From prehistory of how humans evolved from East African apes to the building of the first cities in Mesopotamia, young readers should find this book a useful introduction to our direct ancestors.

Detailed illustrations introduce the different species of early humans - from the ape-like Australopithecus to the "wise man", Homo Sapiens and full-page scenes show how our ancestors made homes and tools, hunted, created art and learned to farm.

The book also answers questions such as: who were the first people, and where did they live?; how did early humans survive the extreme cold of the Ice Age?; why did the neanderthals die out?; and where were the first cities?