(2) K-3 In luminous paintings and a spare, telegraphic text, Groenink tells the story of a brief encounter between a Neanderthal boy and a child of a different human species, perhaps Homo sapiens. Snub-nosed "boy" wanders away from his cave and family, down the mountain to a river valley, where he glimpses another boy on the far bank, a stranger. Their eyes meet. Back home that night, "boy," remembering how the other human raised his hand in greeting, presses a sooty handprint onto the cave wall. The pared-down text, built from pairs of contrasts -- here/there, behind/ahead, alone/together, far/close, standing/moving -- packs the emotional punch of poetry. The illustrations, as lush as the text is restrained, glow with golden light and their own set of opposites: dim cave and sun-infused valley, an aerial view down the cliffs to the river, the view from the ground up into the high tree canopy. The message here, entirely unstated but unmistakable, involves a benign portrait of our human encounters with the "other" and our need to tell stories. In this lovely offering, "boy" joins such other classic Stone Age heroes as Tankard's Edwin from Me Hungry! and Briggs's Ug from Ug: Boy Genius of the Stone Age (rev. 11/02). An author's note and a list of scholarly sources remind readers of the dynamism and excitement of the field of archaeology.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2025

(2) K-3 In 1733 a hurricane wrecks a Spanish galleon, which then sinks to the bottom of the Caribbean Sea and begins to serve as an artificial reef. Hevron's account of the transformation from shipwreck to coral reef steps across the years, decades, and centuries to the present day. In "year 1," the ship is food, shelter, and a sturdy resting place for organisms with entertaining names such as piddocks, gribbles, and sea lettuce and to the coral larvae that begin to multiply. By "year 10" the ship has become an "underwater nursery" for blue tangs, damselfish, and lobsters, while the coral continues to grow. Numerous aquatic species continue to proliferate over the centuries, as the ship itself decomposes and disappears into the sand. Hevron's textured wood-grain digital collages are a natural choice to represent not only the wooden ship but also the movements of ocean currents and the swirling sands of the sea floor. In the foreground, the colorful animals that compose the "rainbow of reef life" take on human expressions with their cartoonlike eyes and add humor with jokes in speech bubbles. End notes explain more about artificial reefs and provide additional sources and resources.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2024

(2) 4-6 In 1952 the body of an Iron Age child was discovered in a bog in Germany. In this hybrid volume--part fiction, part nonfiction--Lowry takes the known archaeological facts of this real-life discovery and crafts them into two different stories. In the first, the child, a girl named Estrild, rebels against the restrictive role of women in her agrarian village and presents herself, with the boys, to be a warrior. She is killed, punished for her boldness. The second story's protagonist is Varick, a boy who had appeared as a supporting character in the first one. Disabled and neglected, he is a keen observer of nature, a thinker, a proto-scientist. He dies of pneumonia. Interspersed with each of these stories is an essay; in these, Lowry casts a wide net, covering the art and science of archaeology, natural history, Iron Age lore, and, most innovatively, her own process in writing historical fiction. In what ways can we connect to the past without imposing our own realities on a time that was so different? How does one's own life conform to the accepted shape of fiction? The stories are tightly woven and moving, built of gritty, convincing detail and written in the cadenced rhythm of which Lowry is a master. But it is in the essays that she tackles, head-on, big questions of mortality and meaning in a way that is most unusual, honest, and deeply respectful of her young audience.

