(2) K-3 Field Trip Adventures series. Illustrated by John Hare. This fourth installment of the wordless picture book series (Field Trip to the Moon, rev. 9/19, and sequels) raises stakes even higher than previous excursions by ­delving into time travel—and dinosaurs. The story begins on the title page, where a group of ­goggle-wearing students in white jumpsuits sits in a roofless, school-bus-yellow saucer as their teacher turns the dial to “PAST.” An illustration on the spread with the copyright page depicts the school group mid–time jump, completely transparent and thinly outlined in white, along with an explosive “POOF!” Once they are successfully in the past, the time machine is cleverly transformed into a long-necked sauropod-like vehicle capable of walking throughout the prehistoric landscape. The adventure truly kicks into gear after a cheeky pterosaur swipes a lunchbox from an unsuspecting ­student, resulting in their tumble from the vehicle. Curious (and hungry) dinos approach the now-stranded child, who is happy to share snacks. A humorous encounter with a greedy, pizza-chomping carnivore shifts to a moderately harrowing chase scene, but thanks to the sneaky pterosaur the endangered student is swooped back to safety. Hare’s acrylic illustrations are as colorful, playful, and effective as ever. The simple, repetitive page and panel layouts result in an easily followable, thoroughly enjoyable narrative. A notable addition to Hare’s kindhearted and captivating science-fiction picture-book series.

Reviewer: Patrick Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2025