Much the same as the previous book in this series, about a family of Neanderthals, with the two kids as main characters. It’s winter now, so they have to work to stay warm, and things are complicated by all the extra people in their cave, since they took in this group of humans. It’s supposed to be temporary, and they’re helping the humans look for their own new cave to live in- with lots of very specific requirements to meet the needs. Andy keeps reminding the other kids and his parents how much he wants their visitors to move on. He squabbles with the other kids, gets picked on sometimes, tries to make jokes, and continues attempting to impress the older girl. Still begging to go along on hunts and show off his skills, but when he does finally confront a dangerous animal, it’s very frightening. The kids learn rules about what to do if they meet a cave bear, play in the snow, draw maps on the cave walls, help with butchering animals and making clothes from the hides, listen to scary stories, go exploring and walk across a glacier, make music by drumming on things and playing a bone flute, and argue about whether or not Lucy (the sister) is psychic (which I felt was lame). They go on an excursion to the seashore where the kids gather and trade shells, and later make decorative things to wear with them. The kids organize a ‘battle of the bands’, which felt like too modern of an idea to me, but I get how that would appeal to kids- showing that people back then were interested in the same things- approval of their peers, enjoying music, showing off their skills. Through the whole storyline, one of the humans is pregnant, and at the end she gives birth (the kids all leave the cave on a hike, to avoid the noise and give her some privacy). Just like in the previous book, there are pages between chapters where modern scientist characters have conversations while they discover things that reflect what was told in the story, and explain what parts are factual, and what parts made up. The final pages have even more of this, but it kind of diverged into a whole spiel about climate change.
Borrowed from the public library. Completed on 7/13/24.