Reviewer: Sarah Ellis | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(2) 4-6 Prehistoric rock art can be found all over the globe, forming what Salyer terms our ancestory. She doesn't belabor the portmanteau but instead invites readers to wonder at the ancient artists whose lives "were filled with difficulties and danger" yet "took the time to create." Mixed-media illustrations often mimic lithography as they depict humans both modern and ancient as well as the cave art at the center of the book. Salyer carefully emphasizes that the art emerges from many different times and many ancient cultures, one spread depicting samples found in modern-day Namibia, Australia, India, Finland, and more, made between three hundred and seventeen hundred years ago. She covers materials used in the art's creation, its fragility, and its beauty, speculating as to its purposes and uses at the time. Archaeologists study the art, and "sometimes people who are part of local Indigenous communities still have distant familiarity" with it. (The fact that some archaeologists are also Indigenous goes unspoken, alas.) Extensive back matter buttresses the text, with a glossary, timeline, note, map, resources, and capsule story of the caves at Lascaux. Those caves form the book's centerpiece, a breathtaking double gatefold that depicts their discovery, small human figures silhouetted against the soaring cave walls, illuminated by lantern light. An effective, efficient celebration of the human need to tell stories through art.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(1) 4-6 Sandler turns his attention to shipwrecks and marine archaeology, selecting seven shipwrecks that collectively present the excitement of solving the mysteries of where each one lies, the latest excavation technologies, and the wealth of historical understanding each wreck yields up. He begins with the discovery of a vessel from ancient times near Crete, which became the first that led to a deliberate excavation after it was located in 1900. From there, he introduces readers to George Bass, who led the first scientific excavation of a shipwreck in 1960 and in the process created the discipline known as marine archaeology. A shipwreck found off the coast of South Africa in the 1980s compels us to "confront and remember the brutal practice of the slave trade." Sandler finds the hook in the story surrounding each wreck, and the stories build upon one another to create a more complete understanding of the field. A final chapter teases nine additional shipwreck stories in brief vignettes. The handsome book design features full-color photographs of recovered artifacts; scientists working to restore ships; sidebars with additional information; and historical paintings, photographs, and maps. Source notes, a select bibliography, and an index are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2023

(3) 4-6 Creepy and True series. This wide-ranging account examines some notable searches for and/or discoveries of human remains. These are more than bare-bones overviews; Hollihan draws on the work of archaeologists, geologists, biologists, historians, forensic anthropologists, and more as she provides context, background, and theories. Hollihan's enthusiasm for her subject comes through in her detailed conversational text, which includes discussion of the hunt for King Richard III's grave in England, the aftermath of two catastrophic nineteenth-century Indonesian volcanic eruptions, an ill-fated 1845 Arctic expedition, the Romanov deaths, to name a few cases. Lots of color photos and archival reproductions liven up the pages; sidebars expand on such topics as plate tectonics, cannibalism, and "What to Do If You Find Human Bones." Selected sources, related websites, and an index (not seen) are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(1) K-3 Translated by Adriana Domínguez. Illustrated by Elisa Chavarri. This picture-book biography of Peruvian archaeologist and educator Julio C. Tello (1880–1947) forefronts Indigenous Peruvian science, knowledge systems, and art. Brown centers Tello's indigeneity from the opening spread. Born in 1880 "in the shadow of the Andes mountains," Tello spoke Quechua, the language spoken across generations of Indigenous Peruvian people. Nicknamed Sharuko for his brave disposition ("not even the skulls he and his brothers uncovered in ancient tombs" scared him), twelve-year-old Tello left the highlands for Lima to commence his studies, initiating a prolific and multi-continent educational journey. He returned to Peru in 1913, where at the Museum of Natural History in Lima he conducted groundbreaking excavation and fieldwork investigating the daily life of ancient Peruvians. Brown's text, usually appearing in Spanish on the left-hand pages and in English on the right (expertly translated by Domínguez), is informative and engaging. Chavarri's gouache and watercolor illustrations show panoramic Andean vistas, with saturated yellows balancing muted green hues; vignettes focus on resplendent brown faces; details in the art invite visual inquiry into renderings of colorful Paracas textiles and sculpted cabezas clavas from the archaeological site Chavín de Huántar. Author and ­illustrator notes affirm Brown's and Chavarri's (both of Peruvian descent) commitment to perpetuating Peru's Indigenous culture. A bibliography is appended.

Reviewer: Lettycia Terrones | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2020

