★進入the King’s School Chester Book Awards決選
★《蘭開夏郡衛報》、英國圖書網Booktrust等各方媒體盛讚
★《蘇格蘭人報》、英國圖書網The Reader Teacher、 Books for Topics將其選為過去2021秋季好書必讀
★菲力普．普曼的著作插畫家馬丁．布朗的首部兒童小說，英國兒童出版社Hot Key的2021年重點書！

「帕丁頓熊」遇見「摩登原始人」會擦出什麼火花呢？這本為6歲以上孩子撰寫的兒童小說，講述了石器時代的女孩內爾與她的好朋友──一隻洞熊的友誼，溫柔而動人。

很久很久以前，當時山脈以外的區域被冰海覆蓋了……只有在山腳下，春風終於吹進一個美麗的山谷，洞穴人仍居住在這裡。

內爾，是個孤女，被一個洞穴氏族家庭收養。她愛他們每個人，即使他們總是要她做些打掃洞穴、扛柴火的家務事，內爾一點也不覺得辛苦。重要的是，她喜愛她的寵物洞熊——從小就與她住在一起的好朋友。

不過，洞穴家族計畫著與來自海氏家族的表親們團聚，並且想將洞熊作為禮物送給海氏。內爾聽聞此事後，決定帶著洞熊一起逃跑。她們沿著洞外的小溪流前進，然後這條小溪匯集成一條大河，將他們帶至遠方，開啟了他們一連串的危險冒險。眼前的危險越大，內爾與洞熊的感情越緊密，患難中建立一種甜蜜的友情。

《內爾和洞熊》（Nell and the Cave Bear）融合了智慧、歷史、幽默以及有些危險的冒險之旅，勢必能夠吸引每位喜歡動物和自然的孩子們。本書作者馬丁．布朗是英國暢銷圖文知識童書《恐怖歷史》系列的插畫家，從事插畫工作近20年，十分懂得為孩子畫插畫。

這本小說將採用雙色印刷發行，目前規畫了兩種不同顏色──橘色、藍色──的內頁版本，供孩子選擇。

 

馬丁．布朗（Martin Brown），接受專業培訓後，成為一名美術老師，為雜誌畫漫畫。隨後，開始創作書籍，成為現今一名著名兒童作家暨插畫家。他與Terry Deary合作的《恐怖歷史》（Horribly Histories）系列共有六十多本，暢銷逾2,000萬本，並被改編成BBC獲獎的電視節目，以及展覽、遊戲和舞台劇表演。《內爾與洞熊》是他的第一本兒童插圖小說。

 

Martin Brown writes as cleverly as he draws. Nell and the Cave Bear is a charming story, full of adventures, humour, and friendship. We loved it! ― Philip Reeve & Sarah McIntyre

The illustrator of the Horrible Histories series has turned his hand to writing too - and with the bonus of lovely pictures - in this heart-warming large-font tale about a little girl and her pet cave bear who go on an incredible adventure down the mountain. Nell's runaway mission is in order to save her bear from being given away by her tribe, and in the journey that ensues the friends overcome trials and danger in order to stay together. ― Absolutely Education

This will be fun for Horrible Histories fans, and those who enjoy humour with fanciful history. ― Books For Keeps

Martin Brown is best-known for illustrating the Horrible Histories series, but Nell and the Cave Bear is his first fiction story. Following the adventures of Nell and her pet bear, the book's gentle humour will tickle any reader. With its core message of friendship and bravery, it is also a charming and comforting read. ― The Scotsman

Nell lives with her tribe in a cave, and, as she has no parents, a little bear is her constant companion. She has to work hard, helping with chores, and the bear is her comfort when life is tough, so, when she accidentally overhears the elders planning to give the bear away as a present when the tribes meet to celebrate the arrival of Spring, she and Cave Bear run away. Together they follow the stream, encountering mighty mammoths and acquiring a wildcat kitten, dodging fierce members of another tribe who want to eat the bear until, hungry and bedraggled, they find a safe haven. One sub-plot tells of a hilariously inept group of hunters from the Cave tribe, trying unsuccessfully to catch a mammoth, and another describes the journey of two of the women who set off to find Nell. All is well in the end, as an alternative present is very acceptable, so Cave Bear can stay with Nell. The names of the Cave tribe are fun - the elder in charge of everything is Mayv, and we have Soo, Porl, Daev and Kehn, among others - young readers may enjoy working these out.
Martin Brown is the illustrator of the phenomenally successful Horrible Histories series, with all its associated spin-offs, and he has chosen to illustrate this, his first novel, in shades of blue, which works very well considering that this story is set in a prehistoric world. This will be fun for Horrible Histories fans, and those who enjoy humour with fanciful history. ― Books for Keeps

Martin writes as beautifully as he draws. It is refreshing to read a book for this age group in which a real child is at the centre of a totally relatable but exciting adventure. I know that readers will be swept along with the story, whether they are reading it for themselves or having the story read to them. And as for Nell and Cave Bear themselves, well... I'm in love. ― Kristina Stephenson

Illustrated throughout in shades of blue, the pictures add character and gentle humour to a story which is ideal for newly independent readers. ― Book Trust