The Neanderthal Book and Skeleton

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

Ever since the first fossil skeleton was found in the valley (Thal) of
Neander, Germany, scientists have puzzled over this related but
completely distinct species of human that once was the dominant primate
of western Europe and the Middle East. The Neanderthals were shorter,
stronger, and toothier than modern humans, but like us they made tools,
lived in families, and apparently believed in some sort of afterlife
because they buried their dead with weapons and cooking utensils.

This kit is a terrific way to introduce young readers to this
fascinating long-lost relative. The kit consists of an easy-to-assemble
skeleton (complete with flint-tipped spear) as well as a pocket-sized
book packed with fascinating facts. Because no complete Neanderthal
skeleton has ever been found, the model is based on a composite made
from hundreds of partial skeletons found over the last hundred years.
Diagrams in the book point out the obvious differences between
Neanderthal bone structure and that of Homo Sapiens. Other chapters
discuss the daily activities of these stone-age people, many of which
would be familiar to modern folk. One minor flaw in the book is that
whenever modern humans are portrayed, the illustrator uses only
Caucasians for models. Given that this book is about prehistoric human
diversity, surely we should acknowledge the same thing in our own age?
Highly recommended.