LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
June 2023 Book of the Month
In the case of Afterward, Everything Was Different the old saying that “a picture paints a thousand words” rings true with resounding beauty. Put simply, this almost-wordless picture book about the Pleistocene epoch is divine — an impeccable marriage of idea and illustration, with a clutch of perfectly succinct words by Jairo Buitrago providing thought-provoking context at the end.
Rafael Yockteng’s sublimely atmospheric black-and-white illustrations take us back in time to the Pleistocene, sometime between two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago. They also lead us on a journey alongside a girl who acts as our eyes on the era. Through her, we witness day-to-day activities like hunting. We see the dangers of wild river beasts, and watch as a community finds refuge in trees.
Then, when a group of humans take shelter in a cave during a brutal winter, with mammoths gathered at its mouth, we also witness the dawn of cave painting, and with it the beginnings of storytelling, courtesy of the girl who embellishes the cave with images. What’s more, “the marks she made were never erased”.
Being a book you participate in, and ideal to share and ponder at home or in the classroom, Afterward, Everything Was Different is sure to spark conversations around human history and the importance of art. After all, after the invention of art, everything was different.
Joanne Owen
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About
Afterward, Everything was Different Synopsis
This almost wordless picture book set in the dawn of human life imagines how art and storytelling were born from the power of one young girl's observation.
Once upon a time, during the Pleistocene, somewhere between two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago, small groups of people traveled their known world, hunting for food, seeking shelter, and slowly becoming more like the people we are today.
As far back as 40,000 years ago (and maybe even earlier) people began drawing pictures on cave walls. And a bit later, they carved images onto stones. Some pictures are of humans, usually drawn as stick figures, but most are of animals. We don't know their purpose, though in some cases, evidence seems to suggest they were used for storytelling. But when we look at these pictures, we can't help but admire the extraordinary talent of the first artists.
They aren't just scratches on the wall. They are great art.
In this book of few words, we follow a young girl who notices everything that happens around her as her people search for a cave to shelter for the winter. And we can believe that she feels the absolute necessity to draw what she has seen and to tell stories.
Afterward, Everything was Different features:
Backmatter explaining what we know-and don't know-about cave drawings.
Stunning black and white illustrations of life during the Pleistocene.
An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781778400605 |
| Publication date: |
15th June 2023 |
| Author: |
Jairo Buitrago |
| Illustrator: |
Rafael Yockteng |
| Publisher: |
Greystone Books,Canada |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
64 pages |
| Series: |
Aldana Libros |
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Press Reviews
Jairo Buitrago Press Reviews
Fascinating. . . the truth is still there on cave walls and in all our storytimes. -Booklist STARRED Review
Will have kids mesmerized from the get-go . . . Gorgeously illustrated . . . A stirring and thought-provoking reflection on the essential part stories play in making us human. -Kirkus STARRED Review
Highly recommended. . . offers an interpretation of the world's first art-cave drawings-which is beautifully rendered in graphite-and-white ink by international award-winning artist, Yockteng, and which offers a tribute to the importance of art's contribution to our humanity. -School Library Connection
Yockteng's graphite and ink illustrations, in shades of black and white, successfully imagine this early time period and, more importantly, tell a story about the emergence and significance of storytelling. -Horn Book
Praise for Drawing Outdoors by Jairo Buitrago, illustrated by Rafael Yockteng;
A subtle reminder that education and recreation need not be mutually exclusive exercises and that big ideas happen when you think outside the box. A must-have for STEAM classes and for dino lovers everywhere. -School Library Journal STARRED Review
A delightful, short read with humor that young elementary students will love -Youth Services Book Review STARRED Review
This inspired story about the magic of art, nature, and educators is a breath of fresh air. -Booklist
Full of wonder... Schoolhouse bliss. -Kirkus STARRED Review
What is central to this story is the idea that no matter what school a child attends, no matter how many or few the supplies, one dedicated professional can make all the difference. -Shelf Awareness
Author
About Jairo Buitrago
Jairo Buitrago and Rafael Yockteng (illustrator) have collaborated on many highly acclaimed picture books, including Jimmy the Greatest!, Two White Rabbits, Walk with Me, and Lion and Mouse.
They won the A la Orilla del Viento contest for the Spanish edition of Walk with Me, which was also named to IBBY's Honor List and the Kirkus Prize shortlist. Their books have also appeared on Los mejores libros del ano (Venezuela's Banco del Libro), Kirkus Best Books, the Horn Book Fanfare, and in the White Ravens Catalogue.
Jairo lives in Mexico City.
More About Jairo Buitrago
