Dinotopia facts for kids

Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time by James Gurney

Dinotopia is a series of amazing fantasy books. They were created by author and artist James Gurney. The stories take place on a secret island called "Dinotopia." On this island, humans who were shipwrecked live peacefully with smart dinosaurs. They have learned to work together as one big, friendly society.

The first book came out in 1992. It has been translated into 18 languages and sold over two million copies! The books Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time and Dinotopia: The World Beneath even won special awards called Hugo Awards for their fantastic artwork.

Since the first book, more than twenty Dinotopia books have been written by different authors. There have also been a live-action TV miniseries, a TV show, an animated movie, and several video games based on the series.

How Dinotopia Began

James Gurney used to work for National Geographic magazine. His job was to paint old cities that no one had ever seen. This gave him the idea to create his own imaginary world. He painted two pictures called "Waterfall City" and "Dinosaur parade." People loved these paintings! So, he decided to create a whole island based on them.

Instead of using computers, Gurney painted 150 oil paintings for his 2007 Dinotopia book. He used real-life studies, sketches, and models. He called his series "Dinotopia." This name is a mix of "dinosaur" and "utopia" (which means a perfect place).

Some people have said that parts of the movie Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace look like Gurney's Dinotopia books. Gurney has noticed the similarities but doesn't mind. The director, George Lucas, had even talked about a Dinotopia movie before Star Wars was made.

The Amazing Island

Dinotopia is a hidden island where humans and dinosaurs live and work together. They live in peace with each other and with nature. It's a beautiful and magical place that the rest of the world doesn't know about. The island is surrounded by strong storms and dangerous reefs. These make it very hard for anyone to travel to or from Dinotopia. The island has many different environments, from hot deserts to tall mountains and wet swamps. It also has many natural and man-made caves.

Meet the Main Characters

• Arthur Denison – He is an American scientist and the main hero of the books. After his wife died, he and his son Will went on a long journey in 1860. In 1862, their ship crashed, and they ended up on Dinotopia. Arthur wrote all about his discoveries in a journal. Later, these journals were found by James Gurney. Arthur now lives in Waterfall City.
• Will Denison – Arthur's son and another main hero. He was shipwrecked with his father on Dinotopia. On the island, he met and fell in love with a local girl named Sylvia Romano. Will trained to become a Skybax Rider. This means he learned to fly on a giant pterosaur called a Skybax. His Skybax partner is named Cirrus.
• Bix – She is a smart Protoceratops who can speak many languages. Bix is a good friend and travel partner to Arthur Denison. She first met Arthur and Will when they arrived on the island. She later became their guide and has been their friend ever since. Bix knows almost every language on Dinotopia.
• Sylvia Romano – A girl from Dinotopia who lives in the Hatchery. She was the first human Arthur and Will met after their shipwreck. She and Will became good friends and later fell in love. Sylvia also trained to be a Skybax Rider. Her Skybax partner is named Nimbus.
• Lee Crabb – He is the main bad guy in the books. Crabb arrived on Dinotopia in 1853, but he hated the island. He always tried to find a way to escape. He dislikes dinosaurs and calls them "Scalies." In the second book, he tried to escape Dinotopia to bring an army back and steal from the island. But Arthur stopped him.
• Oriana Nascava – A musician from Waterfall City. She joined Arthur on his trip back to the World Beneath. She had half of a special key that Arthur needed. It is hinted that she and Arthur become romantically linked.
• Nallab – He is the assistant librarian at the Waterfall City library. He is very old, 127 years!
• Brokenhorn – A respected Triceratops elder. He is the son of the famous Greyback the Wise. He used to live alone among the Tyrannosaurus until he returned to Dinotopian society.
• Oolu – He is the main Skybax instructor at Sky City. He trains new Skybax Riders. His Skybax is Lightwing.
• Gideon Altaire – The main hero of the third Dinotopia book, The First Flight. He lived on an island called Poseidos a long time ago. He became the first ever Skybax Rider.

The Dinotopia Book Series

The Dinotopia series started with an illustrated children's book called Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time. It was popular with both kids and adults. This led James Gurney to write and illustrate three more main books: Dinotopia: The World Beneath, Dinotopia: First Flight, and Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara. These books follow the adventures of Arthur and Will Denison. They are important because they create the world for all the other stories. James Gurney keeps up with new dinosaur discoveries. He even adds newly found dinosaurs, like Giganotosaurus and Microraptor, into his books!

