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Back To Dinotopia

BY Anna Maltby

Somewhere in the unexplored reaches of the ocean lies the island of Dinotopia. In this land, dinosaurs and humans peacefully coexist. Author and illustrator James Gurney takes readers back to the lost world in Dinotopia: Journey to Chandara. The fourth book in the Dinotopia series is in bookstores this month. "I wanted to continue to explore the island through (explorer Arthur Denison's) eyes," Gurney told TFK.

Humans and plant-eating dinosaurs live in harmony on the island. But both kinds of creatures have to take care to avoid meat eaters like the allosauruses, which live in the wild forests. "The humans help the dinosaurs in some ways, and the dinosaurs help the humans in other ways," Gurney says.

The dinosaurs in Gurney's books are based on actual creatures. He spent five years researching, painting and writing this latest installment. Gurney worked with archaeologists and paleontologists to learn about the latest dinosaur fossil discoveries. "Often, I sketch in a rough idea of a dinosaur," Gurney says. "Then I go through all my notes to try to figure out what's the best dinosaur for a given situation."

Gurney says he loved reading adventure stories such as Treasure Island when he was a kid, but what he loved most was pretending to be an archaeologist. "I was always digging and looking for things," he says. "I was convinced there was a lost city in my backyard."

Why do dinosaurs fascinate Gurney? "They're like the aliens from our own planet," he says. "No matter how hard you try to dream up strange aliens, it seems that the fossil record brings forth beings that are far weirder than we could ever imagine."

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