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Summary: Old Concept, interesting new twist
Review: Dinotopia is not an average book on dinosaur/human relations. There have been many portrayals of humans interacting with dinosaurs on television, movies and other literature, but Dinotopia took a different approach. The book is actually portrayed as a lost sketchbook/journal that was discovered and is now being unveiled to the reader. Accompanying this very classy introduction to the book are numerous fabulous sketches of the world of Dinotopia. The story, though ordinary in nature, takes off in an amazing journey that tests the imagination of even the most seasoned reader. It is just a really impressive and wonderful book. Readers of all ages can enjoy Dinotopia and get caught up in the fantasy that Gurney has created. This is a very good book to help educate younger children as well as entertain their parents. It is a very interesting layout that built upon the success of the past and added a new dimension to create a whole new world. Don't miss out one of the adventures of a lifetime.
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Summary: Absolutely Breathtaking
Review: This book is one of the most incredible books ever written. I thoroughly recommend it to everyone. Of all the books which deserve cult status, this book is the most breathtaking. The artwork is amazing! The paintings simply take your breath away. Whenever I want to escape, I read this book. Whenever I want to immerse myself again in the land of Dinotopia, I just look at one of the fabulous paintings and i'm there. The book is accessible to everyone - there are characters which connect with every person on this earth. The story is magical and deserves greater praise than I could ever give it. I LOVE THIS BOOK! PLEASE BUY IT!!!!! PLEASE!
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Summary: By far the best of the books
Review: Dinotopia is the first of the Dinotopia series. Although it has a loose plot, it's mostly a mock-National Geographic style travelogue account of an island populated by both humans and dinosaurs. Buy the book for the beautifully detailed illustrations.
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Summary: Visual and literary delight
Review: I was perhaps nine when I read DINOTOPIA for the first time. Over seven years later, I still find myself returning to the wonderful pages of this book, over and over again. It sits on my bookshelf in all of its multicolored glory, begging me to take it out every so often and lose myself in the world it creates once again. DINOTOPIA tells the story of Arthur Denison and his son Will, both shipwrecked upon an island from which there is no escape, in the form of a diary, found in scholarly research years later. A delight to any child who once dreamed of dinosaurs, you follow the pair as they acclimate themselves to a world where dinosaurs and humans coexist and are both the better for it. Every new invention that is discovered is a delight and you find yourself drawn into their story even more than you might expect - I have, on several occasions, found myself singing the Dinotopia anthem included about halfway through the book. Even more so than the story though, every child will delight in the vivid pictures that accompany it. Full color illustration with as much detail as these are rare and always worth the time to savor. To any child who ever envisioned what dinosaurs looked like, his book is an eyeopener. Brilliantly colored drawings match just what the little models we used to play with showed. The care and detail in every drawing makes turning the pages a delight. At sixteen, I love this book just as much as I did at nine. Its hopeful message and visual beauty were so enthralling that I was disappointed when I realized that the island couldn't exist because a satellite would have found it by now. DINOTOPIA is definitely a favorite of mine and always will be. I look forward to my chance to read this to my children. I am sure they will find it just as wonderful as I do today.
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Summary: Great Memories
Review: I first read this book when I was maybe eight years old; I read it over the course of a few days I was off from school, due to being sick. It was probably one of the best reads of my life (rivalling the first time I read Lord of the Rings). The illustrations were absolutely beautiful, and the story was truly engrossing. The way it was written was interesting as well; written in the form of a journal, but in a very human manner, as though it *was* a journal, rather than just a *story* written as a journal (does that make any sense).
Anyway, quite a few months ago I was home from school again, and out of boredom I picked it up off of my bookshelf. The illustrations are still absolutely beautiful, and the story is still truly engrossing. I read through it in maybe an hour, and was completely blown away. None of the magic which I had felt when I was but a young child had gone away; it was just as wonderful as ever.
If you have a child who is into dinosaurs, or anything fanciful, buy this for them to read or to read with them. It will stick with them (and you) forever...
Rating:
Summary: BUY THIS BOOK
Review: Anyone with an imagination, a love of art, or an interest in dinosaurs will love this book. The illustrations are the best I've ever seen in a book and the story is great. It reminds me of something H.G.Wells would write. I will take good care of this book and pass it down from generation to generation like a family treasure.
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Summary: "Breathe deep. Seek peace."
Review: 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.
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Summary: I can't decide wether to frame it or Read it
Review: When I first read this book, I was very young. The story captivated me, and when I took the time to look up from the words, the illustrations left me completely speechless. There is nothing quite like flipping the full page open that contains Gurney's sketch of Waterfall City...perhaps the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Now, I know the story very well, and I find it very difficult to keep my midn focused on reading it again, because the artwork is captivating. I cannot say enough about Gurney's creative talent. His world where a group of beings with 65 million years of experience now teach humans, who considered themselves the ultimate beings on the planet, about philosophy, metallurgy, writing, building...The story conveys the incredibly complex simplicity that makes up all believable fictional worlds. And let's not forget the incredible incredible art.
Rating:
Summary: Different from most dinosaur books
Review: Dinotopia is different from most books about dinosaurs. It has good messages and shows the culture of the dinosaurs. It has great illustrations which add more detail to the writing, especially pictures where Will is flying on the Skybax. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful artwork...an adventure story with social messages
Review: Dinotopia will appeal to different age groups for different reasons. Very young children (especially those interested in dinosaurs) will understand little of the story, but will appreciate the multitude of dinosaur pictures. You can 'read' this book to a very young child by simply commenting on each page's pictures. Slightly older children will begin to be engaged by the story...an adventure tale, presented as if the book were a lost journal that has been recovered. Youth and adults can appreciate the story's deeper messages about peace and simplicity of living, and the beautiful artwork...far beyond the typical illustrations in a children's book, both in quantity and quality.
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