Mammoth Book of Dinosaurs and others illustrations

[Griffin]

I have had these books ever since I was a toddler and they have been treasures to me ever since. Each one is filled with illustrated stories of the day in the life of a particular dinosaur or other prehistoric animal. Think of it like WWD in a book form.

These inspired me soooo much when I was a kid. There are a number of different illustrators who did art for these books. Some are not too great but others remain some of my favorite paleo art ever. These are just a few pictures I took of the pages with my camera, there are TONS more. Remember these are from the late 80s so don't expect too much up to date scientific accuracy. For their time they were accurate. Hope everyone enjoys these as much as I do.

My fav color scheme for an archaeopteryx.





This artist was less than fantastic but sure had some origional ideas. Poor hadrosaurs!


Check out the neck posture on that Tany. Looks like the JP figure.


This is my favorite picture out of all the books. Dilo vs Plesiosaur. This blew me away when I was a 4 year old.





Rex takes down an Alamosaurus.

Dont worry, prehistoric mammals get love too!




Here is a paragraph from one of the stories to give you an idea of what they were like. This were not just an information books like almost every other dinosaur book out there. These were actual hypothetical stories.

[Horridus]

I'd dispute that they were accurate for their time, especially given that the title of one of them is "Dinosaurs of the Land, Sea and Air" (er...sea?) But they're still great! Real retro charm. I love the scene of the two baby hadrosaurs happily splashing each other while their mother's head is halfway down a Deinosuchus' throat!

[Griffin]

Oct 18, 2009 17:36:36 GMT Horridus said:

I'd dispute that they were accurate for their time, especially given that the title of one of them is "Dinosaurs of the Land, Sea and Air" (er...sea?) But they're still great! Real retro charm. I love the scene of the two baby hadrosaurs happily splashing each other while their mother's head is halfway down a Deinosuchus' throat!

I think they were just referring to pterosaurs and marine reptiles and used the term "dinosaur" for the sake of the annoyance of being wordy. I forgive them for it.

No but yeah they are def more than entertaining to look at. Glad you like them.

[sid]

Great, GREAT books, i still love 'em!

The artist who drew the Nothosaurus and the Dimorphodon story was the best IMHO

[kuni]

I enjoyed these as a kid. I owned the Deinonychus book.

[Libraraptor]

Wow, lovely illustrations! And look how those baby Plesiosaurs flit into the water!
I have such a book, too: L.B. Halstead´s book from 1975, don´t know its original English title. It highly inspired me in my childhood. Its pictures were gates into other worlds to me. So I understand your sentimentality completely, griffin!

[Griffin]

Oct 19, 2009 8:50:48 GMT Libraraptor said:

Wow, lovely illustrations! And look how those baby Plesiosaurs flit into the water!
I have such a book, too: L.B. Halstead´s book from 1975, don´t know its original English title. It highly inspired me in my childhood. Its pictures were gates into other worlds to me. So I understand your sentimentality completely, griffin!

Thats really cool. Yeah it is a good way to appeal to kids by putting everything in a story form while giving accurate (for the time) info at the same time. These books would probably be one of the first material things I save in a fire.

Oct 19, 2009 8:18:35 GMT sid said:

Great, GREAT books, i still love 'em!

The artist who drew the Nothosaurus and the Dimorphodon story was the best IMHO

Yeah I agree. I also think the one responsible for the Archaeopteryx, ankylo, glyptodont and such is quite good.

If you guys want I can try to put up another batch next time I go home. It seems many of you already have the books or some of them at least in some form already though.

[foxilized]

Griffin, thanks, I have enjoyed this a lot. Please upload some new more another day.

Yeah, that Nothosaurus is amazing. Lovely skin textures and atmospheres. The plesio babies is a great one also. And Horridus' definition of the corys "happily splashing each other " made me laugh my @ss I just love this kind of stuff, makes me remeber that powerful feeling, of attraction to that primeval world that a kid can't explain, not avoid either.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

The hatchling plesiosaurs made me laugh ;D

[john2xtheman]

Not the happiest of times for Plesiosaurus....not only does one get taken down in battle by a Dilophosaurus,babies are grabbed up by Rhamphorhynchus and Ornitholestes too... ;D

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

Oct 19, 2009 23:40:20 GMT @john2xtheman said:

Not the happiest of times for Plesiosaurus....not only does one get taken down in battle by a Dilophosaurus,babies are grabbed up by Rhamphorhynchus and Ornitholestes too... ;D

Well, I have to say they deserved it, the stupid things could barely pull themselves across some sand, and they couldn't even move their bodies fast enough to catch fish so they had to use their necks!

[Griffin]

Plesiosaurus def had a story dedicated to it in one of those books. When I go home I'll see if I can find a redeeming illustration of it to put up. The one with the dilo was from a story where the dinosaur was the main character.

[[][][]cordylus[][][]]

I have one of these books where an ankylosaur (actually euoplocephalus) is the main character. He actually tumbles down a hill and survives...

[Griffin]

Yeah I included a picture from that story on here. Its the one where the Rex appears to be jumping on top of her. You are right, they messed up and illustrated an euoplocephalus but there is also another story about euoplocephalus itself as well I believe. Its done by the kinda sloppy artist who painted the image of the dienosuchus swallowing mama cory's head.

[skeletonman]

I actually own the Colossal Book of Dinosaurs but it has a different cover

[foxilized]

Griffin, do you have the name of the artist who made the great Nothosaurus and Tany?

Is the same one who did the Plesio vs Dilo, isn't he?

Is the same of the one with the plesio babies?

[Griffin]

Nov 25, 2009 13:39:26 GMT foxilized said:

Griffin, do you have the name of the artist who made the great Nothosaurus and Tany?

Is the same one who did the Plesio vs Dilo, isn't he?

Is the same of the one with the plesio babies?

I wish I had read this a little earlier I would have been able to give you the name. I just arrived back at my apartment and the book is at the house an hour's drive away.

I can however tell you which ones are done by the same illustrator.

The dimorphodon, nothasaurus/tany, baby plesiosaurs, dilo and yawning smilodon are all done by the same artist.

The archaeopteryx, eoplocephalus/rex, dimetrodon and jag/anteater are all done by the same artist.