Customer Reviews

Dinotopia

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I would definately recommend this book for all ages. As a audio book it is a delight to listen to as well. Filled with the wonder of a child envisioning a world where all might live in peace and harmony, it is a world that delights one with that vision. The original book was written by a former illustrator for National Geographic. The audio book fills in the gaps with a richness of audio delight that brings the book to life. Indeed, one can close your eyes and envision yourself in the wilds of Dinotopia. It is something to get your kids to start them on a road to imagination to fill them with a vision that mankind can be better than he is.

From a listening standpoint the technical prowess of ZBS is excellent. The effects in many cases are recorded from actual sounds in the world. The richness of the environment presented makes one feel as though he is actually walking with Arthur Dennision and his son through this imaginary world where dinosaurs are humans live in harmony. Set in the time of the Civil War (which is never mentioned) the characters are shipwrecked on this island where they cannot escape.

It is something to get the kids for those long trips in the car where you both need something to listen to. It engaging enough for adults without being too childlike. I would definately recommend this for purchase. You will definately not be disapointed.

I first read this book at a young age when I was still fascinated with the world of dinosaurs. Gotten over the addiction by now, being almost out of highschool, I still look back on my memories with this book, and its sister book: "The World Beneath", with great fondness. The illustrations, no less that artistry, are high above the par of your average children's picture book. And, they are only outdone by the spellbinding story; brought to life with the loving detail that could only be conjured by a true dinosaur fan. This book would be a welcome addition to any child's wish list and makes for a lasting impression.

Years ago my husband received this book as a birthday gift and loved it. The collection grew to include the three true Gurney texts (Dinotopia, The Land Beneath, First Flight).

Over the past year we started reading them with our five-year-old daughter who has fallen in love with the beautiful illustrations, the mythical world and engaging characters. After reading them numerous times, they have been favorite bedtime reading, we purchased the two novels by Alan Dean Forrester. They continue the same Denison era plot lines with the same familiar characters and a few new ones. At first some of the vocabulary was hard for her to understand but I have to say that we made it through both books and we all enjoyed them. I have to disagree with those who felt the vocabulary in the Forrester texts was too difficult. I do have to admit that I had to consult webster's twice...but that's how we learn and I'm happy to give this example to my five-year-old emergent reader. Fun books, well written which send you imagination wondering....great for all ages!

This is the most beautiful and realistic book ever to be painted of a fabulous land where dinosaurs and people who are NOT cavepeople truly love each other and peacefully live together. In fact, this is quite different from Jurassic Park - here, dinosaurs treat you with a great respect and even speak to you in your own language! The details of everyday life in the lovely Dinotopia are quite eye-filling and breathtaking, ranging from a wooden puppet serving as a foster mother to new hatchlings to the simply stunning ariel views of those glorious castles proudly standing upon very craggy mountains as you fly by on a pterosaurus-shaped hang-guider! A hardcore dinosaur lover would just swoon at those wonderful sights no matter how old he or she is!

Chances are that I'm going to have a baised opinion of this product being that I have been looking for it for about 4 years. Well, not avidly as I had no prior means to, but I had kept my eye out for the audiobook. Back in 1992 my uncle purchased me the large picture book and some years hence my aunt lent me the audio-tapes. I looked at the book while I listened and was absolutely captivated. It even got to the point I could quote passages. I would recommend this to any parent wanting to sit down with a child or even to anyone wishing to hear a wonderfully done story.

Dinotopia is a diary of a scientist named Arthur and his son Will who are shipwrecked and find themselves in a land called "Dinotopia" where prehisoric mammals, plants, and dinosaurs live in harmony with human beings. It is beautifully illustratated and I can't wait to read the sequel. Be sure to read this enchanting book!

This audio version is a masterpiece and is destined to become a classic of audio drama along with Welles' "War of the Worlds" and the plays of Norman Corwin. ZBS has outdone itself.

Although this book is considered a children's book, or something for young teens, I believe it's enjoyable for people of all ages. The artwork is gorgeous and the detail Gurney puts into creating his world is amazing. The book is written in the form of a journal, written mostly by Arthur Denison, but with a few entries written by his son, Will. Because Arthur is a scientist, Gurney can believably put in a great deal of detailed information about the world of Dinotopia. I loved reading this book and I especially loved looking at it.

ZBS is great for their sound productions, especially the background atmosphere. This version of Dinotopia is very kid friendly, meaning the scary parts are minimal, and not very scary at that. The story flow is clear and the audio acting is fine. My kids did not find it engaging enough to listen at home, but while traveling, they hung on every sound. It was so popular for traveling that I must have heard it 10 times or more, and unlike some kids audio I have heard, it did not get tedious.

I tried listening to this tape on a recent car trip and was extremely disappointed in the quality and the "arrangement". It was hard to hear what was being said due to the other voices and such talking in the background. I didn't even listen to tape 2.