The annual Love in the Time of Chasmosaurs holiday gift guide has returned for its seventh incarnation! If you’re new to the blog, here’s the skinny: every year, I hunt for cool dinosaur-related gift ideas from small businesses and independent creators in an effort to help them reach more eyes and help you find unique presents for the dinosaur lovers in your life. Most of the names below will be making their debut this year, as I made an extra effort to find creators who have never been featured in one of these posts. It’s more important than ever to support each other, so hopefully this introduces you to new creators!
As always, I include links to my previous guides at the bottom of the post, so please click through and browse the older posts – many of those items are still available!
Books
Did You See That Dinosaur? by Riley Black
Riley Black is back with a brand new title, and the first to bear her actual name! This one, in which Riley works with illustrator Scott Koblish, is an interactive seek-and-find book which also includes a ton of up-to-date information about dinosaurs familiar and obscure. Buy it here.
Fossils for Kids by Ashley Hall
Ashley Hall has been a stalwart member of the online paleo community forever, and her new book is a great example of her approachable science communication technique. It’s a perfect way to stoke young ones’ enthusiasm for ancient worlds, and I have a feeling that there will be many excited recipients of Fossils for Kids this season. Grab your copy here.
Prehistoric Pets by Dean Lomax
Dean Lomax teamed up with illustrator Mike Love (not the Beach Boy, to be clear) for a cool title that takes some of our familiar… familiars… and zooms out to reveal their evolutionary heritage. It’s a great concept that helps reveal the wonder inside even the most common living animals. Check it out here.
OTP by Maki Naro
The famous pair of Thrinaxodon and Broomistega, enshrined in stone since the Triassic, is the subject of Maki Naro’s comic OTP. The print edition is sold out, but an ebook is available here.
Art
How I Paint Dinosaurs by James Gurney
If you’re looking to help a budding artist along on their creative journey, you’ll scarcely find a better guide than James Gurney. The creator of the famed Dinotopia series is also a darn good art teacher, and his How I Paint Dinosaurs video brings a wealth of excellent insight. Buy it at Gumroad.
Evolution by Anjila
I love this whimsical illustration by Anjila, in which a yellow songbird perches atop an Allosaurus skull with the caption “I’ll never be what I once was. And that’s okay.” It’s a beautiful sentiment that so many of us can take to heart, and it’s that rare bit of paleontology art that could be a great gift for even a non-geek. Buy it at Society6.
Darwinopterus Infographic by Diane Ramic
Diane Ramic has a distinctive style of angular, stylized ancient critters, and has designed a whole series of fun posters that put them front and center, while also providing some information about them. Bold colors and minimal compositions would make these an eye-catching addition to any room. Check out her products at Redbubble.
Brachylophosaurus canadensis by Julius Csotonyi
One of my favorite paleoart pieces of all time is Julius Csotonyi’s depiction of Leonardo, the famed Brachylophosaurus “mummy” now on display at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. It is one of the great examples of environment playing a crucial role in paleoart: the animal isn’t alive, but the water and wind-blown flora create a tangible place you can imagine stepping into. Buy a print at Fine Art America.
Ceratosaurus by David Szabo
If you need a statement piece and nothing but a big chompy theropod will do, David Szabo’s Ceratosaurus might just fit the bill. He’s got a whole series of similar pieces, and you can easily see them hanging on a young dinosaur enthusiast’s bedroom wall. Buy them at Artstation.
Wearables
Teelobite
A few new shops dedicated to paleontologically-themed apparel have popped up this year, and the first I’m featuring in this year’s Dinosaur Gift Guide is Teelobite. There are a bunch of designs to choose from, ranging from fossil skull illustrations like this one to more humorous illustrations like a T. rex as Freddy Mercury. Shop here.
Hungry! by Francisco Riolobos
Francisco Riolobos has a knack for conjuring eye-catching and charismatic prehistoric beasts in his simple-but-not-simplistic style. His tee featuring the most iconic of fossilized foes is no exception. Buy it at Francisco’s shop.
Trilomorpha
Another of the new apparel shops that popped up this year is Trilomorpha, who specialize in “bringing dinosaurs to the streets.” Like this Parasaurolophus design, their work features bold color choices and geometric shapes. Shop here.
Diabloceratops by Jurassik Boutik
I can’t pass up a good Diabloceratops, and if you can’t either, you need to see this tee by Jurassik Boutik. It’s sure to get a few double-takes from passersby. Buy your own at Redbubble.
Kentrosaurus by Irimali
In a spiky mood? Kentrosaurus is just the beast for you, and Irimali’s got an awesome one for you. This one’s all about the business end. Buy it at Redbubble.
Other Gifty Stuff
Paleontology Party Tote by Lily Mitchell
I love this stylish pattern of dinosaur skeletons in muted colors, and this tote would be the perfect accessory for a day at the museum. Lily Mitchell’s design is also available on a bunch of other products. Shop her stuff at Redbubble.
Dinosaur Pillow by Just9Art
Just9Art’s delightfully stylized dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures are always a treat. And at their Redbubble shop, you can fill your life with them in all sorts of forms, like this comfy pillow. Buy it here.
Heck Creek pins by Dinosaur Comics
The Dinosaur Comics Instagram page, the creation of Andy Cruz, has blown up this year, and now he’s got a new shop full of awesome stuff. A recent and very successful Kickstarter funded the production of a new set of pins in his signature art style (a new set of African taxa is scheduled to launch today, too). Buy them from the Dinosaur Comics shop!
Ammonite Tea mug by Thalia Evans
Love fossil inverts? Love tea? Thalia Evans has just the mug for you. Buy yours at her Design by Humans shop.
This list is just a small sampling of the cool stuff waiting for a place in your dinosaur-smitten friend’s home (or your own). Most of the artists above have much more to browse after you follow the links I provided. And if you’re hungry for more, look back on previous years’ guides to find even more ideas:
Thanks for checking out this year’s gift guide! If you like what we do and want to help us support and promote independent artists and small businesses, be our hero and make a monthly pledge at Patreon!
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