Painters of The Caves (National Geographic Society) [Hardcover]

Patricia Lauber (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Lauber tells the remarkable story of the ear ly modern humans in Europe, such as the artists who worked i n the recently discovered Chauvet Caves in Southern France, and looks at the mysteries underlying the paintings themselv es. '

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

The bounty of this art is a celebration. The brief text by a long-admired writer is clear, informed and measured, just right for readers in the middle grades and upward. It is knit into a lustrous set of large color photographs of European cave art, well supported by modern paintings (in particular, reconstructions by Jack Unruh) and by apt photographs of ancient carvings and implements. The vigorous beauty of murals painted by the light of lamps fueled by animal fat is stunning. Here are full masterpieces--bison and reindeer, cave lions and spotted horses--done hundreds of centuries back, when woolly rhinos roamed the south of France. The carbon dating that fixes those times long before history is made credible in a simple page or two. One editorial slip labels a famous Lascaux painting by a caption that ascribes it to the cave of Chauvet. When the old painters were at work in Lascaux, the paintings in Chauvet were already about as old as Lascaux is now. Today the two appear to be of remarkably similar merit.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-8. Beginning and ending in Chauvet cave in southeastern France, this impressive work is rich in both its artwork and its text. Lauber goes well beyond descriptions of the extraordinary paintings found in the cave to give readers a true sense of the times. Drawing on fossil finds and the cave paintings themselves, she looks back at the development of early modern humans, explaining in seemingly effortless prose how the artists fit into the scheme of human evolution. We learn what Stone Age humans ate, where they lived, what they wore, why they painted what they did--with Lauber always taking care to draw clear distinctions between accepted fact, informed speculation, and ongoing controversy. The lavish illustrations are as stimulating as the text. There's an excellent map, a selection of expertly reproduced pictures of the cave paintings (including many close-ups), and some recent artwork (always clearly labeled as such) depicting the Stone Age people and their various activities. One especially fascinating picture is a computer-produced image of what a Neanderthal might have looked like. An appended section explains the process of carbon dating, and a short list of related adult books is provided. Great for browsing and for classroom use at a variety of levels, this is one armchair journey that won't easily be forgotten. Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792270959
• ISBN-13: 978-0792270959
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #24 in Books > Children's Books > History > Prehistoric
  • #69 in Books > Children's Books > Arts, Crafts & Music > Art > History

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artist Approved!, November 7, 2001

By 

Luann Udell (Keene, NH United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Painters of The Caves (National Geographic Society) (Hardcover)

My artwork is inspired by the cave paintings of Lascaux, France, and this is *the* book I take with me to shows and exhibits to explain my work. Although supposedly geared for elementary age readers, I find the book an excellent, coherent overview to this amazing art. The photographs are first-rate. The modern paintings of imagined scenes from the past are well done--attractive, detailed, well-rendered, keeping in the same spirit as the actual artwork depicted. And the text is well-written, balanced, thoughtful, rich in imagery, and sometimes poetic. The book is actually more beautifully done, and more informative, than the college texts that I studied in the 1970's about the Lascaux cave. I highly recommend this title, not only as a first introduction to this amazingly rich artwork, but as a sweet little book to round out a serious collection on the subject.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Painters of the Caves, April 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Painters of The Caves (National Geographic Society) (Hardcover)

Students studying European cave art will find this an excellent resource. Great color photographs of many of the most famous cave pictures along with text at an appropriate reading level for upper elementary grades make this a worthwhile addition to any classroom or personal library. I use this book with my 6th grade Humanities curriculum.