Skara Brae: Prehistoric Village

by Olivier Dunrea

Describes the Stone age settlement preserved almost intact in the sand dunes of one of the Orkney Islands, how it came to be discovered in the mid-nineteenth century, and what it reveals about the life and culture of this prehistoric community.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Prehistory, Scotland

32 pages, Library Binding

First published April 1, 1986

About the author

Since his debut in 1983, author and illustrator Olivier Dunrea has created a steady stream of picture books, including concept books, stories of family life—modern and ancient—and stories about artists. Many of Dunrea's picture books testify to his love of animals and his interest in archaeology and folklore of the British Isles, and several—including Ravena, The Trow-Wife's Treasure, and Bear Noel—take place in a similar land of Dunrea's own creation: the mythic island of Moel Eyris. "I don't write books or make pictures for children," Dunrea once told Something About the Author (SATA). "I make them for myself. It just so happens that children like what I do as much as I do!"

Olivier (Jean-Paul Dominique) Dunrea (1953-) Biography - Personal, Career, Member, Writings, Sidelights

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming book with text and illustrations by Olivier Dunrea tells the story of the prehistoric village on the Mainland of the Orkney Islands, off the North Eastern tip of Scotland. The text is clear and direct, and the illustrations of human figures going about daily life help to imagine real life in the New Stone Age. The story starts with the arrival of the settlers, follows them through choosing the place for the village and building their houses. Everyday life is described and illustrated clearly. And the story closes with a great storm that caused the villagers to leave and not come back.

In the mid-eighties, when this story was written, that view of the end of the settlement at Orkney, favored by V. Gordon Childe, the archeologist who supervised the excavation of the village in the late 1920's, was just beginning to be challenged by a new group of archeologists who could find no evidence of such a storm and who felt that it would be hard to find a definitive answer about why the people left.

Caroline Arnold's book, Stone Age Farmers Beside the Sea, is a good complement to this book.

[Michelle Ricciardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my daughter. Later I found her building a home with boulders in our back yard. I'd love to visit and see Skara Brae one day because of this children's book.

[Maggie Panning · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read this book as it is on a super interesting topic and written by an author I love, who often writes so beautifully. But here is a book on a topic that he is passionate about and yet it is so dry. The kids all listened to the whole thing, but I had to add lots of inflection to my voice in an attempt to make the book better than it is.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author visited my elementary school in 1988 and signed my copy of the book, with a note to visit Skara Brae. In 2018, I finally made it the Orkneys and visited this amazing site 30 years after first reading about it. This book will always hold a special place for me, much like the location it's about.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was incredibly interesting and thought-provoking. It makes me want to go there!

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contains beautiful, detailed illustrations of this archaeological site.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always loved Olivier Dunrea's work, and I wanted to go back and check this one out again.