Travel back in time and discover facts you never knew about dinosaurs and prehistoric life in this fourth instalment of the The Secret Explorers.
This group of brilliant kids come together from all four corners of the globe to fix problems, solve mysteries and gather knowledge all over the planet - and beyond. Whenever their help is needed, a special sign will appear on a door. They step through to the Exploration Station, and receive their mission...
In The Secret Explorers and the Archaeopteryx Egg, dinosaur expert Tamiko and geology expert Cheng travel back to the age of the dinosaurs in an effort to rescue a dinosaur egg from destruction. However, to save the egg, the Secret Explorers first have to use all their courage and skills to outsmart a fierce Allosaurus, rescue a baby Stegosaurus, and find a way to attract an Archaeopteryx. Tamiko and Cheng soon find that, to succeed, they need to come up with some unusual solutions...
Packed with fun illustrations and facts about dinosaurs, fossils, and why modern birds are dinosaurs, this thrilling adventure is perfect for young readers. Informative diagrams tell kids all they need to know about different species of dinosaur, from Stegosaurus to Allosaurus. The action-packed narrative keeps kids engaged and makes learning about dinosaurs even more fun!
3.5 STARS A fun adventure story with a bit of science on the side. The scientific info at the back is appreciated though fairly minimalist -- children who are into dinos will probably know all of it already. The premise of the story itself is fairly ridiculous (the kids have to go back in time to save a dinosaur egg) but the execution is decent. It is more heavily illustrated and a bit faster-paced than the Magic Treehouse series but will probably appeal to fans of that series and I appreciate it features a diverse group of children. The "scary" factor is just enough for some excitement but not overwhelming for this age group. My eight-year-old enjoyed it enough for multiple readings.
In the fourth installment of the Secret Explorers series, Tamiko, the dinosaur expert and Cheng, geology expert, travel back in time. They are trying to save an egg and in the process they teach us about dinosaurs, fossils and so much more.
The books teach us how each child has their own unique talents and abilities, but by working together we can accomplish more!
Quite basic but excellent for my 4 year old. He could read it himself but enjoyed listening to me read it more so it became a quite-time activity. He’s quite sensitive to scary content in stories and the suspense in this was always short-lived enough that he didn’t get overwhelmed. Great for kids who enjoy science. I ordered 2 more.
Themes: Problem Solving/ Gifted Children/ Dinosaurs
Opener: “Tamiko shuffled along the beach on her hands and knees. The sharp pebbles dug into her skin, but she hardly noticed. She was focused on her favourite thing – hunting for fossils! There were millions of them mixed in with the sand and seaweed of Nemuro beach, where she lived in Japan. But spotting them was hard, and you had to concentrate.”
Summary: In The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue, dinosaur expert Tamiko and geology expert Cheng travel back to the age of the dinosaurs in an effort to rescue a dinosaur egg from destruction. However, to save the egg, the Secret Explorers first have to use all their courage and skills to outsmart a fierce Allosaurus, rescue a baby Stegosaurus, and find a way to attract an Archaeopteryx. Tamiko and Cheng soon find that to succeed, they need to come up with some unusual solutions.
Verdict: D.K. Publishing hardly ever disappoints. I was especially into its Graded Readers series, my favourites were the LEGO ones. This book is written in a similar vein. Plus, it’s longer. This educational fiction narrates the story of two of the Secret Explorers: Tamiko and Cheng, the former is a dinosaur expert and the latter a geology expert. They travel back in time 150 million years ago to save one precious Archaeopteryx egg. The threat is consistently escalated, and the children need to use their problem solving skills at every turn. This is a banger of a book. It has a persistent undertone of danger that the children must overcome using their knowledge and resourcefulness. And the book is loaded with information about dinosaurs.
I read this together with my almost 6 year old. My child enjoyed reading this independently and found it very fun and fascinating. Although already a dinosaur fan, we liked the introduction to lesser talked about dinosaurs (I did have to assist with reading these names). There is also a small fact file at the back of the book, which is a welcome addition to any children's book.
The adventure of the children travelling back in time in their magic vehicle was fascinating and well done. The children were on a mission to save a dinosaur egg, which led to a bigger success in creating the dinosaur species' safe habitat in the long run. This opened up a good discussion about how one small act could have larger consequences, both good and bad.
The characters are diverse, and all have their own specialties, which is a nice touch. We are looking forward to getting stuck into the next adventure soon.
This has been a really great read aloud series for my 5-8 year olds. Books 3 and 4 haven’t been quiet as believable as the first two (which have their own unbelievable aspects of course), but we are still really enjoying the format. Each book features two kids on the Secret Explorers team. The kids all have their own areas of expertise and work together well. My kids love finding the hidden object through each book, love the quiz at the end to see how well they were paying attention, and though we don’t always read them, there is a nice fact section and glossary at the end of each book. These feel a lot like Magic Treehouse, just a bit longer and with far better dialogue and vocabulary.
My kids really love this series, and I love all the different aspects of science & history that are in these books; giving my kids more exposure to things that interest them OR are new to them.
But I’m having a hard time accepting that these kids are traveling back in time, and making changes to things. Depending on which messing with time theory you subscribe to they could really be making significant changes to their own futures. (Or just creating branch realities?) Am I over thinking a children’s book. Yes, yes I am. But were these books written without acknowledging any of the ways time travel could mess with the future, yes, yes it was.
Terrific series for elementary level readers who enjoy science. This time Tamiko and Cheng have to go back in time to the Jurassic period to save a baby dinosaur while it hatches. King weaves informative text with the adventure as readers learn about the time period and the inhabitants and cheer on the two Secret Explorers as they complete their mission.
This book definitely wouldn't qualify as quality literature, but it was a fun book to read as an extension to our prehistory studies and there was some actual factual information sprinkled throughout. My son and his besties (ages 7 & 8) all enjoyed it. If your kids like The Magic Tree House books they will likely enjoy this series as it is very much in the same vein.
Was added to our local collection, a fine children's book- I couldn't help but notice the traced model of ARK's Allosaurus on the cover, however. It may seem small due to the target audience, but Dave Melvin and/or Matt Kenley from Wildcard at least ought to be credited since even the colors are clearly inspired.
It was a really good book, definitely recommend it to ages 8-10. Its about a fossil loving girl, Tamiko. and a bot names Cheng. Of course their not the only explores. With the help of each other they try to figure out all they can about dinosaurs. The time line, species, and how a fossil is made.
My kids love these! We are in our dinosaur and shark era so this was a good one! Honestly I struggle pronouncing dinosaur names but luckily google has a pronunciation thing when you type the name in! 😂 My kids give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
My 4y is entering his dinosaur phase and was really excited about this book. We read it second after discovering that there is no reason to read the books in order. They are quick books with some adventure and some fun science facts. He really enjoyed it, I thought it was fine!
pretty good; it wasn’t super exciting for me (no shit), but the kids loved it. it opened up a lot of possibilities for many different activities in class, which was great. they love this series and are eager for the next book!
Kids early reader with some science. I didn't love the interfering with nature without good reason aspect, so this was one of my less liked in the series.
My kids, 6 and 3, have been enjoying this audiobook series when we’re in the car. I don’t mind it either. It’s a fun mix of adventure story with some science thrown in.