"This awe-inspiring, almost-wordless picture book celebrates art and the origins of story-telling through a young girl from the Pleistocene epoch who feels the necessity to create"
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.
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
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
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Afterward, Everything was Different and determined it is suitable for children aged 5-8 years old
Afterward, Everything was Different features in the following genres: Art and Design, Educational: Arts, general, Educational material, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Featured Books for 7+ readers, History, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Star Books, Featured Books for 5+ readers
Afterward, Everything was Different is available in Hardback
Afterward, Everything was Different was written by Jairo Buitrago and published by Greystone Books,Canada
Afterward, Everything was Different has 64 pages
Yes it is part of Aldana Libros series
£12.59
