited to see how many of these books they actually end up adapting. Right now it seems to be book for book, but that may end up slowing down considering the amount of books that exist in this series. Overall, I would say that if you loved or even just liked the first book then I would recommend picking this one up.
There isn't much to say about this one because it pretty much follows the same exact plot as the original story, BUT the art was FANTASTIC. I'm not sure why I felt myself more invested in the graphic novel than the originally published novel, but I quickly devoured this. I'm particularly excited to see how many of these books they actually end up adapting. Right now it seems to be book for book, but that may end up slowing down considering the amount of books that exist in this series. Overall, I would say that if you loved or even just liked the first book then I would recommend picking this one up.
August 19, 2022
This is the first in the Magic Tree House series to be adapted as a graphic novel, and the first in the series overall.
In Dinosaurs Before Dark, Jack and Annie discover the magic treehouse in the woods of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania and begin to understand how the magic works. In this first volume, readers get a good sense of who Jack and Annie are- both very likeable characters (Annie is curious, gentle, and loves animals. Jack is intelligent, cautious, and protective of his little sister.) The pair is a good example of a positive brother-sister relationship. The story has a bit of adventure and just enough suspense to keep young readers interested without being too scary.
The graphic novel adaptation was done very well. I enjoyed seeing some hints in the illustrations as to books in the Magic Tree House series that are yet to come! -Diana F.
In Dinosaurs Before Dark, Jack and Annie discover the magic treehouse in the woods of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania and begin to understand how the magic works. In this first volume, readers get a good sense of who Jack and Annie are- both very likeable characters (Annie is curious, gentle, and loves animals. Jack is intelligent, cautious, and protective of his little sister.) The pair is a good example of a positive brother-sister relationship. The story has a bit of adventure and just enough suspense to keep young readers interested without being too scary.
The graphic novel adaptation was done very well. I enjoyed seeing some hints in the illustrations as to books in the Magic Tree House series that are yet to come! -Diana F.
March 5, 2021
Dinosaurs before Dark is the first book in the Magic Treehouse graphic novel series. Jack and Annie find a treehouse in the woods, and climb inside. It is filled with books. When Jack picks up a Dinosaur book and wishes he could see them, the treehouse begins to spin and they are whisked into the past, where they meet and learn about dinosaurs of different kinds.
This is a fantastic Children's graphic novel with cute and colorful illustrations that any child will love. Children will learn about dinosaurs while also experiencing a time travel adventure with Jack and Annie. The story is interesting and even as an adult, I loved it. I plan to purchase this series for my grandson. You can't get any higher praise than that.
I received a free temporary digital copy of this book from Random House. My review is voluntary.
This is a fantastic Children's graphic novel with cute and colorful illustrations that any child will love. Children will learn about dinosaurs while also experiencing a time travel adventure with Jack and Annie. The story is interesting and even as an adult, I loved it. I plan to purchase this series for my grandson. You can't get any higher praise than that.
I received a free temporary digital copy of this book from Random House. My review is voluntary.
July 11, 2023
I looooved Magic Tree House books as a kid, but I hadn't thought about them in ages! I was browsing through the library's MG graphic novels recently and saw a few of these MTH adaptations sitting on the shelf, and had to check them out right away. This was such a fun trip down memory lane! Dinosaurs were the perfect topic to kick off the series with, IMO, but maybe I've just always been biased because I was a diehard "dino kid" back in the day. Anyways, the art was really cute and colorful, the text was super easy to read without being too childish, and I adored how sweet the dinos were (aside from the T. Rex, of course!). I'd totally recommend this to any kid who enjoys time travel, adventure books, or dinos!
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April 21, 2021
This was my favorite book series growing up, and this graphic novel adaptation is perfect! The art captures the story so well, and I was right there with Annie wanting to pet all the dinosaurs. I'm really looking forward to more adaptations of this series.
Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
February 16, 2023
This was so cool!
December 30, 2021
As a fan of the original books, I was scared to read this graphic novel thinking it would be some cheap cash grab. Turns out I was wrong. The artwork is beautiful and truly brings out the cinematic potential of the Magic Tree House series. Great!
January 13, 2021
Oh, how this book takes me back to my childhood when I read and loved all of the Magic Tree House books 🌳🏠✨🦖 Thanks again to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.
