Customer Reviews

Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

This book and the sequel, Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, are my 6-year old son's favorite books ever. Combining dinosaurs and space makes it just magical for him, and the books are top-notch in execution. The artwork is really good, and adults will get a kick out of the 1940's adventure serial style. These are books that the kids will go back to over and over.

Great illustrations and fun story. My son would read more if there are more written.

bought for a pair with Captain Raptor and Space Pirates. loved the book, library didn't have this one.

I picked up Captain Raptor and the Moon Mystery at our local library thinking it might interest our six-year-old son. That was two days ago, and we have now read this book at least ten times, either us reading it to him, or him reading it to himself. He can't get enough of it! And we really don't mind reading it. It is brilliantly written and illustrated in graphic novel/picture book form, able to entertain all of us enough for the frequent readings. Written in the style of the old-time, suspenseful action comics ("Could this be the end of Caption Raptor?") complete with "Zap" and "Ka-boom", this book is wildly entertaining and fun for read-aloud time. Captain Raptor, a space dinosaur, is a strong hero figure that the reader loves to root for. Told from the point-of-view of the dinosaurs, who later meet strange aliens (humans), this book is great for teaching perspective, as well as teaching good values - helping one another. I am grateful to O'Malley and O'Brien for creating the dinosaur-science fiction-hero-adventurer-good guy, a brilliant combination that is an obvious hit with many kids. I see there's another Captain Raptor book out there; I plan on buying both and hope this will evolve into a lengthy series so we can enjoy many more Captain Raptor stories. Cleverly written and beautifully illustrated in watercoler and gouache, this book should be a part of every adventure-loving child's library.

My son found this book at the library last fall and kept it so long I finally decided to buy our own copy. Dinosaur Super heroes saving the world from bad guys - Every little boy's dream! It was his first introduction to the "comic book style" and it really kept him entranced.
I highly recommend this book for young readers. It is well done and very fun.

I bought this book for my four and a half year old nephew and he absolutely loved it. I had to read it to him three times in a row. The illistrations are riveting and the comic book style really holds his attention. He loved it and also Captain Raptor and the Space Pirates, which I promptly bought him!

This is currently my four year old's favorite, favorite book. The art is great & the storyline has kept him riveted for nearly a month now. If you enjoyed comics as a kid or even an adult, this book is a great way to introduce the format to your little one!