"These stories or (prehistories) take place in the Sierra de Atapuerca where 40,000 years ago two very different clans lived, the sapiens and the Neanderthals... However, we will discover that they have many more things in common than they imagine." This is how the story begins, written by Chitina Moreno-Torres Rodríguez-Contreras, head of the Scientific Culture and Innovation Unit at CENIEH. She presented it this morning in the Chapter Hall of the Monastery of San Juan, as part of the Children's and Young Adult Book Fair in Burgos. The event included Sign Language Interpretation (ILSE) provided by the Asociación de Familias de Personas Sordas de Burgos (ARANSBUR).

It is an illustrated bilingual story based on the children's podcast "Tutisapiens", produced by the Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), with the collaboration of the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT) – Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. "The podcast has made its way to print with the aim of reaching a wider audience and continuing to convey values such as generosity, empathy, and tolerance in an engaging yet rigorous way," says Chitina Moreno-Torres.

Both the podcast and the written format (digital and print) of these "stories or (prehistories)" benefited from the advice of researchers from the CENIEH and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, including Marina Martinez de Pinillos, María Martinón-Torres, Marcos García Díez and Daniel García Martínez. The latter accompanied the author in her presentation, highlighting the importance of the dissemination of science and "initiatives that crystallise scientific knowledge into products accessible to children."

A tribute to the ‘artists’
This act is not just the presentation of a book, it is, above all, a tribute to all the ‘artists’ who have made this story possible" were the first words of the author at the beginning of the event, which was attended by some of the children who contributed their drawings.

The illustrations in this book are the result of collaborative work, starting with the design and editing by Ángela Cárdenas Calleja, from the UCC+I of the CENIEH, who enhanced the beautiful drawings contributed by children from Burgos and the town of Ricla (Zaragoza) through two drawing contests, which also included participants from ARANSBUR.

One of the most remarkable contributions came from the students of the painting workshop for people with autism and intellectual disabilities at the Burgos Autism Association. During the presentation, the head of the association, Laura Matallana, highlighted the students' dedication and commitment to bringing the story’s characters to life and illustrating their adventures.