Take a trip with Raham to the days of dinosaurs
By Dan MacArthur
North Forty News
Gary Raham is a serious time traveler who loves taking others along for
the ride.
In his latest book, "The Dinosaurs' Last Seashore and the Creatures that
Transformed a World," the prolific paleontological wordsmith and illustrator
takes readers back to observe the wonder of the dinosaurs as they started
their decline.
Raham starts the story 67 million years ago as an already ancient North
American seaway is disappearing from the rising continent. The great age
of dinosaurs is nearly at a close. Classic dinosaurs like T. rex and Triceratops
live within sight of the seashore, which will soon disappear as the Rockies
rise and a catastrophic asteroid impact punctuates the beginning of a new
age for mammals.
The seashores are one of Raham's favorite places and – unlike a favorite
fishing hole – he shares it willingly.
His enthusiasm is infectious. Raham's poignant prose, quirky humor and
encyclopedic knowledge take readers there whether they are adults or his
traditional middle school audience.
That is perhaps Raham's greatest gift. He kindles the fascination with
dinosaurs that burned within all of us at some point in our lives. He brings
new life to a subject that otherwise could be as dry and dusty as the remnants
documenting the era when the terrible lizards reigned.
"When and where I come from, the oceans are gone and some of these beautiful
and fearsome creatures have piled up one on top of the other and turned
to stone. They've become fossils," Raham writes. "Here and now they bellow
and cry, swoosh and groan, or swim silently in the clear deep water. Dinosaurs
pace along the shore and make the Earth tremble. Birds and pterosaurs twirl
around their shoulders like scattered seed.
"Come along," he urges before setting off on the adventure. "Don't worry
about the dinosaurs. Most stay off in the woods where their cries become
simply a musical accompaniment to warm, peaceful evenings. But do be careful
if you enter the water. Even the sharks aren't safe out there.
"You'll soon see why."
From there Raham escorts his fellow travelers on a tour of the dinosaur-eat-dinosaur
world of the Late Cretaceous era. It in turn gave rise to another surprisingly
powerful force in its own right – flowers – that led the way for new forms
of life.
"Pre-armed to move and grow quickly, flowering plants transformed from
beggars to clever thieves," Raham writes. "When the evergreen forests flamed
in a world tortured by an asteroid's fall, flowering lineages and their
faithful followers stole the show."
"The Dinosaurs' Last Seashore" is the latest in Raham's vast body of award-winning
work detailed on his web site biostration.com. An illustrator, graphic
designer and author, he has written 14 books, some short science fiction
stories, numerous video scripts and magazine articles.
A former high school and middle school teacher in the eastern plains, Raham's
goal is to use stories to connect children to science. Although usually
targeting middle school students, he also writes adult science articles
for the North Forty News and Colorado Gardener magazine.
"The Dinosaurs' Last Seashore" is aimed at appealing to both audiences.
"I'm hoping it's something that will appeal to older and young," he said.
Calling his new work a graphic short story, Raham said the book had been
germinating for about five years until he finally decided to self-publish
it. He will read from the book and offer a free art demonstration at the
Wellington Public Library at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7.
"The Dinosaurs' Last Seashore" is available for $9.50 from Raham by calling
568-3557 or download an order form at biostration.com.
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