Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Cave Art by Hannah Salyer is an exceptional book that grabs the reader’s attention immediately. After capturing the reader with an intriguing beginning, the author/illustrator continues to engage the reader with a brief but informative text and brilliant, full page illustrations. She refers to cave art as time capsules, “ancient rock paintings, drawings and etchings.” She describes the rock artists as our ancestors who are Homo sapiens, and also Neanderthals, a different species. Salyer shows in her illustrations and text how “some of the markings and creatures shown in the art are symbols.” She also portrays the numerous animals shown in the cave art, with some of those animals, “long extinct.”
Salyer provides details that help the reader understand how the rock figures were made. “Our ancestors did not have paint or brushes or pencils or ink. They had to rely on minerals from their surroundings instead. They created their own handmade tools to etch into and draw on stone.” The illustrations on those pages show the various materials that were used to create the art. Another illustration features different examples of the art found in many places around the world. A dramatic illustration in a gate fold shows the immensity of a cave with the walls filled with figures that appear to move.
Salyer poses intriguing questions like, “Could the art they made be mapping the stars?” And, “Were the sites gateways to connect with spaces and spirits invisible to the naked eye?”
She emphasizes how these ancient artworks are “incredibly fragile and can be lost in the blink of an eye if we are not careful to protect them” from weather and human causes. “They are our human heritage” because they “hold pieces of our history on the planet.” Salyer makes the point that even though our ancestors had lives fill with difficulties and danger, “They took time to create.”
The back matter expands the text with more information:
- site maps and lists of places where rock art sites are found;
- “A Story Within a Story: The rediscovery of the Lascaux Caves;”
- an Author Note;
- a glossary of “Words to Know;”
- a Timeline;
- Resources for Further Reading and Investigation.
In a note on the last page, Salyer writes how she, “used ceramic, sculpture, photography, colored pencil, charcoal, pigment and digital media to create the
illustrations…” These varied choices for the illustrations enrich the pages and demonstrate how our ancestors made images of the creatures.
This unusual and brilliant book will appeal to a wide age range of readers who will want to study it in repeated readings. I anticipate that teachers will want to introduce the book to different classes, like art, history and composition. It makes an excellent read aloud. –Recommended by Marilyn Carpenter, Professor Emeritus, Eastern Washington University
Title: Ancestory: The Mystery and Majesty of Cave Art
Author & Illustrator: Hannah Salyer
ISBN: 9780358469841
Publisher: Clarion Books
PubDate: April 11, 2023
Each month a committee of Worlds of Words advisors recommends a book published within the last year. Our hope is to spark conversations on our website and on social media about the book that expand global understandings and perceptions. Please join us by leaving a comment. You can also share your thoughts with us by using the hashtag #WOWRecommends on social media. Check out our alphabetical listing of all the books featured in WOW Recommends.
- Themes: Ancestory, Hannah Salyer, Marilyn Carpenter
- Descriptors: WOW Recommends