Dinosaurs Before Dark

In these chapters, Osbourne continues to thematically explore Balancing Caution and Daring. Chapter 5 starts with a moment of caution in which Jack retreats at the first sign of danger, which turns out to be a nonissue since the Triceratops is an herbivore. Annie’s daring shows how complementary it is to Jack’s concern, as she reminds him that “[w]e’re probably the first people in the world to ever see a real live Triceratops” (29). That reminder is essential for getting him out of the tree house again and then exploring, though he leads his sister slowly and carefully. Later, Jack’s caution with the Anatosaurus takes the lead, helping Annie to navigate a tricky situation and reminding her to use her brain. The siblings have to work together as they explore the Cretaceous Period and interact with the dinosaurs, creatures that are both awe-inspiring and dangerous.

Annie also receives more characterization in this set of chapters, and while the presence of the T. rex shows that she has a limit to her daring, she also unashamedly bounces back after angering the Anatosaurus. Once she learns that she upsets it by being so near the nests, she is quick to atone, showing her empathy and sensitivity toward the dinosaurs. Her pivot to feeding it flowers also illustrates how adaptable she is. Her actions further add to the theme of Learning Through Exploring; she takes part in trial and error, correcting once she realizes what the better way to interact with the dinosaur. She also tries to show Jack that part of learning also means not assuming that all dinosaurs are out to get them, even though the ones appear combative at first, as symbolized through her comment to Jack that the Anatosaurus is “nice, too.”

This section of chapters also helps Jack grow, as Annie pushes him out of his comfort zone to interact with more dinosaurs beyond the Pteranodon. However, an important moment comes when he realizes that he left his backpack—and the dinosaur book—on the hill. Annie stays in the tree house for safety, but Jack has to venture back out into the land of dinosaurs alone, meaning that he has to be the one to motivate himself instead of having Annie do it for him. His thoughts reflect the anxiety he feels around this as he imagines a countdown through “Ready! Set! Go!” (49). It foreshadows the push for the courage he will give himself when he rides the Pteranodon later.

Osbourne also uses Jack’s dilemma to build up to a climax by including the danger of the T. rex. Unlike the other dinosaurs, who do not hunt Jack or Annie, this well-known dinosaur embodies the danger that they can face. As a result, Jack is in real danger when he gets stuck between the tree house and the carnivore.

The presence of the medallion also adds to the theme of Dreaming and Magic. From Jack spotting “something glittering in the tall grass” to the end of the book (34), Osbourne hints that someone else is using the magic tree house but it’s unclear who. This continues to imbue the magic tree house with mystery and questions about its owner and powers. Moreover, it’s important that Jack—who is more likely to be skeptical of magic—is the one who finds the medallion. It helps to prove to him later that their adventure was real.