Sunset of the Sabertooth is the seventh installment in the Magic Tree House series.
Synopsis[]
Jack and Annie are sent to the Ice Age as they look for the third "special thing" they need to help Morgan. They run into a sabertooth tiger and receive help from a woolly mammoth and a sorcerer.
Contents[]
- The "M" Things
- Bones
- Brrr!
- Cave Kids
- Snow Tracks
- Song on the Wind
- The Sorcerer's Gift
- The Great Parade
- Master of the Animals
- This Age
Plot[]
The book starts at sunset after a swimming lesson when Jack and Annie climbed into the tree house and reflected on the two items they had already found. They noticed both items began with the letter M, which happened to be the first letter of Morgan's name. They thought this might be a clue for the remaining items. Annie then found a book opened to an image of rocks and snow. Wishing to visit the place, she and Jack were instantly transported to a cold, snowy land.
Annie placed Peanut in her backpack, and the siblings wrapped themselves in towels to keep warm. Jack wished they could return home already, but Annie reminded him that they couldn’t leave until they completed their mission. The book Annie was holding was titled "Life in the Ice Age", which described the Cro-Magnons, ancient humans who lived under cliffs and hunted animals with spears. The two climbed down from the tree house and walked across the snow toward a cliff, hoping to find a cave for shelter. They discovered one filled with animal bones, realizing it was a bear’s cave. After hearing a loud snore, Jack urged Annie to run, and they rushed to another cave, which was glowing with the warmth of a fire. They guessed it belonged to a Cro-Magnon family. Inside the cave, they found animal skins and tools. Jack read in the book that the Cro-Magnons made knives and axes from stone and musical instruments from bones. While Jack wrote notes, Annie found animal-skin coats for them to wear. They left their towels and goggles as a gift to the cave's inhabitants in exchange for the coats.

The Cro-Magnon sorcerer gives Jack and Annie a flute made of mammoth bone.
The children explored the cave with one of the stone lamps, but Annie wandered down a narrow tunnel. Jack found her looking at prehistoric paintings of animals on the walls. The book explained that these artworks, created over 25,000 years ago, might have been thought to grant the Cro-Magnons special powers for hunting. One painting depicted a creature with an owl face, reindeer antlers, and human limbs, holding a flute. The book referred to it as the "Master of the Animals," a sorcerer. Jack believed this figure might hold the key to finding the next clue. They returned their lamps and prepared to leave, but they noticed that Peanut was missing. Following his tiny footprints in the snow, they were soon distracted by a distant sabertooth tiger. As the wind picked up, the tracks became invisible. The children hurried back to the tree house but fell into a hidden pit, a trap set by the Cro-Magnons. They looked up and saw the "Master of the Animals" staring down at them, with Peanut by his side. The sorcerer threw them a rope, and Annie climbed out of the pit, followed by Jack. To their amazement, they found themselves riding a woolly mammoth, with Peanut perched on its head. Annie named the mammoth Lulu. Annie wondered if the mammoth was the third item needed for Morgan, but Jack didn’t think so. The sorcerer gave them a flute made from mammoth bone, which Jack believed was their real prize. Before they left, the sorcerer whispered to Lulu, who helped them return to the tree house. The children rode alongside other prehistoric animals, including elk, bison, and reindeer, until the sabertooth appeared, causing the animals to scatter. Annie suggested that Jack play the flute, and when he did, the tiger froze and then slinked away.
Finally, they reached the tree house, and the children climbed back up, thanking Lulu for her help. They saw the Pennsylvania book on the floor, signaling that their mission had been completed. Annie pointed to their home, and the tree house began to spin, transporting them back to Frog Creek. As they made their way home, Annie asked Peanut how he had found the sorcerer, but the mouse only squeaked in response. The children reflected on the three items they had gathered and wondered where and when they would find the last one needed to break Morgan’s spell. They headed home, relieved that they wouldn’t have to hunt for their dinner.