It’s while searching for Robot, that Marcel alights on the ‘big, deep hole’. With three friends, he explores further, climbing down a huge tunnel into a massive network of caves. Throughout each are paintings made some thousands of years ago. They are of animals, of hand shapes seemingly splattered by paint blown through hollowed bones. Who left them there? What were they showing? Why were there repeated movements of deer, for example? Could it be movement, or to indicate a herd? Then again, the lions? Marcel Ravidat discovered the cave in the Lascaux countryside in 1942, when his French village was under occupation. His friends and villagers researched and protected the site until the end of the war, when further historians and archaeologists trekked to examine this site. Then again, it seems this was not the only such place, for stories and paintings from centuries, thousands of years ago, have been found, and are disovered, all over the world. Award winning artist and writer, Kate Winter offers a mesmerising history in this wonderful picture book, The Cave Explorer. Alongside a biography, we’ve 20th century history, a world wide contemplation, fold out pages that suggest the wonder discovered by Marcel Ravidat and his friends, and then the continuing reach for understanding. What a magnificent book! Bookwagon is awed and utterly spellbound by The Cave Explorer. We recommend this book highly for shared reading, research and gifting. It is quite wonderful.