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Dinosaur Art : The World's Greatest Paleoart

Edited by: Steve White, Foreword by: Philip J. Currie and Introduction by: Scott D. Sampson

Published by: Titan Books

Where to buy:

Ages: 12 and up

This collection of paleoart is more than a panoramic view of dinosaurs as they may have lived and died. We have seen that before. This volume is a breathtaking look into the dinosaur world at both the micro and macro level by those who, by extension, might be considered scientists as well as artists. As Philip J. Currie notes in his foreword, scientific illustrators can produce drawings but it is the artist who can flesh out the bones with muscles and skin and make the resulting art look hyper-realistic and dynamic.

The book covers the work of ten artists. They are Julius Csotonyi, Gregory S. Paul, Mauricio Anton, Douglas Henderson, Todd Marshall, John Sibbick, Luis Rey, John Conway, Robert Nicholls and Raul Martin. Each section begins with a short bio followed by an interview with each contributor. Questions concerning how they got started as artists, their influences and technique are accompanied by examples of the artists’ sketches, digital paintings, pencils, pastels on paper, acrylic paintings and photographic composites, most in full color.

One could easily spend hours soaking up the “you are there” feeling when examining the many fold-outs and reproductions of murals that are on display around the world. A sketch by Raul Martin, done in pencil, is followed by the finished digital painting, and is a fascinating look into the artist at work. Doug Henderson’s Asteroid Arrival is a mind-blowing two-page, full-bleed spread depicting a Tylosaur leaping from the sea just as the asteroid has slammed into the earth.

This amazing book makes a fabulous coffee table book that can be read, cover to cover, and it is a keeper.

Includes a brief glossary and timeline. Highly recommended.

NOTE BY JP: one recurring question is the age group that we suggest for books of this type. The books are more expensive than picture books aimed specifically at young children; they’re actually large and heavy; and the text is written for an adult audience. All true. Yet, for a youngster who is obsessed with dinosaurs, this art book could easily become a most treasured possession that a youngster could “grow into” and gain a greater appreciation of as the youngster gets a little older and becomes more interested in the stories of the artists. Youngsters who read books aimed at juvenile audiences and see this for the first time will instantly recognize the difference in the artwork and appreciate the realism in each illustration.

Buying a book of this type for a youngster can provide a learning experience about how to care for art books and enjoy them without harming them. Of course, if it is damaged over time because of hard use it’s not the end of the world and you can always buy a replacement. One could even say that there is no greater endorsement for the power of a book of this type than some wear and tear! And if it’s a little beat up - well, that’s because of how much it was loved by the many people who enjoyed it!

Look for more reviews of art books devoted to dinosaurs and prehistoric animals as we survey the genre!

PALEO BUGS

Written and illustrated by: Timothy J. Bradley

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Where to buy it:

Ages: 5 and up

The excitement begins with the full color cover illustration of a huge millipede and a dragonfly with a wingspan of 3 feet! The endpapers are an appropriate forest green with silhouettes of various insects that crawled the earth hundreds of millions of years ago.

This introduction to the world of ancient arthropods is more thorough and detailed than its 48 pages would suggest. No fewer than nineteen different arthropods are depicted on the two-page timeline arranged by the Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Definitions, classifications and characteristics of arthropods are provided, all paired with color illustrations that are wonderfully depicted in full two-page illustrations that are beautifully art directed!

Each two-page spread features the scientific name (with pronunciation) and the time the arthropod roamed the earth or the ocean. Children will enjoy reading about the ferocious 9- foot-long predator called PTERYGOTUS, a “sea scorpion” that was likely at the top of the food chain during the Silurian period.

Bradley’s language is accessible to young readers, helping them to visualize each creature’s remarkable features. Referring to that huge dragonfly (the MEGANEURA) on the back cover of the book, he writes: “If your spread your arms out as wide as you can, you will see how big (its) wing’s were.” Sidebars provide a comparison of the size of the bug to an outline of a child, who is consistently referred to as “explorer” with a magnifying glass.

Paleo Bugs will appeal to young scientists and would work very well for a teacher covering a unit on paleontology in a simple and straightforward style. The book concludes with a brief section on insects and other arthropods today, reminding the reader that we still have a lot to learn from bugs…”after all, they’ve managed to survive for hundreds of millions of years!”

There is no index (which we would have liked!), but there is a glossary and a short booklist for further reading. Highly recommended for budding scientists!

COMMENT BY JP: Bradley’s book covers a subject that people of all ages - NOT JUST CHILDREN! - will find fascinating and answers an overlooked question: in world full of gigantic creatures, what were the insects like? It turns out that they are just as amazing as the dinosaurs! Bradley has written several terrific books about prehistoric creatures and we will be covering them all.