Common Sense Media Review
Beautiful exploration of humankind's original family tree.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Through poetry and painted images, THE HISTORY OF WE shares the story of the earliest humans who originated in Africa. They depended on determination, curiosity, and intelligence to help them explore the world and expand their understanding. The narrative illustrates how everyone alive today share roots from the continent of Africa. The accomplishments of our common ancestors highlight the wonder and bravery that has always existed in humanity. Early innovations in music, art, and medicine laid the groundwork for this ancient human civilization. This book illustrates our human connectedness and the power in our unity.
Is It Any Good?
The dawn of human civilization is reimagined and brought to life in this moving story. The History of We correctly centers Black people as the foundation of our collective story as humans, a message more timely than ever. Nikkolas Smith created thoughtful poetry and emotional imagery as he shares the story of the origins of humanity and the making of our world. Readers will undoubtedly be left with curiosity about the past and hope for our shared future.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
In The History of We, a timeline shares that the history of modern humans dates back to 233,000 BCE. It's hard to imagine back that far in time! What are other important historical events you've learned about?
Early humans were very creative and curious about the world around them. Which invention did you find most interesting? Why?
The book is full of beautiful illustrations. Which one is your favorite? Why?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Nikkolas Smith
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- Book type : Non-Fiction
- Publisher : Kokila
- Publication date : May 20, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate