Ancestory

This nonfiction picture book follows the puzzle of who created the ancient wall art found across the globe, and what drove them to make it. The answers may never be fully pinned down, but the search itself is much of the appeal. Readers who enjoy the picture-led nonfiction of Jason Chin and Candace Fleming will find a similar approach here.

Earlier peoples left their art on cave walls and in rain forests, and they made ink from charcoal and crushed clay. Their drawings carried stories from one generation to the next, and they still speak to us today.

Hannah Salyer's own artwork ranges from the deserts of North America to the caves of Papua New Guinea. It shows rock paintings, drawings, and etchings. The book includes extensive backmatter and a bonus double fold-out gatefold, and it closes by inviting young readers to add to the ongoing story of our ancestors.