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In 1860, when extensive uncharted
territories covered a respectable portion of
the globe, biologist Arthur Denison and his
young son, Will, set out on a Darwinian voyage
of exploration.Somewhere on the expedition,
Professor Denison and Will disappeared. Neither
they nor anyone from their ship were heard from
again -- until very recently. It now appears
that, through the kindly intervention of dolphins,
they were transported to the lost island of
Dinotopia, a land where dinosaurs and humans
live together in peaceful interdependence. The
dinosaurs appreciate the skills and liveliness
of homo sapiens, and the humans benefit
from the wisdom and gentleness of the very much
older species. |
The exiting, often spectacular,
adventures of the Denisons in Dinotopia are chronicled
here by the Professor. As a trained professional
observer of the world's flora and fauna, he recorded
his experiences in meticulous detail; otherwise
it would be difficult to believe the astonishing
discoveries he documented. His artistic skills allow
the rich tapestry of Dinotopian life to emerge with
graphic impact. He presents clearly the marvels
of architecture designed for 50-ton organisms --
aquatic cities, water-parks, treetowns, and other
wonders, both natural and dinosaur/man-made.
Professor Denison details aspects
of daily life, too: parades and celebrations, sports
(some quite risky!), and foods. He tells of sleeping
quarters suspended from trees; hatcheries (where
humans tend dinosaur young) and playparks (where
dinosaurs tend human young); and modes of transportation,
including air travel on Quetzalcoatlus, known locally
as Skybax. In short, he shows Dinotopia to be a
marvelously fascinating place, offering adventure
and excitement, as well as an extraordinary opportunity
to gain insight into our own world and time from
the Dinotopian point of view.
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JAMES GURNEY began his
career as a background painter for the feature-length
animated film Fire and Ice (1983), His fantasy
art has appeared on the covers of more than seventy
books, and he has recreated scenes of ancient worlds
for several National Geographic articles. His
work has been exhibited by the Society of Illustrators
and the Park Avenue Atrium in New York, the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History, the National Geographic
Society, the Delaware Art Museum and the Los Angeles
County Museum of Natural History. He is the winner
of numerous art honors, including the Best of Show
award at the 1989 World's Science Fiction Convention.
He lives with his wife, Jeanette, also an artist,
and their two sons in the Hudson Valley of New York
State. |