You Wouldn't Want to Be a Mammoth Hunter!

The Danger Zone

by John Malam, David Antram (Illustrator), David Salariya (Created by)

You are a member of a group of nomadic hunter-gatherers living in the ice age, about 15,000 years ago. This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. As a member of the group, you will get an insider's look at what life was like in the ice age as you follow the migratory routes of your prey--mammoths. Learn what tools and weapons are used for hunting, how you prepare for your hunt by holding a sacred ceremony, how to make shelter on the barren tundra, how to catch the woolly beasts, and how your journey has taken you from Asia and Europe to North America via a frozen land bridge

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Prehistory, Picture Books, Ice Age, Middle Grade

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

John Malam is a British historian, archaeologist, and author of children’s non-fiction books. Trained in Ancient History and Archaeology, he worked on excavations and led an archaeology unit before becoming an editor and later a full-time writer specializing in ancient civilizations.

Reviews

[SaraLaLa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of information, but not amusing enough to get excited about reading it to my students.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a real challenge for me to review this book. It is just right for my 8 year old niece. The content is there, it's presented in a great, factual, yet fun way, the illustrations are interesting to her, and they entertain her, the diverse subject matter of the books in this series excites her (and impresses me), and this book, like the others we've read in this series, is just right for her.

My nephew, though, is too young for some of the content in some of these books, but he's also completely fascinated by other content. Reading these books to him (this one included) is challenging. He wants to hear the story, he hangs on to every word from beginning to end (which is impressive given their length and his age), he asks questions and makes comments about what's happening in the stories, but then there are pages that freak him out. I really believe he's getting something valuable out of these books, and I do think he's acutally learning new things, not the least of which is new vocabulary. I just hope he's not also getting new nightmares.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series! There is so much information in these books. This one, however, wasn't as good as the rest of them. I felt it was a bit more brutal. I know it's true how the people of that time had to kill to survive, but in the book it just seemed too much. How you had to send the spear into their hearts or lungs and not to try for the head because you couldn't get the spear through the skull. I might be too much for the younger ones. I love the illustrations, I think the pictures are perfect for kids. They love the silliness of funny pictures.

[Sandy D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the idea for this book - but my kids & I were less than impressed with the artwork. It was just too cartoonish - Antram's people & animals were over the top when it came to noses & eyes (they looked buffoonish, worse than the characters in "Ice Age"). My kids were bored with the descriptive passages, and really, so much about prehistoric life is fascinating - especially mammoth hunting - that there should be no reason for such uninspiring text.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun presentation of facts about the early people who hunted mammoths... I plan to read others in this series and think that I will find many o f them even more interesting (due to my own interest in the subject matter).... cleopatra is next.

[Ciera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series of books! The authors write in such a way that grasps the reader into the mystery of history.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the humor in history it gives

[Lady Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to a fantastic series. The only drawback with this one, is the general lack of information compared to most of the other titles.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE these books! Found them in the school library and they are great! I wish there were more!

[Kelly Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the land bridge and how people used all parts of the mammoth after killing it.

[The Brothers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great history of an era paired with great illustrations. Learned a lot. Once again, glad I live when and where I do!

[Kerrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. We started getting these years ago to read to our kids and keep them around because they are just so much fun.

[Željko Filipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think your job is hard, try hunting big game during an ice age.

[Elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than just a silly picture book portrayal of prehistoric times, this is a great resource I use in the classroom with kids to depict the era of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers.