Free Shipping over $100
Free shipping on orders over $75

Shipping information

Add your information popup content here

Your cart

Your cart is empty

Continue shopping

Afterward, Everything Was Different: A Tale from the Pleistocene

By Jairo Buitrago

Why this book

Why this book?

This books sparks wonder in kids by showing them that humans have always used art to process big, scary things. Plus, because it’s wordless, it forces your kid to decode the story themselves, which hits a huge cognitive milestone for critical thinking that normal picture books just can't duplicate.
Afterward, Everything Was Different: A Tale from the Pleistocene
$19.95

Members get an additional 15% off. Learn more

(0 in cart)
 
Item Details

Item Details

At a glance
Incredibly unique, largely wordless book transports readers straight into the Ice Age. The story follows a small family tribe navigating a dangerous, epic landscape full of prehistoric megafauna, saber-toothed cats, and unpredictable nature.
Summary

From the creators of Drawing Outdoors, which was praised as "full of wonder" (Kirkus ★) and a "fanciful intermingling of art, science and nature" (New York Times).

This almost wordless picture book set in the dawn of human life imagines how art and storytelling were born from the power of one young girl's observation.

Once upon a time, during the Pleistocene, somewhere between two-and-a-half million and ten thousand years ago, small groups of people traveled their known world, hunting for food, seeking shelter, and slowly becoming more like the people we are today.

As far back as 40,000 years ago (and maybe even earlier) people began drawing pictures on cave walls. And a bit later, they carved images onto stones. Some pictures are of humans, usually drawn as stick figures, but most are of animals. We don't know their purpose, though in some cases, evidence seems to suggest they were used for storytelling. But when we look at these pictures, we can't help but admire the extraordinary talent of the first artists. They aren't just scratches on the wall. They are great art.

In this book of few words, we follow a young girl who notices everything that happens around her as her people search for a cave to shelter for the winter. And we can believe that she feels the absolute necessity to draw what she has seen and to tell stories.

Afterward, Everything was Different features:

  • Backmatter explaining what we know—and don’t know—about cave drawings.
  • Stunning black and white illustrations of life during the Pleistocene.

An Aldana Libros Book, Greystone Kids

Jairo Buitrago (author) and Rafael Yockteng (illustrator) have collaborated on many highly acclaimed picture books, including Drawing Outdoors, Jimmy the Greatest!, Two White Rabbits, Walk With Me, and Lion and Mouse. They won the A la Orilla del Viento Picture Book Competition for the Spanish edition of Walk With Me (Camino a casa), which was also named to the IBBY Honour List and the Kirkus Prize shortlist. Their books have also appeared on Kirkus Reviews Best Books, the Horn Book Fanfare, and in the White Ravens catalogue. Buitrago lives in Mexico City. Yockteng lives in Bogotá.

Specifications
Prehistory ART Imagination & Play
Audience
Children
Age Range
5–8 years
Publication Date
2023
Format
Hardcover
Vendor
Greystone Kids
ISBN
1778400604
About the creators

About the creators

Jairo Buitrago

AUTHOR
Colombian writer, illustrator, and researcher whose picture books bring together childhood, history, migration, memory, and the everyday. His work has been translated and published around the world.
READ MORE

Rafael Yockteng

ILLUSTRATOR
Peruvian-born illustrator and graphic designer based in Bogotá, whose picture books use visual storytelling to explore childhood, migration, friendship, imagination, and belonging.
READ MORE
Greystone Books

Greystone Books

PUBLISHER
Greystone Books is an independent, Vancouver-based trade publisher that serves as the ultimate literary hub for people obsessed with our planet. Founded in 1993, they don't do typical fiction or fluffy page-turners. Instead, they focus entirely on top-tier, narrative non-fiction covering nature, environmental issues, science, travel, and social justice. What makes them totally unique is their rare knack for turning dense, heavy-hitting global issues into beautifully designed, deeply human stories, like their massive global hit The Hidden Life of Trees. They balance intense environmental stewardship with an ambitious global reach, proving that a boutique publisher from Western Canada can genuinely shift how the world looks at nature.
READ MORE
Greystone Kids

Greystone Kids

IMPRINT
Greystone Kids is a dream come true for curious kiddos who can't stop asking "why?" Launched in 2019 as a special branch of Greystone Books, this cool little imprint creates beautifully illustrated picture books and middle-grade reads that dive deep into nature, science, and social justice. What makes them unique is how they handle the "big stuff".. like climate change or global cultures... with a vibe that is gentle, empowering, and free of any preachy, lecturing tone. They also run a brilliant sub-imprint called Aldana Libros, which translates award-winning children's stories from all over the world, giving kids a passport to different perspectives right from their bedroom floor.
READ MORE

More styles for you