Illustrated book · Ages 7–12 · Volume 1
The History of the World for Children
Volume 1: From the origins of humanity to ancient civilizations
“Every discovery lights a spark. And every spark lights up the future.”
An illustrated journey through time: from the first sparks of fire to the pyramids of Egypt, from the cities of the Indus Valley to the Great Wall of China. Around 200 pages and over 300 illustrations for explorers aged 7 to 12.
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A book to fall in love with history
History is not a list of dates: it is the greatest adventure ever lived. This book tells it that way.
“The History of the World for Children” was born from a simple question — the kind children ask with wide-open eyes: what was the world like before us? At school, the answer often comes as facts to memorize. Here, it comes as a journey: page after page, readers follow humanity's tracks like young archaeologists, notebook and magnifying glass in hand.
Each chapter pairs a warm, engaging narrative with illustrations that look straight out of a real expedition journal. It is a book to read alone or as a family, at home or in the classroom: children find an adventure in it; parents and teachers find a carefully crafted, reliable educational tool.
Inside every chapter
Did you know…?
Little treasure chests of curiosities that surprise grown-ups too.
Try it yourself!
Hands-on activities to experience history with your own hands.
Windows on the present
How ancient civilizations still live on in our world today.
Missions
Explorer challenges to complete as you read.
Illustrated glossary
Tricky words explained simply, with drawings.
Quizzes and reflections
Questions to play, review and think for yourself.
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A journey through history
Volume 1 crosses five worlds: it sets off from the painted caves and arrives at the great ancient civilizations.
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≈ 20,000 – 10,000 BC
Prehistory
Humanity's first traces: cave art, the discovery of fire, the life of hunter-gatherers and the farming revolution.
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The gift of the Nile
Ancient Egypt
Pyramids reaching for the sky, hieroglyphs like magical drawings, pharaohs and feluccas on the great river that made the desert bloom.
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≈ 2500 – 1900 BC
The Indus Valley
Planned cities with canals and drains, baked-brick houses, mysterious seals and a script still waiting to be deciphered.
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≈ 2500 BC
The Sumerians
The first cities in history, between the Tigris and the Euphrates: ziggurats, markets, irrigation canals and cuneiform writing.
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Great inventions
Ancient China
The Great Wall winding through the mountains, calligraphy on silk and bamboo scrolls, pavilions and cranes in flight.
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Why this project
A simple idea: when history becomes an adventure, children never stop asking it questions.
Understanding change
How the world has changed over time — and why nothing around us appeared by chance.
Connecting the dots
Events, peoples, inventions and transformations hold hands: history is a web, not a list.
Nurturing curiosity
Observing, discovering, understanding, telling: critical thinking is trained from childhood.
Living an adventure
No lists of dates to memorize: an explorer's journey, with missions, mysteries and wonder.
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Who I am
I'm Riccardo: a musician and composer, a father of three, and a professional who has spent years working on climate and environmental projects.
They may seem like distant worlds — music, caring for the planet, history for children — but to me they speak the same language. As a musician, I learned that for a story to stay in the heart it needs rhythm, emotion and wonder. From my work on climate and the environment, I learned to think about the future — and about who will inherit it: children. And as a dad, I discover every day how precious their curiosity is: that wide-eyed question that doesn't want a lecture, but an adventure.
This book was born where all of that meets. It is a family project, written evening after evening, now ready to become a real illustrated book. Simple in its origins, ambitious in its dream: to give children a different way of falling in love with history.
That is why I need your help.
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Mincione Edizioni
An independent project, with a real publishing chain behind it.
Accompanying this adventure is Mincione Edizioni, an independent publishing house founded in Rome in 2015 by Mariangela Mincione. It is a publisher devoted to stories, to authors and to the care of the book as a living object: something to read, leaf through, give as a gift, carry with you. Its catalogue spans fiction, poetry, biography, essays and a range of literary projects, with an independent and recognizable outlook.
For “The History of the World for Children”, Mincione Edizioni will accompany the editorial process, the printing and the distribution to bookshops — with promotion entrusted to Bigs Bibliomanie and distribution handled by Messaggerie Libri. This means the project will not remain just a lovely idea born of a crowdfunding campaign: with your help, it can become a real book — carefully edited, printed and ready to reach children, families, schools and bookshops.
Mincione Edizioni
Editorial process and printing
Bigs Bibliomanie
Promotion
Messaggerie Libri
Bookshop distribution
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A future phase of the project
The future app
The journey won't end on the last page: we are imagining a digital extension of the book experience.
The app is a future stage of the project: it will be developed after the book is published, and it will grow alongside the series. The idea is simple — to extend the adventure beyond paper, never to replace it.
Interactive content
The world of the book coming to life on screen.
Maps and timelines
Exploring history by moving across eras and places.
Deep dives
For those who finish a chapter and want to know even more.
Quizzes and activities
Playing with what you've discovered, alone or as a family.
For families and schools
An educational experience designed for home and classroom.
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A growing series
“The History of the World for Children” is designed as the beginning of a larger publishing project. Volume 1 is only the first chapter: new volumes are already in preparation, and the journey will continue with new stories, eras and adventures.
Coming soon
- New volumes in the series
- New eras and civilizations
- New tools for schools and families
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Merchandise
We are preparing a small collection inspired by the book's illustrations, to carry the adventure beyond the pages.
- Coming soonIllustrated posters
- Coming soonMaps and timelines
- Coming soonPostcards
- Coming soonBookmarks
- Coming soonEducational materials
- Coming soonT-shirts
end of the notebook… for now
Support the project
This website tells the story of the project; the Ulule campaign is where you can concretely help make it happen. Every contribution — even the smallest, even a simple share — brings the book closer to print.
Support the project on Ulule