There are also many other Dinotopia books for young adults. These books feature different characters. Sometimes, Arthur and Will Denison appear in small roles. Two longer fantasy novels for adults were also written by Alan Dean Foster.

Besides books, there have been video games, a TV miniseries, a TV show, and an animated movie. These also take place in the Dinotopia world. However, they don't always follow the main book stories exactly. Most of them are set in modern times, while the books are mostly set in the mid-1800s.

Main Books of Dinotopia

The main Dinotopia books tell the story of Arthur Denison and his son, Will. They also introduce the many people they meet on their journeys. The first and fourth books are written like Arthur's journals. James Gurney even explains how he supposedly found these old, waterlogged books.

A Land Apart from Time

In Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time (1992), the Denisons' ship crashes near Dinotopia. They are found by the people of the Hatchery. This is a place where dinosaurs are born and cared for by both dinosaurs and humans. The Denisons then start exploring the island. They hope to find a way to go back home.

Arthur and Will travel all around the island. They learn about the customs and culture of their new neighbors. Arthur is very interested in the amazing scientific achievements of the Dinotopians. These are far more advanced than any human culture. He studies the plants, how everyone works together, and a mysterious place called the World Beneath. This World Beneath is how Dinotopians survived the great dinosaur extinction. The story says that most dinosaurs were destroyed, but a few hid in huge caves. These few became the first Dinotopians. No one has entered the World Beneath for hundreds of years, but Arthur wants to try.

Meanwhile, his son Will decides to train as a Skybax rider. These riders are messengers who fly on giant Quetzalcoatlus (called Skybax). Will learns to live in close partnership with his Skybax. A girl named Sylvia trains with Will, and they fall in love. The Dinotopians call this deep bond Cumspiritik, meaning "together-breathing."

Arthur travels into the World Beneath. At the same time, Will and Sylvia learn to fly with the Skybax. When Arthur returns, he is amazed by the old things he found there. He believes they might help him leave or explore the island more.

Will and Sylvia become expert Skybax Riders. They travel to meet Arthur and his Protoceratops guide, Bix. A thunderstorm distracts them, but they survive and arrive safely. Will is too young to marry Sylvia, but they promise to marry later. Arthur realizes his son has grown up. They both accept their new lives on the island.

The World Beneath

Cover of Dinotopia: The World Beneath.

The first sequel, Dinotopia: The World Beneath (1995), is mostly about Arthur Denison's second trip to the World Beneath. The book starts with Will testing his father's new invention, the Dragoncopter. It's a steam engine ornithopter (a flying machine) shaped like a dragonfly. The Dragoncopter fails, and Will is barely saved by Cirrus, his Skybax.

After his first trip, Arthur shows two things he found to the council in Waterfall City: a sunstone and half of a key. He wants to go on a second trip into the World Beneath.

A musician named Oriana Nascava comes forward with the other half of Arthur's key. She says it's a family treasure. She will only give it to Arthur if she can join his trip. Arthur agrees, even though he's not thrilled. With Bix as their guide and the sneaky Lee Crabb, the group travels to the Pliosaur Canal. They get into a submersible (a small submarine) to go underwater to the World Beneath.

Meanwhile, Will and Sylvia are assigned to go with a sauropod (long-necked dinosaur) caravan. They must watch out for Tyrannosaurus. But Cirrus flies Will to ancient ruins in the jungle. The Tyrannosaurus seem to be protecting these ruins.

Arthur, Oriana, Bix, and Lee keep exploring the caves under Dinotopia. They find amazing things like fern spores that sprout instantly. They also find special sunstones that seem to hold old memories. They reach a huge man-made room filled with old walking machines called "Strutters." These machines look like prehistoric animals. Arthur, Oriana, and Bix take a strutter that looks like a ceratopsian (horned dinosaur). Crabb takes one that looks like a sea scorpion. They both climb out of the World Beneath and end up in the Rainy Basin. They join the sauropod convoy. But then, a group of Tyrannosaurus and Allosaurus attack! Crabb escapes in his strutter. The head of Arthur's strutter is ripped off, but it still works!

