Evie just wanted some time on her own. Some time away from her mothers, while they were all out together. But in sneaking away and ignoring their instructions to stay close, Evie ventured where she shouldn’t – right inside a time machine.

Now 65 million years away from home and surrounded by dinosaurs, Evie has all the time in the world alone.

At first she is confused, scared and missing her parents terribly, but an egg she saved from a hungry dinosaur soon hatches. From inside comes a pterosaur who Evie names Ada. Both Evie and Ada take shelter within an abandoned building Evie has found. It defies logic to be in a land of dinosaurs but becomes Evie’s source of survival skills through recorded diaries of previous time travellers.

She learns how to catch food, find water, and even train Ada. All of these survival techniques take up her time and energy, leaving hardly any left to miss home. Until one of the recordings mentions something that suddenly gives Evie hope. But it would mean a long journey, impossible on foot. Ada now towers above her and her wing span fills their shelter. Could Ada be the way to finally going home?

The action begins early in Lost Time as the reader sees Evie dropped into a land of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Although she is scared and alone, the illustrations are often funny as she learns to survive her predicament. Character development is clear as Evie regrets some decisions before she fell through time, and now more than anything wants the chance to redeem herself.

Her knowledge and skillset develop with nothing but a voice recording from someone who’d been there before her, and her determination and patience with a young dinosaur. Their bond grows strong and is a heart warming thread to this graphic novel, and is even more so when that bond wavers after a mistake is made.

Although not heavy with text, the full colour panels are clear in moving this story forward, and Evie’s expressions made me laugh often. Lost Time is a great read and will be perfect for readers aged 8+ trying out Graphic Novels.

Author/Illustrator – Tas Mukanik

Age – 8+

(2024, Razorbill, Penguin, Graphic Novel, Dinosaurs, Time Travel, Two Mums, Friendship, Survival, Pterosaur, 65 million years ago, Technology, Contact, Mission, Action, Adventure, Historical, Courage)