Brother and sister, Jack and Annie, come across a mysterious treehouse that’s filled with tons and tons of books. One book in particular takes them on an adventure to another time and place, a place that’s filled with DINOSAURS!! How will they get back home? Reading this book definitely brought back great memories of reading this series as a kid and reminds me why I loved reading series growing up. Once you finish one book, you need to read the next one to see what happens to your favorite characters! I can’t wait to see what adventure Jack and Annie go on next 😊
Brother and sister, Jack and Annie, come across a mysterious treehouse that’s filled with tons and tons of books. One book in particular takes them on an adventure to another time and place, a place that’s filled with DINOSAURS!! How will they get back home? Reading this book definitely brought back great memories of reading this series as a kid and reminds me why I loved reading series growing up. Once you finish one book, you need to read the next one to see what happens to your favorite characters! I can’t wait to see what adventure Jack and Annie go on next 😊
March 7, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this prior to its release!
This was such a nostalgic read for me!
Magic Tree House was my favorite series to read as a kid, and it made me fall in love with reading! I was so excited to see that there is a graphic novel version of the books coming out, talk about some serious fan girling!
The illustrations were beautiful and it was so fun to relive Jack and Annie’s first adventure in the Tree House! This had all the same magic and fun as the first time I ever read this book and all the books to follow!
Very much looking forward to the next installment!
This was such a nostalgic read for me!
Magic Tree House was my favorite series to read as a kid, and it made me fall in love with reading! I was so excited to see that there is a graphic novel version of the books coming out, talk about some serious fan girling!
The illustrations were beautiful and it was so fun to relive Jack and Annie’s first adventure in the Tree House! This had all the same magic and fun as the first time I ever read this book and all the books to follow!
Very much looking forward to the next installment!
June 15, 2024
Cute illustrations! Added in a few things but otherwise exactly the same lines. Including the weird statement about pretending to eat grass when a dog charges a child.
Christian faith rating: 0/3 or -1/3
Christian faith rating: 0/3 or -1/3
June 18, 2021
Picked this one up for Lu and we both read it right away. She's already talking about which friends to share it with!
July 19, 2021
The illustrations in this are beautiful! As someone who used to love this series growing up, I think this version will bring a whole new generation of fans to the series.
January 7, 2022
Just finished reading this to my 4 year old. I don’t know who had more fun. Me or him?
January 16, 2022
so cute!
October 24, 2021
I located this book on Amazon after looking for science fiction/fantasy books for kids. Originally, I was just going to pick one of the #1 bestselling Magic Tree House novels, but when I saw that the first book in the series had been turned into a graphic novel, I knew I wanted to read it. I have never read any of the Magic Tree House books before, so I can't compare this version of the book to the actual novel, but I have heard many positive things about them and know many kids who love reading them. This book was originally published on June 15th, 2021. This book would be best suited for children ages 7-9 or in grades 1-4. I do think that 2-4 graders could read this somewhat independently, but feel that younger children might need this to be read to them, even with the smaller amount of words.
This story is about two siblings named Annie and Jack who are about maybe 8 and 10 respectively. They discover a tree house in the woods one day and decide to explore it. They discover a bunch of books in the treehouse and open one about dinosaurs. When they wish they could go back to that time, the book magically transports them to the time of the dinosaurs. The story follows their journey in the dawn of the dinosaurs as they try to find a way back home. The story is told in the 3rd person omniscent view, with the "narrator" seeming to know some of both Jack and and Annie's thoughts. Their thoughts are distinguished from what they are saying based on the lines around the bubbles, with their thought bubbles outlined in a dotted line and their speech bubbles with solid lines. The pictures are just as you would expect in a comic book/graphic novel, with panels of pictures on each page, sometimes three or four pictures on the same page. The pictures also alternate between two page spreads on corresponding pages and separate pictures on two pages. The pictures are very colorful and detailed and really makes the reader feel like they are right there with Jack and Annie. For example, on page 45, they are in the field with the dinosaurs and in the picture there are brightly colored flowers, the grass is detailed and you can see individual blades of grass. You can even see the lines on the trunk of the tree. The picture looks almost life-like. There is also a lot of detail in the facial expressions of the characters, and this helps readers connect and relate to the characters and helps them understand and empathize with them. For example, when they are being chased by the T-Rex, there are looks of pure panic on their face, helping the reader understand how they're feeling and empathize with them, hoping they are able to find a way out of the mess.
