(Dinotopia series, Book 2)
James Gurney
Turner
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
****
Dinotopia: The World Beneath
Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time
(Dinotopia series, Book 1)
James Gurney
Turner
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
*****
DESCRIPTION: Professor Arthur Dennison and his son, William, are the sole survivors of a shipwreck in the mid-1800's. Dolphins bring them to the shores of an unknown land, where they discover dinosaurs living side-by-side with humans in a remarkable lost civilization. This is Arthur's journal of their travels across the land of Dinotopia, recording the culture, spectacular sights, and their own adventures with dinosaurs and humans alike.
REVIEW: I suppose I could've just as easily put called this "Sci-Fi" or just a "Picture Book," as there's no spellcasting or mythical beasts to speak of (aside from sentient dinosaurs), but there is an undeniable magic to these pages that qualifies it as Fantasy. The paintings are breathtaking, and make you feel as though you, too, are walking unknown paths in a fantastic place. I absolutely loved this tale! Anyone who can read it and tell me, honestly, that they wouldn't want to visit Dinotopia either is incredibly jaded or has no wonder in their soul.
You might also enjoy:
Jurassic Park (Micheal Crichton, Fiction - An experimental theme park uses preserved DNA to create a living dinosaur zoo)
Bone Wars (Brett Davis, Fiction - The famed Cope/Marsh fossil wars of the 1800's are complicated by futuristic interlopers)
Dinosaurs (Carl Mehling, editor, Nonfiction - Dinosaurs and other prehistoric life forms, from trilobites to mammoths)
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs (Dr. David Norman, Nonfiction - Dinosaur species and investigation techniques)
Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow (James Rollins, YA Fiction - Two kids find themselves in a lost world of living dinosaurs, vanished civilizations, and a timeless evil)
Dinotopia: Hatchling (Midori Snyder, YA Fiction - An apprentice girl at at Dinotopian hatchery runs away in shame after her negligence puts her charges at risk)
Pterosaurs: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Flying Reptiles (Dr. Peter Wellenhoffer, Nonfiction - An overview of pterosaur species)
A Journey to the Center of the Earth (Jules Verne, Fiction - A professor and his assistant explore a lost world under the Earth's crust)
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Dinotopia: The World Beneath
(Dinotopia series, Book 2)
James Gurney
Turner
Fiction, YA? Fantasy
****
Dinotopia: The World Beneath
DESCRIPTION: The continuing story of Arthur and Will in the land of Dinotopia begins with the professor trying to introduce machinery into the local culture. He is fascinated by relics found in his first journey to the sacred World Beneath (in the first book), which include peculiar power crystals, strange artifacts from Dinotopia's nearly- forgotten past, and half of a key. When a girl named Aria produces the key's other half, kept for generations as a family heirloom, Arthur is off once more to the caverns below Dinotopia, with a few other odd characters who insist on accompanying him - including Aria, who seeks her own family's lost history in the ancient caverns. Meanwhile, Will is busy with his new job of Skybax rider, now stationed in the tyrannosaur-inhabited Rainy Basin.
REVIEW: The story isn't quite as absorbing as the first book, and a few of the paintings looked rushed, but it still has the old Dinotopia magic in it. In the end, there is a tie-in as to how the first book got into the "outer world." Once again, it's the artwork that carries you away, at least as much as (if not more than) the narrative. Though I preferred the diary format of the previous book, wherein you were part of the wonderful discoveries of Will and Arthur as they first explored the land, this story works, too. Another treasure in my library, which I hope will be joined by a third story someday. (I've seen the third book, and am not as impressed. I'm waiting to find it at a discounted price before actually reading it - maybe it was just the continuing deterioration of the art quality that put me off.)
You might also enjoy:
Jurassic Park (Micheal Crichton, Fiction - An experimental theme park uses preserved DNA to create a living dinosaur zoo)
Bone Wars (Brett Davis, Fiction - The famed Cope/Marsh fossil wars of the 1800's are complicated by futuristic interlopers)
Dinosaurs (Carl Mehling, editor, Nonfiction - Dinosaurs and other prehistoric life forms, from trilobites to mammoths)
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs (Dr. David Norman, Nonfiction - Dinosaur species and investigation techniques)
Dinosaurs Before Dark (Mary Pope Osborne, YA Fiction - Two young children travel back to the dinosaur age in a magic tree house)
Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow (James Rollins, YA Fiction - Two kids find themselves in a lost world of living dinosaurs, vanished civilizations, and a timeless evil)
Dinotopia: Hatchling (Midori Snyder, YA Fiction - An apprentice girl at at Dinotopian hatchery runs away in shame after her negligence puts her charges at risk)
Pterosaurs: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Flying Reptiles (Dr. Peter Wellenhoffer, Nonfiction - An overview of pterosaur species)
A Journey to the Center of the Earth (Jules Verne, Fiction - A professor and his assistant explore a lost world under the Earth's crust)
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Imaginative Realism
James Gurney
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: Professional artist James Gurney is perhaps best known for his imaginative illustrated Dinotopia series, where he convincingly blends humans and prehistoric animals in a variety of settings. Here, he explains how to use real-world inspirations, hand-crafted maquettes, and other props to create realistic visions of the impossible.
REVIEW: I love Gurney's works. The original Dinotopia is one of my favorite sense-of-wonder experiences. Seeing how he pulls it off only makes me appreciate his work all the more. Gurney doesn't walk readers step by step through paintings, nor does he spend pages on anatomy and perspective and other things covered in so many other art books. His focus is just what the title says: painting what doesn't exist in as realistic a manner as possible. He uses models built out of clay, paper, and other materials to study lighting and composition. He uses live models in costume. He uses plein air studies and heaps of reference files, and he takes the time to answer all the big questions about composition and such before paint touches canvas. All the time spent on this background work shows in his paintings. This book may not be for rank beginners, but it's an inspiring read for anyone who wants to create beautiful imaginative art or simply wants to understand how people like Gurney pull off the impossible. This is yet another art book that makes me wish I had a decent workspace. And a budget. Oh, yeah - and an iota of talent with a paintbrush. Dang it.
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes (Rob Alexander, Art - How to draw impossible settings)
Learn to Draw Like the Masters: Dragons (Eugene Caine, YA Art - Painting dragons using the styles of the old masters)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - How to stretch anatomy to fit standard fantasy characters)
Making and Using Working Drawings for Realistic Model Animals (Basil F. Fordham, Art - How to plan and build realistic animal models)
John Howe's Fantasy Art Workshop (John Howe, Art - A look at the famed artist's process)
The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book (Gary A. Lippincott, Art - Lessons and tips from a working fantasy illustrator)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Nonfiction - An overview of art media)
Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World (William O'Connor, Art - Developing and drawing a variety of dragon species)
J. "NeonDragon" Peffer's art books (J. "NeonDragon" Peffer, YA? Art - How to draw dragons, fantasy characters, and other imaginary things)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - Drawing figures from the imagination)
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