Dinotopia [Paperback]

James Gurney (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Dinotopia (HarperCollins)

In the year 1860, biologist and explorer Arthur Denison and his son, Will, set out on a sea voyage of discovery and adventure. When a powerful typhoon wrecks the ship in uncharted waters, Arthur and Will are the sole survivors. Washed ashore on a strange island called Dinotopia, they are amazed to find a breathtaking world where cities are built on waterfalls, people have found new ways to fly, and humans and dinosaurs live together in harmony. With new discoveries at every turn, Arthur and Will embark upon their own separate journeys to unearth the mysteries of Dinotopia.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Posing as a 19th-century scientist's travel sketchbook, this entertaining hybrid mates the visual appeal of the Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady with a Jules Verne-like tale of Dinotopia, a land where dinosaurs and humans coexist. The scientist and his son travel around it, and the son grows up and falls in love. This unimaginative narrative exists mainly as a framework for the copious illustrations, which show breathtakingly exotic but impossible sights, such as a canyon city of people and flying dinosaurs, as well as amusing sketches of domestic scenes. The result is an enjoyable pastiche, full of visual references to cultures from Oz to Thailand and flavored with a Robert Fulghum-inspired philosophy: "Observe, listen, and learn. Do one thing at a time" (from the Code of Dinotopia). Though too superficial for the serious fantasy reader, this volume is great fun to browse through, and should find its way on to many coffee tables. 400,000 first printing; BOMC featured alternate; QPB selection; author tour.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4 Up-- Arthur Denison, a Victorian scientist, and his son Will are shipwrecked on an amazing island . Here, dinosaurs live in harmony with a colony of humans, made up of other marooned travelers and their descendants. Will and his father are fascinated by the technology of their new home. They visit a hatchery, a blacksmith in Volcaneum, and a city built on waterfalls. The boy is most impressed by the Skybax Riders, people who are trained to fly on winged reptiles. Deciding to join them, he goes through their rigorous training program. In the meantime, his father finds a route to the dinosaur underground, a mythic place referred to in old dinosaur tales. He returns to find his son has ``earned his wings,'' but his discoveries are saved for (one assumes) another book. This fairytale will capture the interests of older fantasy readers--those perhaps, who enjoy the ``Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (Houghton), or Lewis's ``Narnia'' series (Macmillan). Younger readers, too, will be enticed by the dramatic, full-color illustrations, which include both panoramic sweeps of the utopian cities and detailed sketches of Dinotopian contraptions. While the women are more active than their Victorian counterparts, the adventurers here are still Will and Dad. Also, the illustrations tend to portray nonwhite Dinotopians as exotics, a stereotype better left in the past. Overall, the success of this story depends upon readers' ability to accept these creatures as peaceful, intelligent herbivores. Advanced readers who find sharp-toothed carnivores more to their liking may prefer a visit to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park (Knopf, 1990), for a not-so-tame tale also set on a dinosaur isle. --Cathryn A. Camper, Minneapolis Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: HarperTrophy (February 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060530642
• ISBN-13: 978-0060530648
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 9.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,298,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Gurney is the author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling Dinotopia book series, which has been translated into eighteen languages in thirty-two countries. He designed the World of Dinosaurs stamps for the United States Postal Service and has worked on assignment for National Geographic magazine, painting reconstructions of Moche, Etruscan, and similar civilizations. His unique blending of fact and fantasy has won Hugo, Chesley, Spectrum, and World Fantasy Awards. An exhibition of the artwork from Dinotopia began at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. and will continue in the fall of 2007 at the Los Angeles Public Library and the Oshkosh Public Museum in Wisconsin. Gurney lives in the Hudson River Valley of New York with his wife, two sons, and a blue parakeet, a living descendant of dinosaurs. For more information, visit www.dinotopia.com.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Breathe deep. Seek peace.", April 2, 2003

By 

Strategos "The Guardian of Time" (In Space above Planet Earth) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dinotopia (Dinotopia (HarperCollins)) (Hardcover)

When I think of Paradise, I envision Dinotopia. True, it is a book designed mainly to describe a Utopia. But somehow, it comes across as much more than merely some fairy-tale dream or some idealistic imagined land with strange mythology mixed in. Yes, much more.

When you read Dinotopia, the first thing you notice is how it is illustrated. A wonderfully concept art styled, somewhat sketchy looking, yet ultimately gorgeous art is displayed throughout the book. Many of it's illustrations have been "borrowed" (or stolen) as inspiration for other books and movies. Waterfall City and the Canyon City in particular continue to impress me.

But the art of Dinotopia is only half of the book. The other half is the way it is written. Dinotopia is written like it is the lost journal of a scientist who washed up on the island after a shipwreck. Much of the book is seen from his perspective as you discover and learn about the science, technology, scenery, and way of life of Dinotopia and its inhabitants. You come to care about him and his son. And you may indeed come to love Dinotopia as if it were a real place.

It's hard to say what exactly is so compeling about the reality of Dinotopia. For a book without a real source of conflict, without some sort of crisis, it is remarkably interesting. Perhaps it is the technology. Like a wanderer walking through a distant dimension, we find outselves amazed by the wonders of a civilization we never knew existed. Perhaps it is the unity of the people of Dinotopia, combined with their diversity (each region has a different culture, way of living, and style of life, but everyone believes in the same things). Perhaps there is something romantic and exciting about the Skybax riders who soar through the air, which hints at the exciting and wonderful things in life we all dream of experiencing. Perhaps it is the mysteries of the lost World Beneath, which hint at all the wonders of nature and humanity alike which we have yet to discover.

At any rate, Dinotopia touches on something wonderful about human nature and the world we live in. It is full of a scientists longing to understand, and child's sense of wonder. I love Dinotopia. I really think everyone should read this book. Maybe if they did, the world we live in could be a little more united, a little more beautiful, a little more hopeful. A little more...like Dinotopia.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Classic!, December 16, 2004

By 

E.R. (P.R.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinotopia (Dinotopia (HarperCollins)) (Hardcover)

This book is based on a fictional diary found by James Gurney, which tells the story of Arthur Denison and his son William Denison, shipwrecked during one of their voyages and saved by dolphins only to find themselves on an incredible island, unknown to the world, and habituated by dinosaurs.

The incredible thing is that the dinosaurs in this island live side by side with humans. Arthur and his son soon find out that the people in Dinotopia are very friendly as are the dinosaurs. Arthur and his son travel trough the island discovering and learning about the island and about a civilization where there is virtually no violence or war or prejudice of any kind. This island is a true Utopia.

The way the story is written you can't help it but fall in love with this place. The illustrations are so beautiful you feel like Dinotopia could exist. The story is very touching. This book is one of those books that really make your imagination come to life. The whole journey trough the island is incredible. Although this is a children's book, this book can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scrumptiously Illustrated Fantasy For All!, November 25, 2000

By 

Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dinotopia (Dinotopia (HarperCollins)) (Hardcover)

Having always been fascinated by those giants who roamed the planet eons ago, I had to have this one upon its initial publication. "Dinotopia's" tale of a land jointly inhabited by man and dinosaur is a truly captivating adventure.

As fanciful as the premise is, the author logically develops the dinosaur characters based on the uniqueness of each respective species. Most are "good" and commune well with their fellow humans; but the T-Rex is still his usual grouchy self, much to the appreciation of us who were raised with the knowledge that the animal was one mean carnivore!

By placing the setting in the 1800's, the book could have been written by Wells or Verne, which gives it the feel of a classic.

And a classic, it is.