Famous Finds and Finders

Tom Velcovsky is a graduate of Audiovisual Production from the Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic, where he specialized in screenwriting and storyboards. Before switching to children’s books and the making of comic strips, he worked in advertising. Stepanka Sekaninova used to work as a TV reporter and in the production of children’s programs. Now she is a writer and an editor-in-chief, living in the Czech Republic. Adam Wolf is a self-taught artist with a wide range of artistic skills including analog and digital photography, tattooing, digital and classical illustration, and canvas painting. Having been interested in various creative activities since his early years, he studied photography at the Prague School of Photography, and these days he enjoys illustrating children’s books. He was born in Pardubice, Czech Republic in 1981.

• Seekers of the pastPEOPLE AND ANIMALSÖtziLucyMiss ArdiChinchorro mummiesAltai PrincessSue the T. RexKamuysaurusTOWNS AND CITIESAngkor WatPompeiiTroyBabylonKnossosTeneaChichen ItzaHeracleionPort RoyalWORKS OF ARTAltamiraLascauxDead Sea ScrollsBust of NefertitiVenus of Dolní VěstoniceMšecké Žehrovice HeadVenus de MiloPiri Reis MapUNDER THE SEAAncient Egyptian baris shipWhydah Gally pirate shipBlack Sea shipThe San JoséThe VasaLighthouse of AlexandriaThe YamatoKublai Khan’s fleetBattleship KarlsruheHalifax bomberThe TitanicUNDERGROUNDTomb of Pharaoh Seti ISutton HooTutankhamun’s tomb Oseberg Viking burial shipTerracotta Army

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard SelectionSelected for the CBC’s 2023 November Hot Off The Press Reading List"Children 8 and older will find all sorts of intriguing sights and role models in “Famous Finds and Finders,” an enthusiastic and accessible sampling of notable discoveries—bones, treasures, lost cities—compiled and written by Tom Velčovský and Štěpánka Sekaninová. The entries in this oversize gallimaufry represent findings from such a vast range of places and eras that the authors seem gleefully to have thrown in every goodie that came to mind, from the Dead Sea Scrolls to the ruined Cretan palace at Knossos (see right) to a Druidic bust from the Czech Republic to a sunken Nazi warship at the bottom of the North Sea. Each of the 40 phenomena is accompanied by a handful of factoids and a small map to show where it was found, but prime of place goes to Adam Wolf’s satisfyingly melodramatic illustrations." —The Wall Street Journal"I’ll confess that this next book is the kind of pure, rarified nerd-fare that 12-year-old me would have totally have adored." —Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production – A School Library Journal Blog"Famous Finds and Finders: Searching For The Past is an informative and engaging book that focuses on archeological discoveries through the years. One thing I especially like about it is that each artifact is associated with a discoverer. Wolfe's illustrations bring the stories to life, depicting historical figures, artifacts, and landscapes in an engaging and informative way. Learning is further enhanced by maps and timelines, which provide context and a visual representation of when and where events occurred. Famous Finds and Finders is targeted for readers 9-12 years old, but I can say on good authority that a 40 year old adult will love this book too!" —YA Books Central"It’s amazing how much information is included in such limited space. Enough of a description is given to not only tell the story of the discovery, but pique the interest of the readers and encourage them to learn more." —Maria Touet, Youth Services Book Review"This is a fascinating book of information on famous archeological finds. I learned a lot of things I didn't know, and my 9-year-old found it all very interesting." —Shilo Quetchenbach, NetGalley Reviewer"Famous Finds and Finders is an informative read, with a great deal of well organized information. I wish I had found this book when I was a young reader, as I would have loved getting a real look at the discoveries made, tools used, and maps detailing pertinent information." —Sharon Tyler, NetGalley-Reviewer