The History of We
by Nikkolas Smith; illus. by the author
Primary, Intermediate    Kokila/Penguin    40 pp.
5/25    9780593619681    $18.99
e-book ed.  9780593619698    $11.99

About a quarter of a million years ago, “we”—modern humans—first appeared in Africa. Combining vibrant, painterly illustrations and short, lyrical, explanatory paragraphs, Smith outlines major contributions of these various groups from prehistoric Africa, including acquiring language, making music and art, creating tools, growing crops, and developing and using medicines. Back matter includes an illustrated chart that corresponds to each contribution, arranged in the same chronological order as the text, and shares brief historical information about each milestone. For example, readers glimpse two early humans in a cave with the accompanying text: “We questioned, ‘What could this blank canvas possibly become?’” The chart in the back matter supplies more details: the earliest human drawings date back seventy-three thousand years and were found in the Blombos Cave in South Africa. In addition, these early Africans explored, pondering, “Perhaps these Nile perch are not the only ones who can river-fly. Can we not try?” An impressionistic migration map suggests the paths Africans took to populate the rest of the globe. An author’s note and a timeline complete the book.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.