After escaping the meat-eating dinosaurs, Arthur realizes the Tyrannosaurus at the ruins might be guarding a special ruby sunstone. He takes his strutter back into the Rainy Basin with Oriana and Bix to find it. On the way, they find a young Giganotosaurus trapped and free it. The grateful father, named Stinktooth, protects Arthur and his friends. He lets them go into the ruins.

Inside the temple, Bix explains that in the past, people escaped the island. They brought ideas from Dinotopian civilizations to ancient Egyptian and Greek cultures.

However, they are too late! Crabb arrived first and took the ruby sunstone. He plans to escape Dinotopia and return with an army of strutters to steal everything. He destroys Arthur's strutter with his sea scorpion and tries to get away. Arthur chases Lee into the sea on top of Stinktooth. He pulls the sunstone out of the strutter's power socket before Lee can escape. During this chase, Arthur's journal falls into the ocean. It will later be found by sailors and eventually reach the library where James Gurney discovers it.

In the end, the ruby sunstone is lost. Arthur and Oriana seem to have a new romance. Crabb is put under guard by two Stygimoloch dinosaurs.

First Flight

Cover of Dinotopia: First Flight.

Dinotopia: First Flight (1999) is a story about what happened before the other books. It was also published by Gurney and came with a board game.

The main protagonist (hero) of this story is Gideon Altaire. He is a flight school student living in the city of Poseidos. In Poseidos, all living things (except humans) have been replaced by machines. Gideon finds an injured Scaphognathus (a type of pterosaur) named Razzamult. He then learns that the city plans to attack the main island of Dinotopia. They have also stolen the ruby sunstone from the pterosaur home of Highnest.

Gideon sneaks into a factory. He finds a huge air scorpion attack strutter being built. He finds and steals the ruby sunstone. He also frees a group of captured pterosaurs. Then he escapes to the mainland in a police skimmer (a small boat). He arrives to find the island already under attack. He finds and gets help from a group of native creatures. These include Binny, a Necrolemur; Bandy, a Plesictis; Bongo, a Plesiadapis; and Budge, an Estemmenosuchus. As they travel to Highnest, a spider-like attack strutter ambushes them. It steals the ruby sunstone.

Gideon and his friends reach Highnest. They help the pterosaurs move their eggs to safety. Then they fly into the air on their pterosaurs to fight the air scorpion. During the battle, Gideon manages to pull the ruby sunstone out of the flying machine. This causes it to crash and stops the invasion of Dinotopia.

Gideon is shown as the very first Skybax rider. However, the type of pterosaur he rode was not a Quetzalcoatlus northropi.

Journey to Chandara

Cover of Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara.

A fourth Dinotopia book by James Gurney, Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara, came out in October 2007. In this book, Hugo Khan, the mysterious emperor of Chandara, invites Arthur Denison and Bix to his court. Chandara is an empire that has been separated from the rest of Dinotopia for a long time. On their way, Arthur and Bix meet new friends. They visit a town called Bilgewater, made entirely of old ships. They also meet an old musician named Cornelius Mazurka and his Therizinosaurus friend Henriette.

Eventually, they meet Lee Crabb in Sauropolis. He escapes from his Stygimoloch guards and steals their invitation. Without the right passes, Arthur and Bix have to sneak through the Blackwood Flats swamp. They must avoid groups of meat-eating Allosaurus. After passing through the mountain city of Thermala, they meet Neighbor Dooh. This bandit steals everything from travelers. But he gives them things from his previous victim. Arthur loses his science tools. But he gets desert robes. These help him and Bix blend in with a Chandaran caravan. They pass the border guards without trouble.

They stop at the ruins of Ebulon. There, Arthur finds Will and Sylvia getting ready for an air-jousting tournament. Soon after, they go to the capital city of Chandara. When they arrive, they have very few things left to trade. So Arthur sets up a shop in the Marketplace of Ideas. That night, the emperor notices Arthur's writings. He invites Arthur and Bix to his court.

At the court, they find that Lee Crabb has also entered. He is pretending to be Arthur Denison. Crabb is trying to get weapons. He claims he is preparing for a Tyrannosaurus invasion. Hugo Khan finally shows himself. He is a tiny Microraptor! The real Arthur Denison quickly exposes Crabb. Khan punishes Crabb by making him a chef for a group of Acrocanthosaurus Shaolin-monks. These monks ate their last chef because he didn't satisfy them!

