Dinosaurs nerds doubtless have encountered the various paleoart compendiums edited by Steve White, starting with Dinosaur Art in 2012, continuing with Dinosaur Art II & Mesozoic Art (as well as a solo showcase of Julius Csotonyi released in 2014). With all these publications celebrating other paleoartists, it may have escaped some people that Steve is an accomplished artist in his own right, and has produced many striking works of his own! I had the privilege of meeting Steve at TetZooCon 2023, and got the chance to purchase directly from him a copy of his book The Bone Cabin Chronicles: An Antediluvian ABeCeDarium.
This may technically be an “ABC book”, though perhaps not one for kids! While I’m of the opinion that kids can handle more than adults typically give them credit for, I would be remiss if I didn’t add that caveat for those whose mileage may vary. Like any typical ABC book, we get a different prehistoric creature for each letter of the alphabet, though instead of mopey mammoths, we see each one treated to a uniquely gruesome (yet frighteningly plausible) death.
The book is inspired by The Gashlycrumb Tinies, a similarly macabre alphabet book by celebrated illustrator Edward Gorey, most evident in the way every two entries rhyme with each other. While starkly illustrated in a cross-hatching method, White doesn’t otherwise reference Gorey’s style. In fact, it almost feels a bit like Stephen Gammell’s infamously creepy artwork for the children’s horror series Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, though apart from the extra focus on gruesome deaths and the occasionally “fuzzy” appearance to some of the art, it’s otherwise not too different from White’s usual style.
I personally love The Bone Cabin Chronicles. I think the illustrations are fantastic, Steve picks some interesting species to use for each entry, and the delightfully grim atmosphere makes for an oddly enjoyable experience. You can order it directly from Steve White’s Etsy shop, which I highly recommend you do! I’ll let you be the judge if you want to share this book with the kids in your life, but to those with strong enough constitutions, it’s great, gruesome fun. I happily give it my Dino Dad Stomp of Approval! If this has whetted your appetite for creepy paleo fun, why not check out the Weird Birds saga, next?
Dino Dad Reviews 
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