Whether it’s the influence of the Paleo craze, or the deep-seated desire for children to have dinosaur friends, there’s no denying that prehistoric titles for children are spreading like the discovery of fire. Here we take a look at some new and noteworthy books, from the launch of a new series by Jeffrey Brown, to books based on the next Pixar film.
Wolf’s Boy by Susan Williams Beckhorn (Disney-Hyperion, June, hardcover, $16.99, 978-1-4847-2553-5). In this middle grade novel, Kai is outcast from his clan because he was born with a clubfoot. As he makes his own way with a wolf as a sidekick, the pair encounter perils as winter encroaches.
Lucy and Andy Neanderthal by Jeffrey Brown (Crown, Aug., hardcover, $12.99, 978-0-385-38835-1). The Jedi Academy author launches a graphic novel series that follows a Neanderthal brother and sister 40,000 years ago, who cross paths with humans for the first time. While keeping the book steeped in scientific and historical fact, Brown still conjures up plenty of comedy to draw young readers in.
DK findout! Stone Age (DK, Jan. 2017, paperback, $10.99, 978-1-4654-5750-9). For readers curious about the Stone and Ice Ages, the difference between humans, Neanderthals, and cave people, and whether dinosaurs and humans ever co-existed, this straightforward, richly illustrated volume from DK is sure to help set many records straight.
This Orq. (He #1!) by David Elliot, illus. by Lori Nichols (Boyds Mills, Sept., hardcover, $16.95, 978-1-62979-336-8). Continuing the picture book saga of cave boy Orq, begun in 2014 with This Orq. (He Cave Boy.), the third volume in the series finds Orq challenging friends in various physical feats, and ultimately making a big scientific discovery.
Tek by Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown, Oct., hardcover, $15.99, 978-0-316-33805-9). The Caldecott Honor author provides an anachronistic exploration of the effects of technology. Tek is a cave boy obsessed with his digital devices, and his parents want him to appreciate the world around him. The book itself is designed in a package mimicking an iPad.
S Is for Sabertooth: A Stone Age Alphabet by Greg Paprocki (Gibbs Smith, Aug., board book, $9.99, 978-1-4236-4420-0). A board book alphabet in a mid-century graphic style explores the alphabet through facets of live in prehistoric times.
Caveboy Dave: More Scrawny Than Brawny by Aaron Reynolds, illus. by Phil McAndrew (Viking, Nov., paperback, $12.99, 978-0-451-47547-3). Reynolds (President Squid) inaugurates a new series about Dave Unga-Bunga, a cave boy who at 12 is expected to hunt down meat for his family to feast, but he’s much more interested in whipping up wacky inventions, like less itchy underpants.
Lug: Blast from the North by David Zeltser (Carolrhoda, Sept., hardcover, $15.99, 978-1-5124-0641-2). Launched in 2014 with Dawn of the Ice Age, this middle grade series follows Lug the cave boy as the Ice Age approaches. With his own fear of animals to overcome, Lug and his friends must also confront a growing glacier.
The Oodlethunks, Book 2: Steg-O-Normous by Adele Griffin, illus. by Mike Wu (Scholastic Press, Sept., hardcover, $12.99, 978-0-545-73284-0). The middle grade series about Stone Age cave siblings continues. In this volume, the duo’s pet stegosaurus has hatched, but the not-so-tiny dino doesn’t know her own size and creates a wake of destruction.