To celebrate Arthur and Bix, Hugo Khan flies out at night. He finds a sad child. The next day, Arthur, Bix, and some entertainers visit Rita Rose and Jeffer. Jeffer is an orphaned Europasaurus hatchling who can't walk. At the end of the day, Hugo Khan says he wants Chandara to open up to the rest of Dinotopia. Arthur and Bix agree to stay in Chandara for a while. They want to fully explore the city and its culture.

Other Dinotopia Books

From 1995, James Gurney worked with other authors on a series of short novels for children. These books used the Dinotopia characters and ideas. They were published by Random House:

• Windchaser by Scott Ciencin – Two boys, Raymond and Hugh, are thrown overboard from a prison ship. They land on Dinotopia and meet Bix. Raymond, 12, quickly loves this new world. He befriends a wounded Skybax named Windchaser. Hugh, a London pickpocket, doesn't fit in. He plans something bad. They all go on a dangerous adventure. This book happens during A Land Apart from Time.
• River Quest by John Vornholt – The Polongo River, which powers Waterfall City, has dried up. 13-year-old Magnolia and her Lambeosaurus partner, Paddlefoot, must save the river. They are joined by Birch, a farmer's son, and his Triceratops friend, Rogo. They also team up with a new shipwreck survivor, Aaron Ruzzo. They must work together to save the city.
• Hatchling by Midori Snyder – 12-year-old Janet runs away from the Hatchery after falling asleep on watch. With her friend Zephyr the Dryosaurus, she finds a wounded Saurolophus (a rare dinosaur) named Kranog. Kranog is about to lay an egg. Janet and Zephyr must help Kranog save the egg. This will prove Janet is worthy of being a hatchery apprentice.
• Lost City by Scott Ciencin – 12-year-old Andrew Lawton finds a secret city called Halcyon. A hooded dinosaur named Arri leads him and his friends Ned and Lian there. They explore the forbidden area. They meet a lost group of Troodon called the Unrivaled. The trio must work together to survive this dangerous adventure.
• Sabertooth Mountain by John Vornholt – Smilodon (saber-toothed cats) live in the Forbidden Mountains. An avalanche blocks their food source. Redstripe, a Smilodon leader, and Cai Rochelle, a 13-year-old human boy, are their only hope. They go on a dangerous journey. But a human-hating Smilodon named Neckbiter is chasing them.
• Thunder Falls by Scott Ciencin – Steelgaze, a wise Kentrosaurus, is frustrated with his young students, Joseph (14) and Fleetfeet (adolescent Stegoceras). They always compete! Steelgaze sends them on a quest for a hidden map that shows a way out of Dinotopia. But someone has stolen it (Lee Crabb is a suspect). The two must track the thief. Their competition makes it hard. They learn to cooperate when they help a shipwrecked girl named Teegan. They need to work together to face the dangerous Thunder Falls!
• Firestorm by Gene De Weese – A special herb called Arctium longevus, which gives humans long life, is dying. People are setting fires to stop the blight. 12-year-old Olivia and 15-year-old Albert, with their dinosaur partners Hightop the Plateosaurus and Thunderfoot the Chasmosaurus, race to find a solution. Olivia secretly wants all the credit. What important questions is she forgetting to ask?
• The Maze by Peter David – A Megaraptor named Odon lives in caves. He believes humans and nonhumans shouldn't team up. He created a dangerous maze to keep people out. Gwen Corey and Jason, two teenagers, and a smart Velociraptor named Booj, must reach Odon. Gwen's father is sick, and Odon is their last hope. Can they get through the maze and convince Odon to help?
• Rescue Party by Mark A. Garland – 13-year-old Loro loves watching Brachiosaurus caravans go into the dangerous Rainy Basin. He dreams of going with them. A deadly storm hits Dinotopia. The brachiosaurs go to help. A hot air balloon from the outside world crashes in the Rainy Basin. Loro and his friends (Ria and Trentor the Styracosaurus) know they are the only ones who can help the human in the balloon, Amal. Loro's dream comes true, but can he survive the dangers of the Rainy Basin?
• Sky Dance by Scott Ciencin – 13-year-old Marc Clayton wants to be a tightrope walker, but he's afraid of heights. His friend Gentle, a Parasaurolophus, dreams of being a musician, but he's out of tune. They join a traveling show. Their skills are tested when a Sky Galley (a flying ship) goes out of control in a storm. Only Marc can save the passengers.
• Chomper by Don Glut – 13-year-old Perry Taylor and his Montanoceratops friend Stoutpoint find a young Giganotosaurus near their town. Perry names him Chomper. Everyone loves Chomper, but he grows bigger every day. His appetite becomes too much for the village. When Chomper accidentally causes trouble, Perry and Stoutpoint must guide him back to his dangerous home in the Rainy Basin.
• Return to Lost City by Scott Ciencin – A sequel to Lost City. Andrew and Lian visit their friends in Halcyon, home of the Troodon knights. An elder Troodon named Blundertail has gone on a strange quest to find the Goblet of Gismore. Andrew, Lian, and Ned must find him before he causes trouble. They might find his quest is not so crazy after all.
• Survive! by Brad Strickland – After an earthquake, 12-year-old Kurt Ramos falls down a cliff. He wakes up with no memory. He wanders into the dangerous rainforest of Outer Island. His father Stanhope and his deaf Deinonychus friend Tostri are searching for him. How will Kurt know who they are without his memory?
• The Explorers by Scott Ciencin – Long ago, five brave Troodon from Halcyon loved adventure. They called themselves the Explorers Club. Five young descendants hear their stories and form a new Explorers Club. Can these junior knights live up to their ancestors’ legend?
• Dolphin Watch by John Vornholt – Milos and his Cryptoclidus friend Lilith spend their days with dolphins. They welcome shipwreck survivors. Most survivors love Dinotopia, except Joshua. He can't accept he'll never go home. Only swimming with dolphins makes him happy. Then a rescue ship is seen beyond the reef...
• Oasis by Cathy Hapka – Jack and Ty are very different. They travel together across the Great Desert. A sandstorm separates them. They find a hidden oasis with a lost group of small Saltopus. Jack and Ty must put aside their differences to befriend the Saltopus and help them find a way out of the desert.
• Lost by Alan Dean Foster
• The Hand of Dinotopia by Alan Dean Foster

