In December, 1994, three people went searching for caves in the limestone hills near Avignon, in southeast France. Following an ancient mule path up a cliff, they noticed a passageway that they crawled into one at a time. At its end they discovered a cave. This was no ordinary cave. They had discovered one in which Stone Age paintings of animals had been preserved. More than 300 such paintings were later documented in what is now named Chauvet Cave after one of the explorers who discovered the long-hidden art created some 32,000 years ago in black, red, and yellow on those rock walls. Thought to be a hoax for a time after it was first discovered, Chauvet Cave is thought to be the oldest record of that type of human creativity found to date in Europe or elsewhere. Lauber writes about what is now known about Stone Age artists and cave art. She clarifies what is generally understood about the first early modern humans and compares them with what is known about the Neanderthals. The book contains full-color photographs of the extraordinary prehistoric animal images in Chauvet Cave. Other photos of artifacts, a helpful map, and information about carbon 14 dating make this subject accessible to young readers. (Ages 9-14)

A strikingly illustrated introduction to the Ice Age peoples of Europe
-- Compelling text and vivid illustrations present the story of the Cro-Magnon humans who lived in Europe during Ice Age

In this beautifully illustrated book for young readers, Patricia Lauber brings to life the Cro-Magnons of Europe -- the Ice Age hunters and gatherers who were the ancestors of modern humans. Writing with simplicity, clarity, and sophistication, she examines all aspects of their lives -- what they ate, how they hunted, what tools they made, where they lived, and what art they created. In every case, she takes care to separate known facts from theoretical conjectures, giving renders a portrait that is as accurate as it is lively.

She opens and closes the book with striking cave paintings -- of woolly rhinos, horses, bison, lions, and others -- that were a hallmark of these early people, and presents four theories about why they were created. In between, she details what we do know: the Cro-Magnon's origins in Africa and the Middle East; their push into Europe 35,000 years ago; their 5,000-year overlap with Neanderthals. Throughout, the story comes alive with well-chosen images of artifacts and artists' renditions of ancient lif. For young people fascinated by "cavemen", "Painters of the Caves" is a welcome resource.