The book has themes of friendship, kindness, and teamwork. Neither one would have made it safely back home without the other and without the help of friends they made along the way. Something that I read about in Chapter 8 of CBCH that I noticed in this book was about the suspension of disbelief. Throughout the book, Annie has a very child-like wonder and curiosity about the situation and is just willing to believe everything that is happening to them and is just enjoying living in the moment, whereas Jack takes a little more convincing. He is relatable because he is skeptical, just like the readers may be at first. It isn't until Jack finds a medallion in the field that he begins to become a believer in the magic, which makes readers more likely to suspend their disbelief and believe it too.
The book features two main characters who are siblings. They are both white, and since there are no other human characters, there is not much diversity in this book. It is nice to see a female protagonist in a fantasy/science fiction story though, as many of the fantasy/sci-fi stories I have seen and read have mostly featured male protagonists or females as side characters. Though in this book, Annie shares the spotlight with her brother, Jack, so she isn't the solo protagonist. I love that this book leaves readers with the message that books can literally transport us. While we can't actually go to another time or world by opening up a book, we get to live vicariously through the characters in this book and because of the details in the words and the pictures, readers can feel like they are right there with Jack and Annie and they have actually been transported to the dawn of the dinosaurs too.
I didn't think I would enjoy the graphic novel because I have never liked reading comics and have found it hard to keep up and follow along with the format of comics, but I found that I really enjoyed reading the book in this format. Not only was it nice to not have as many words to read like I would with a regular novel, I also loved the pictures and feel like they added a lot more to the story than I would have gained by just reading it in the regular novel format. I am beginning to understand why kids like reading these kinds of books so much.
Lastly, I could see this book being used in a few different ways. It could be good to use for a lesson on onomatopeias and how to use this literary element in writing, as this element is present many times throughout the book. Another important way this book could be used in the classroom is to learn about character traits and comparison and contrast. Throughout the book, readers get to know Annie and Jack's personalities and the traits that make each of them unique. For example, Annie is more impulsive, curious, and positive, whereas Jack thinks before he does anything, is more cautious and skeptical and has a more negative attitude than Annie. Readers could analyze each person's character traits and compare and contrast the two characters as well.
This story is about two siblings named Annie and Jack who are about maybe 8 and 10 respectively. They discover a tree house in the woods one day and decide to explore it. They discover a bunch of books in the treehouse and open one about dinosaurs. When they wish they could go back to that time, the book magically transports them to the time of the dinosaurs. The story follows their journey in the dawn of the dinosaurs as they try to find a way back home. The story is told in the 3rd person omniscent view, with the "narrator" seeming to know some of both Jack and and Annie's thoughts. Their thoughts are distinguished from what they are saying based on the lines around the bubbles, with their thought bubbles outlined in a dotted line and their speech bubbles with solid lines. The pictures are just as you would expect in a comic book/graphic novel, with panels of pictures on each page, sometimes three or four pictures on the same page. The pictures also alternate between two page spreads on corresponding pages and separate pictures on two pages. The pictures are very colorful and detailed and really makes the reader feel like they are right there with Jack and Annie. For example, on page 45, they are in the field with the dinosaurs and in the picture there are brightly colored flowers, the grass is detailed and you can see individual blades of grass. You can even see the lines on the trunk of the tree. The picture looks almost life-like. There is also a lot of detail in the facial expressions of the characters, and this helps readers connect and relate to the characters and helps them understand and empathize with them. For example, when they are being chased by the T-Rex, there are looks of pure panic on their face, helping the reader understand how they're feeling and empathize with them, hoping they are able to find a way out of the mess.
The book has themes of friendship, kindness, and teamwork. Neither one would have made it safely back home without the other and without the help of friends they made along the way. Something that I read about in Chapter 8 of CBCH that I noticed in this book was about the suspension of disbelief. Throughout the book, Annie has a very child-like wonder and curiosity about the situation and is just willing to believe everything that is happening to them and is just enjoying living in the moment, whereas Jack takes a little more convincing. He is relatable because he is skeptical, just like the readers may be at first. It isn't until Jack finds a medallion in the field that he begins to become a believer in the magic, which makes readers more likely to suspend their disbelief and believe it too.