Dinotopia TV Miniseries

A four-hour TV miniseries came out in 2002. It was also based on James Gurney's work. It had new characters like Zippeau, a troodon who worked with Sylvia. The sunstones, which were rare in the books, were common here. The miniseries shows how problems with the sunstones and leaders led some people to go on a quest to the World Beneath. This series is like a sequel to the books. Will Denison's daughter is a Skybax rider. Oriana's granddaughter is a main character. Zippo is said to be Sylvia's dinosaur partner. Lee Crabb's son, Cyrus, is the bad guy.

Dinotopia TV Series

A TV series with thirteen episodes was made in 2002 after the miniseries was popular. None of the actors from the miniseries returned. In this TV series, a group called Outsiders live outside Dinotopia's laws. They cause extra danger, along with other bad guys like Pteranodon, Tyrannosaurus, and Postosuchus.

The ABC network planned to start the series in September 2002. But they waited until Thanksgiving. ABC was a bit disappointed with the first 5.7 million viewers and low ratings. But they kept showing the series for a while. The series was finally canceled in December. Only six of the thirteen episodes were shown on ABC. But all thirteen were shown in Europe the next year and released on DVD.

Science-fiction director David Winning directed two episodes. Filming took three months near Budapest, Hungary. Georgina Rylance played Marion Waldo. Lisa Zane played her old friend LeSage, the leader of the Outsiders. Michael Brandon, Jonathan Hyde, and Erik von Detten also starred in the series.

Animated Film

There is also a 2005 animated movie called Dinotopia: Quest for the Ruby Sunstone. This movie changed the original books even more than the miniseries. It showed Ogthar, a mythical ruler of the World Beneath, as a human warlord instead of a kind emperor. It had many famous actors, including Alyssa Milano, Malcolm McDowell, Jamie Kennedy, Michael Clarke Duncan, Kathy Griffin, Wayne Knight, George Segal, Diedrich Bader, Tara Strong, and Alec Medlock.

Video Games

Several Dinotopia video games have been made:

• Dinotopia (PC: 1995)
• Dinotopia Game Land Activity Center (PC/Mac: 2002)
• Dinotopia: The Timestone Pirates (Game Boy Advance: 2002)
• Dinotopia: The Sunstone Odyssey (GameCube/Xbox: 2003)

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See also

In Spanish: Dinotopia para niños