Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time
Adventure Art & Illustration Picture Book Fantasy Young Adult Dinosaurs Ecological Fiction
First-edition hardcover of James Gurney’s Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time—160 oversized, full-colour pages that launched one of the most beloved fantasy worlds of the 1990s. Published in 1992 by Crawford House, this 250 mm-tall volume is still wrapped in its original dust jacket, every inch bursting with Gurney’s luminous oil paintings of humans and dinosaurs living in harmony. The lavish spreads and marginalia combine the feel of an illuminated manuscript with a high-adventure travel journal, making it equal parts art monograph and page-turning novel.
Collectors prize this Australian first printing for its richer colour separation and heavier stock than later U.S. reprints, while parents and YA readers love the gentle ecological message woven through Arthur Denison’s lost-island chronicle. From skybax calvaries to dolphin-guided undersea cities, each tableau is scientifically informed yet whimsically imaginative—perfect for dinosaur-mad kids, art students studying colour and light, or anyone nostalgic for the golden age of pre-digital illustration. Vintage picture-book format means the art is printed right to the gutter, so the panoramic vistas truly open up in the wide 265 mm landscape orientation.
This copy carries a neat previous-owner inscription on the half-title page, adding provenance without claiming author signature. Pages are crisp and unmarked, free of smoke or musty odour; only two softened page-corners betray three decades of careful reading. A handsome shelf presence and a smart investment—first-edition Dinotopias in this condition now trade for double original retail, while the story inside continues to inspire filmmakers, game designers, and dreamers worldwide.
Refer to our eBay listing for a full condition report and many more high-quality pictures of this item.
Buy Now