Publisher's Weekly Review
Gurney's bestselling illustrated fantasy, Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time, conjured up a lost world where people and dinosaurs live in peaceful interdependence. This sequel, which should be equally popular, follows the further adventures of naturalist Arthur Denison and his daredevil son, Will, shipwrecked on Dinotopia since 1862. Accompanied by exotic-looking musician Oriana Nascava and treacherous buccaneer Lee Crabb, father and son ride a submarine and stumble upon the World Beneath, a realm of quaint villages, labyrinthine tunnels, archetypal designs, natural stone sculptures, crystalline caves and lush gardens. The dinosaurs, whether above or below land, are sometimes fierce but more often genial presences who serve as means of transport and attend meetings with human elders. A treasure-hunting search for the fabled sunken city of Poseidos turns up connections among the Dinotopians, ancient Egypt and Atlantis. Despite the cardboard characters and trite story line, the more than 160 sparkling, fey paintings, at once fanciful and precise, pull readers into an enchanting adventure that should capture the most skeptical, armor-plated heart. 200,000 first printing; major ad/promo; Literary Guild, Scholastic and Doubleday Book Club selections; author tour. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In the sequel to 'Dinotopia' (Turner), Will and his father, Arthur, continue to explore the lost island where humans and dinosaurs peacefully coexist. While Will soars through the skies on the back of a flying reptile, Arthur discovers ancient technology and treasure in underground caves. The profusely detailed illustrations hold more interest than the disjointed, blandly told story. From HORN BOOK 1995, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 6^-9, younger for reading aloud. In the original Dinotopia, Arthur Denison recorded in a journal his reactions to the amazing discovery of a land where humans and dinosaurs not only coexisted but also conversed. In this book, an omniscient narrator continues the story of Arthur and his 16-year-old son, Will, as the teenager takes to the sky and Arthur ventures to the world beneath Dinotopia. Story and pictures work together in a way reminiscent of a comic book, though Gurney's artwork is anything but cartoonish, and much of the book's fun lies in the elaborately detailed illustrations that ground the fantastic world. Gurney's paintings, more polished here than in the previous book, incorporate the most current information available on dinosaurs, and their lush, romantic feel combines nicely with the diagrams and labeled artifacts. The text, which is mostly action and dialogue, doesn't supply enough background for readers unfamiliar with the earlier story, but dinosaur and fantasy lovers who relished Arthur's first adventure will like this one. --Susan Dove Lempke
