Marcia Williams consistently produces topic books for children which are accessible even for the most reluctant reader and yet again has come up trumps with this fabulous series of comic strips based around The Stone Age.
This book is a journey through The Stone Age right the way through to the advent of farming. Now, as an archaeologist I did read the book and wonder about the validity of a couple of things. However, I think I was being a little bit picky as this is a very difficult to write about and is subject to such a lot of change dependant upon interpretation.
The real purpose of this book is to inspire and inform children about The Stone Age, a topic which many teachers are finding difficult to come to grips with. Running across the bottom of each page is a handy timeline which provides children with a clear visual reference. The cartoons are absolutely brilliant. Each cartoon tells a story that relates to a particular time period; The Neanderthals, Hunter Gatherers and so forth. These are great as they place events into a clear literary framework, which can inspire all sorts of creative writing whilst the children absorb information without even realising. There are very few books aimed at this age group which achieve this without confusing facts, however I think Marcia Williams does a great job.
If you’re looking for a really clever and engaging book relating to The Stone Age for your primary school age kid then you wont go wrong with this. The cartoon format works and is such a modern step away from vast tracts of un-engaging text that even the most difficult to inspire reader should enjoy this. Its certainly a fantastic addition to The Stone Age books on the market aimed at this age group and I suspect will be essential purchasing for parents of primary school aged children and school teachers alike.
If you’d like to find out more have a look here.
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