Mezolith Book 1 back

Set in the unspoiled wilds of the North Sea Basin 10,000 years ago, this is a book of wonder that will make your eyes glow and heart sing as a boy called Poika takes his first tentative steps towards becoming a man. It's an unforgiving life where wounds are deep, infection rife, the winters harsh and tribal territories fiercely enforced, but it's also one rich in folklore, and although the lad's courage far outstrips the experience his elders will need to teach him - about hunting, survival and the balance of things - his affinity for nature, tenacity and curiosity will undoubtedly prove the making of him.

It's this oral tradition of passing down stories from one generation to the next which lies at the heart of the book. Since knowledge came so often at a terrible cost and survival depended upon it, preserving it in the form of fables was certainly prevalent in many cultures and although I'm no anthropologist it certainly seems credible that it was done here. Either way they're gripping, and since Brockbank's film credits range from Harry Potter to Spider-Man 2, you'll unsurprised to learn that the luminous artwork here is an joy, whether it's the five ebony-eyed sisters with their snow-white swan feathers draped over their silk-smooth, cream-coloured bodies, the boy breaking snake eggs into his mouth, or simply the woodland climbs in the heat of the day, the light playing on the rocks and grass wherever it can penetrate the pines.