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The Last Synapsid

Timothy Mason - Author

A time-travel adventure pairs two friends with an unusual prehistoric creature. Their pursuit of a dangerous predator raises the stakes from a missing pet to whether humans will ever evolve.

More about this book

Faith, Colorado, doesn't get many visitors. But this spring, a mysterious creature is lurking on the mountain. Fiercer than a mountain lion, it's been hunting pets and leaving their remains scattered over the mountainside. But what is it, and what does it want? Only Rob and his best friend, Phoebe, are brave enough to investigate.What they find on the mountain is the Last Synapsid--a squat, drooly creature that looks like a dinosaur crossed with a wienerdog--that claims to need Rob and Phoebe's help. Having wandered into a time snag from his own era, 30 million years before the dinosaurs, "Sid" is chasing a violent carnivore called a gorgonopsid. The Gorgon has become fascinated by humanity and refuses to return to his proper place in time. But if he doesn't, history will re-align, humans will never evolve, and Rob and Phoebe will end up as nothing more than characters in an elderly synapsid's dream.Timothy Mason is a playwright who wrote the book and lyrics for the Broadway musical version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas! He lives in New York. The Last Synapsid is his first novel.From the Hardcover edition.

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Book Analysis

At a Glance

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Synapsids· ExplainedPermian era· ExplainedTime travel· Explained

Consider

Violence and harmFear and suspenseViolence

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

synapsidsPermian eratime travel

FictionNovel

Themes in Context

Prehistoric life and time travel

The fictional adventure introduces synapsids from before the dinosaurs, including a plant-eating creature and a carnivorous gorgonopsid, through a time-travel premise.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: Prehistoric creatures and their place before dinosaurs provide informational context within the imagined adventure; the story is not presented as a nonfiction account.

Talk about: What did the story make you curious about in the creatures that lived before dinosaurs?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The story brings prehistoric life into a contemporary setting and gives its young protagonists a problem with enormous imagined consequences. It may appeal to readers who enjoy creatures, mysteries and speculative adventure.

What Deserves Attention

The opening involves a pet’s disappearance and remains scattered on a mountainside. A violent carnivore is central to the chase, and the possible consequences include humans never evolving.

A Conversation Worth Having

If the threat to humanity’s future feels enormous, what helps Rob and Phoebe decide what to do? Which parts of their predicament seem frightening, and which feel more like adventure?

Reading Approach

Try reading the opening together if animal peril might be unsettling, then check in before continuing. The time-travel premise and prehistoric creatures also offer natural pauses to talk about what is imagined and what interests the reader.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Prehistoric life and time travel: How much detail the novel gives about prehistoric life, and how it distinguishes that material from invention, is unclear.

The Last Synapsid - Timothy Mason - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: General book context

The Last Synapsid by Timothy Mason | Open Library

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Prehistoric life and time travel

The Last Synapsid

Limited information

Checked: 1 October 2026.

Relevant to: Prehistoric life and time travel

Benefits, discussion questions and reading approaches are suggestions. Your knowledge of your child remains part of the decision.

Heidi

Heidi

The Last Synapsid

At a Glance

Discover

Consider

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

Themes in Context

Prehistoric life and time travel

Why It May Be Worth Reading

What Deserves Attention

A Conversation Worth Having

Reading Approach

What remains unconfirmed