(4) K-3 Translated by Nancy Wellins. Illustrated by Yossi Abolafia. In ancient Jerusalem, Itamar searches for a golden bell missing from a garment he’s helping to mend; in 2011, an archaeologist finds it. The ending is abrupt, and back matter would be useful to give context to the real-life find, but the book demonstrates the human stories behind archaeology. Smoothly translated text and cartoon-style illustrations add interest and bring the long-ago setting to life.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Douglas Holgate. Aspiring archaeologist Clementine--raised on digs all over the world by a now-missing archaeologist mother--and her robot brother escape their orphanage and enter a dangerous car race through desert terrain to recover hidden artifacts. A futuristic Indiana Jones–esque story rolls out in graphic-novel format. Action-packed panels and a dark, ruddy palette capture the adventure's dirt and grit.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) YA After learning that her archaeologist father's death was faked by "crazy-pants cultists" hell-bent on resurrecting the Egyptian god of chaos, eighteen-year-old Memphis ("M") races to locate ancient artifacts to trade for her father's life. Smart and spunky, M jets around the world--and shares narration--with Ash Sood, a member of a rival cult. Mythology, religion, and magic broaden this international adventure novel.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg. The mysterious life and death of King Tut and the story of Howard Carter's 1922 discovery of Tut's tomb are recounted in an engaging narrative. The majority of the book focuses on Carter's excavation and what was learned from the site. Greenberg's colorful, stylized illustrations recall the hybrid 2D/3D aesthetic of ancient Egyptian artwork, even in their depiction of modern people.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Drew Shannon. Climate change is causing glaciers and ice sheets to melt. As the ice recedes, ancient artifacts are revealed and archaeologists scramble to recover them before they are destroyed. This book explores glacial archaeological sites from around the world, detailing the artifacts recovered and what they teach us about the past. Color photographs and illustrations provide visual depictions of the time periods being discussed. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Boris Kulikov. Fern shares with readers the life of archaeologist Carter--his boyhood fascination with all things Egyptian, his dreams of one day finding a mummy (he eventually discovered Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922), and his dedicated self-study of Egyptology--emphasizing his painstaking attention to detail throughout. Kulikov's mixed-media illustrations, which reflect the hues of the Egyptian desert, beautifully complement and extend the text, incorporating occasional comedic touches. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2018

(3) 4-6 This book focuses specifically on the archaeological record related to children, zeroing in on unearthed evidence from five different sites that show the types of activities children participated in across many millennia (from 18,000 BCE to 1700s colonial Florida). Abundant artifact photographs and sidebars supplement the insightful text, which easily switches from narrative to scientific and explanatory. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries series. Each book in this series looks at a different ancient city or monument and explores unanswered questions about its construction and uses. Both historical and modern views are provided, with differences explained by recent research and technology. Plentiful photographs and illustrations bring the sites to life. "Dig Deep!" and "Myth Alert!" sidebars provide additional interesting context and detail. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries titles: Mysteries of the Egyptian Pyramids, Mysteries of the Great Wall of China, Mysteries of Easter Island, Mysteries of Pompeii, Mysteries of Machu Picchu, and Mysteries of Stonehenge.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) 4-6 Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries series. Each book in this series looks at a different ancient city or monument and explores unanswered questions about its construction and uses. Both historical and modern views are provided, with differences explained by recent research and technology. Plentiful photographs and illustrations bring the sites to life. "Dig Deep!" and "Myth Alert!" sidebars provide additional interesting context and detail. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Alternator Books: Ancient Mysteries titles: Mysteries of the Egyptian Pyramids, Mysteries of the Great Wall of China, Mysteries of Easter Island, Mysteries of Pompeii, Mysteries of Machu Picchu, and Mysteries of Stonehenge.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Tales from Adventureland series. Illustrated by Jeffrey Clark. Andy Stanley discovers clues left behind by his presumed-dead jungle-explorer grandfather that starts him on a quest related to a magical key. Andy finds help along the way from Grandfather's quirky colleagues as well as a few surprising sources. Nonstop action, clever puzzles, and interesting characters make this standard adventure (a commercial tie-in to Disney's Adventureland theme park) a lot of fun.

Reviewer: Kristine Caldwell

(3) K-3 National Geographic Readers series. Brief chapters introduce newly independent readers to some aspects of the structure, function, and history surrounding Egyptian pyramids. The final chapter ("Still Exploring") effectively highlights recent theories and scientific techniques currently being applied in archaeology. Images of artifacts, photographs of tomb sites, and computer-generated maps, all captioned, introduce readers to myriad sources of historical evidence. "Egypt Word" boxes highlight key vocabulary. Glos.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) K-3 Photographs by Eliyahu Alpern. Tisha B'Av, a Jewish day of mourning commemorating the destruction of two ancient temples in Jerusalem, has "become a symbol of Jewish suffering and loss." With few children's books on the topic, this unique photo-essay focuses on contemporary children from a religious Israeli family, who visit the archaeological sites and learn about the temples and holiday practices. More about Tisha B'Av is appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) 4-6 Egypt's Ancient Secrets series. This series about ancient Egyptian culture focuses on things related to death: tombs, mummies, and monuments. While that may sound morbid, color photographs and illustrations in bright, eye-catching layouts offer an enticing entry point into this part of the culture. However, the repetitive nature of the topic and reuse of some graphics and information across the series are drawbacks. Reading list. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Egypt's Ancient Secrets titles: Ghost Ship, The Great Pyramid, King Tut, The Sphinx, Tomb Robbers, and Valley of the Golden Mummies.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo