What Marcel Found

Pruitt and Litchfield’s reverent book brims with wonder as it recounts the events surrounding a child’s finding of the Lascaux cave paintings in 1940 France. Sensorial language narrates young Marcel’s search for a long-lost treasure in a forest described as a refuge from sounds of wartime fighting. After noticing a cave, the protagonist solicits the assistance of friends who “squint, search, squeeze, and crawl” through its passages before encountering hundreds of drawings on a cavern’s walls. Synonym-filled lines capture the magic of their discovery as they “stomp, whoop, holler, roar” with amazement, while philosophical narration evokes the paintings’ significance as “a discovery that teaches us about ourselves and how long making art has been part of being human.” Multimedia illustrations peppered with glittering dots bring a dazzling brightness to otherwise cave-dark settings. A sense of profundity permeates this ardent story of an archaeological marvel. – Publishers Weekly * 8/7/26 *
*As World War II raged across Europe in 1940, a young man discovered prehistoric beauty in the caves of Lascaux, France. While exploring the forest, teenager Marcel Ravidat found an intriguing cave. Upon returning with his four friends, the group dug their way to a breathtaking treasure: hundreds and hundreds of ancient cave paintings… . Set against the tumultuous backdrop of World War II, the boys’ story is one of enduring hope. Litchfield’s illustrations, rendered in pen, pencil, paint, and digital tools, bring magic to the cave art with sparks of light and movement. Sun-drenched forests become a safe home amidst the chaos and danger of World War II; the cave, a lantern-lit sanctum. Pruitt’s storytelling unfolds gradually, revealing the mystery to readers just as the cave revealed its mysteries to Ravidat and friends. Back matter includes an author’s note that explains that the War eventually impacted all four boys significantly, but they survived to reunite at the cave site as adults… . An essential first purchase for collections. The magic of Marcel’s discovery will thrill and enchant readers. – School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW * 8/1/26 *
*How the ancient paintings in the Lascaux caves were discovered by a French teenager. Evoking the excitement of discovery in his illustrations, Litchfield illuminates events both above ground and below with sparkles and broad beams of light. Walking through the woods to get away from the increasingly troubling war news in 1940, young Marcel Ravidat finds some unusual holes—which, as he learns when he returns with three friends to explore, lead to a subterranean wonderland of caves covered in painted animal images. “Arch of a neck,” Pruitt writes in enticing, breathless prose. “Flash of an eye.” “Elk, bison, a Great Black Bull. Horses. So many horses.” The wondering observers, the friends they later let in for a small charge, and then the experts who learned of the discovery asked questions that are still seeking answers: “Who made these paintings? What tools did they use? How did they learn to paint like this?” The illustrator brings the wall creatures to incredibly vivid life: Some make eye contact with visitors; we see shadowy prehistoric artists creating others. The paintings are estimated to be about 20,000 years old, the author explains in a detailed afterword that accompanies photos of select originals and of Marcel and his friends, too. Much about them remains tantalizingly mysterious, though. A thrilling tale, poetically told and luminously illustrated. – Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW * September 2026 *

Cedar Pruitt is the author of Fire Flight, illustrated by Chiara Fedele, which was named a 2025 Best Children’s Book of the Year by Bank Street College. What Marcel Found, illustrated by David Litchfield, is her second picture book. She lives with her family in Massachusetts.

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