The book features two main characters who are siblings. They are both white, and since there are no other human characters, there is not much diversity in this book. It is nice to see a female protagonist in a fantasy/science fiction story though, as many of the fantasy/sci-fi stories I have seen and read have mostly featured male protagonists or females as side characters. Though in this book, Annie shares the spotlight with her brother, Jack, so she isn't the solo protagonist. I love that this book leaves readers with the message that books can literally transport us. While we can't actually go to another time or world by opening up a book, we get to live vicariously through the characters in this book and because of the details in the words and the pictures, readers can feel like they are right there with Jack and Annie and they have actually been transported to the dawn of the dinosaurs too.
I didn't think I would enjoy the graphic novel because I have never liked reading comics and have found it hard to keep up and follow along with the format of comics, but I found that I really enjoyed reading the book in this format. Not only was it nice to not have as many words to read like I would with a regular novel, I also loved the pictures and feel like they added a lot more to the story than I would have gained by just reading it in the regular novel format. I am beginning to understand why kids like reading these kinds of books so much.
Lastly, I could see this book being used in a few different ways. It could be good to use for a lesson on onomatopeias and how to use this literary element in writing, as this element is present many times throughout the book. Another important way this book could be used in the classroom is to learn about character traits and comparison and contrast. Throughout the book, readers get to know Annie and Jack's personalities and the traits that make each of them unique. For example, Annie is more impulsive, curious, and positive, whereas Jack thinks before he does anything, is more cautious and skeptical and has a more negative attitude than Annie. Readers could analyze each person's character traits and compare and contrast the two characters as well.
March 5, 2021
Thanks to Random House Children's for the electronic advance copy of "Dinosaurs Before Dark: Graphic Novel" by Mary Pope Osborne, adapted by Jenny Laird , illustrated by Kelly + Nichole Matthews.
AHHHHH I am so excited that these graphic novel adaptation of Magic Tree House are going to be out in the world!
I have no doubt my kids will be counting down the days until May 4th to get their hands on this book and it will introduce this magical series to an entire new set of readers who might be shying away from the chapter books simply because they aren't graphic novels. This is one of my favorite series to recommend and read aloud with young readers and families and now they are fantastic for read-to-self for beginning and emerging readers as well as those who are confident in their reading abilities.
"Dinosaurs Before Dark" is perfectly adapted with engaging illustrations and a well told graphic novel story.
AHHHHH I am so excited that these graphic novel adaptation of Magic Tree House are going to be out in the world!
I have no doubt my kids will be counting down the days until May 4th to get their hands on this book and it will introduce this magical series to an entire new set of readers who might be shying away from the chapter books simply because they aren't graphic novels. This is one of my favorite series to recommend and read aloud with young readers and families and now they are fantastic for read-to-self for beginning and emerging readers as well as those who are confident in their reading abilities.
"Dinosaurs Before Dark" is perfectly adapted with engaging illustrations and a well told graphic novel story.
May 10, 2021
I read the Magic Tree House books as a kid and this immediately transported me back. I had so much fun reading this, even though it's super short and definitely written for children. Reading this made me want to dig out my old copies of the books so I can read them as the graphic novels are coming out!
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
September 2, 2021
This was a very enjoyable graphic adaptation of the first book in the popular children's series The Magic Tree House. I thought the graphics were bright and colorful and did a great job of enhancing the story. I really enjoyed it and I think kids will too! I hope they continue to make this series into graphic novels.
June 22, 2021
A perfect adaptation.
June 15, 2022
Review to come
Read
June 15, 2022resimleri *chefs kiss*
October 8, 2022
What a delight! Loved the illustrations!!!
October 14, 2022
I love the art and the classic is so good! Wish they had these when I was a kid!
January 19, 2024
a great graphic novel
loved how it was the same as the first book from 1992
loved how it was the same as the first book from 1992
November 5, 2024
This book was fantastic!
November 12, 2024
oh my god those baby dinosaurs were so stinking CUTE! :’)
December 8, 2024
I LOVE the art style!!😆
December 25, 2024
My Christmas Eve book, as new tradition! Loved this series as a child and so happy to see they are making them into graphic novels.
January 5, 2025
Graphic adaptation of the wildly popular Magic Tree House series. Beautifully illustrated and paced. Sure to inspire another generation of Elementary grade students to explore the sweet adventures and imagination of Mary Pope Osbourne.
February 5, 2022
J'étais très contente de voir une adaptation bd de cette série de romans que j'aimais beaucoup quand j'étais petite ! L'histoire n'est pas forcément très fouillée mais c'est joliment illustré et parfait pour les fan de dinosaures !
Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews