We Are Human Animals
by Rosie Haine
A journey back to the dawn of humanity that explores the lives and customs of early Homo Sapiens and the enduring connection we share with our faraway ancestors.
It might be hard to imagine what life was like before there were supermarkets, telephones, and electricity, but what about thirty thousand years ago, long before farming, when humans hunted and gathered their own food, made everything they had, and lived communally? We Are Human Animals looks at how we spent our lives for thousands of years, our relationship with nature, and how it’s always been a fundamental part of our identity. Rosie Haine’s simple text and striking illustrations capture the daily existence, the collective knowledge, and the wonder of early Homo sapiens.
“A first-rate introduction to paleontology for young readers and a fine conversation sparker.”
Kirkus Starred Review
“Haine’s text is spare and lyrical. Although there is no written history, the archaeological record—including artifacts of tools and cave paintings that are shown throughout in eye-pleasing earth-tone digital illustrations with handmade textures—allows her to make assertions and relate facts about life at that time.”
The Horn Book
“Spare text embellished with engaging illustrations combine perfectly to create a unique, powerful, important book. Deeply thought-provoking in every regard, We Are Human Animals encourages young and old alike to think about the past and our ancestors, and to reflect on our similarities and how their lives were not so very different from ours.”
Books to Borrow, Books to Buy
“With simple, poetic words and evocative illustrations, this book transports readers to the strangely familiar Stone Age, when our ancestors were shaping what Homo sapiens would become. We Are Human Animals will spark unforgettable discussions about the history of humanity and the ties that bind us to those who walked the earth long ago.”
Life is Story
“Haine’s short, simple text, flows and weaves magically with her illustrations of the lives of early humans and their family. […] Young readers will undoubtably be inspired to learn more about our not so distant human past.”
Children’s Literature
“A straightforwardly wrought introduction to early humans and a reflection on, per an author’s note, how “much of what we did then has made us who we are now.”
Publisher’s Weekly
Rights Sold:
Italy: Donzelli editore, Spring 2022
Spain: Ediciones ekaré, Spring 2022
France: Albin Michel, Fall 2022
North American English: Eerdmans, Spring 2023
China: Beijing Bamboo Stone Culture Broadcast Co., Fall 2022
