Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery [Hardcover]

Kevin O'Malley (Author), Patrick O'Brien (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Captain Raptor

The planet Jurassica is in an uproar. An unidentified flying object has crashed into the mysterious moon of Eon. This looks like a job for ...

CAPTAIN RAPTOR!

... hero of a thousand space missions; champion of truth, justice, and dinosaurs in space throughout the galaxy!

If anyone can solve the terrible moon mystery, it's Captain Raptor and his fearless crew!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Kindergarten-Grade 4–An action-packed science-fiction romp starring a cast of dinosaur characters. When a mysterious object lands on one of Jurassica's moons, Captain Raptor and his crew set out in their spaceship to investigate. After narrowly escaping several dangerous situations, they land on Eon's surface and discover that an unfamiliar vessel has crashed nearby. During a tense confrontation between the dinosaurs and the newcomers, the alien leader is suddenly swept away by a winged "pteraspikadon." Captain Raptor quickly engages his blastobooster, rockets into the sky, and saves him. After properly greeting the human visitors and helping them get under way, the crew returns to the Megatooth and heads out for another adventure. Presented in comic-book style, this story blends an eye-catching layout with a quick-moving plot, tongue-in-cheek humor, and an imaginative setting. The text has a melodramatic tone that suits the tale perfectly. While much of the watercolor and gouache artwork consists of sequenced rectangles, occasional single- and double-page paintings open out the format and highlight important moments. The dinosaurs, who wear funky-looking space gear and have an endless supply of gadgets, are a blast. The bespectacled Professor Angleoptorous is part beast and part robot, while toothy Captain Raptor, in his shiny and spiky armor, has a real hero's elan. Sci-fi fans and dinophiles will eat this book up, and it might also capture the interest of reluctant readers.–Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

The planet Jurassica is in an uproar. An unidentified flying object has crashed into the mysterious moon of Eon. This looks like a job for ...

 

CAPTAIN RAPTOR!

 

... hero of a thousand space missions; champion of truth, justice, and dinosaurs in space throughout the galaxy!

 

If anyone can solve the terrible moon mystery, it's Captain Raptor and his fearless crew!

 

Kevin O'Malley is the author and illustrator of more books than he should ever have been allowed to publish. This is the first project in which he has only been the writer. He and Patrick O'Brien have been friends for years, but he still can't believe how many liberties Patrick took trying to revise his text.

 

Kevin O'Malley lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and two sons.

 

Patrick O'Brien is the author and illustrator of nine books for children. He dreamed up the concept of dinosaurs in spacesuits many years ago, but it was the irrepressibly zany mind of Kevin O'Malley that finally created the interstellar hero Captain Raptor. For his part, Patrick still can't believe how many liberties Kevin took trying to revise his illustrations.

 

Patrick O'Brien lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his wife and son.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802789358
• ISBN-13: 978-0802789358
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Illustrator Kevin O'Malley has written and illustrated a number of books, including "Little Buggy Runs Away" and the Miss Malarkey books by Judy Finchler. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dinos in space, cool, March 9, 2005

By 

Sean O'Brien "Father of Kids" (Charlottesville, VA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery (Hardcover)

My seven year old son thinks this is the best book he has ever read. Combining dinosaurs with space travel is such a great idea. The artwork from O'Brien is as good as it gets. His other nonfiction illustrated books for kids are also fantastic. We really enjoyed the story in Captain Raptor, we look forward to the next installment in his adventures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Get Enough!, October 12, 2006

By 

Mojo Mama (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery (Hardcover)

My five year old son LOVES this book. He's a HUGE Star Wars fan and adding dinosaurs into the space mix is a no fail combination for him. It's such an intelligent and original children's book--I just can't say enough about it. The book is written a bit like a comic book but much more readable for a younger crowd. It's such a fun read--I definitely don't have that "Oh boy, not THAT book again" feeling when he reaches for it for the 800th time. I hope this turns into a series!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kids like dinosaurs and kids like spaceships and this book has both, August 17, 2005

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery (Hardcover)

I always thought that it was kind of neat that kids grow up liking dinosaurs and spaceships, "Jurassic Park" and "Star Wars" as it were, because it has them looking both towards the past (history is a good thing) and the future (the best is yet to come). In "Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery" author Kevin O'Malley and illustrator Patrick O'Brien combine both of those interests, so this book is going to have a basic appeal for a lot of young readers.

The story is set on the planet Jurassica, which is in an uproar (ha ha) because an unidentified flying object has crashed into the mysterious moon of eon. Obviously, this is a job for (insert fanfare here) Captain Raptor, the "hero of a thousand space missions; champion of truth justice, and dinosaurs in space throughout the galaxy." So Captain Raptor takes off in the USD "Megatooth," his massive spaceship along with his crew: navigator Threetoe, professor Angleoptorous, and Master Sergeant Brichthorous.

The story is told in something of a serial format, so that you get to cliffhangers every couple of pages ("Could this be the end of Captain Raptor and his brave crew?") but you only have to turn the page and not wait for next week's chapter. Then there is another big crisis ("Could THIS be the end of Captain Raptor and his fearless crew?"). There are even some underwater adventures, which is interesting for a book about dinosaurs in space. Plus the answer to the mystery should appeal to young readers as well.

O'Brien's illustrations are down using watercolor and gouache on paper and apparently it was his idea of putting dinosaurs in spacesuits. However, it was O'Malley who came up with the interstellar hero Captain Raptor. The story is fun enough for your readers, but it really is hard to go wrong with the idea of dinosaurs in space because it is like throwing peanut butter and chocolate together: it is just a great idea. Hopefully there will be future adventures that will flesh out some of the supporting cast because there is more fun to be had here.