EXPLORERS IN DINOSAUR WORLD

Pangaea was about a half a mile from the mainland. Pockets of early morning fog still nestled on Dinosaur Sea, making the island appear ghostly and mysterious. Smoke curled from several small volcanoes. Flying creatures, too far away to identify, circled the island's rocky summit. A stray breeze scattered wisps of fog and Pete could see tall, reedy plants clustered thick in a swamp and strange, broad-leafed trees with gnarled and twisted roots growing at the base of towering cliffs.

Occasionally the smooth surface of the water rippled as though unseen creatures swam just below. Pete thought he saw something that could have been a long neck arch up and out of the water in the murky distance, but when he blinked it was gone. As he turned to say something to Jake he caught Wendy's eye and knew she'd seen it too. Probably just a tree branch, he thought.

Jake was busy checking their backpacks and gear. "Sleeping bags. Cooking utensils. Flashlights. Food. Radio..."

"Why do we need a radio? Do dinosaurs listen to W-DINO too?" Wendy wanted to know.

"It's not that kind of radio," her brother said. "We need it to call for help if we get into any trouble"

"Dinosaur World is full of surprises, not trouble. Still, you can't be too careful," Jake assured the little girl. Then he loaded everything into their small boat, the Intrepid, and helped them aboard. After they had all put on lifejackets, he started the engine and cast the line off from the dock.

As they set off across the water to the dim, fog-shrouded island in the distance, Pete grinned and said, "Now the adventure begins!"