Boy of the Painted Cave by Justin Denzel is 158 pages of exciting events that could have taken place in the Early Stone Age. Tao who is fourteen years old and has a bad foot, loves to draw, but such things are forbidden in his clan unless you are the Chosen One who paints in the Secret Cavern. Tao befriends a wolf dog (also taboo) and the dog becomes his companion. He also meets Graybeard, the shaman of the clans, and Graybeard gives Tao art lessons in his hidden cave where he lives on this own. In the end, the clan people find out about the laws that Tao breaks and send him to fight Saxon, the sacred bull. Graybeard then dies, and Tao becomes the new Cave Painter, following in Graybeard's footsteps.
A setting that is very important to the plot of the story is the Secret Cavern. The Secret Cavern is a chamber in the Big Cave through many winding turns, and is where the Chosen Ones (Cave Painters) paint animals on the walls to have to spirits give them good hunting. It is Tao's reason for breaking the taboo and drawing, because it is his life's dream to paint in the Secret Cavern. The Chosen Ones are the only ones allowed to paint in there, and Tao believes that he will not be the Chosen One because of his bad foot. When Tao does become the new Chosen One he can now paint in the beautiful chamber.
A setting that is very important to the plot of the story is the Secret Cavern. The Secret Cavern is a chamber in the Big Cave through many winding turns, and is where the Chosen Ones (Cave Painters) paint animals on the walls to have to spirits give them good hunting. It is Tao's reason for breaking the taboo and drawing, because it is his life's dream to paint in the Secret Cavern. The Chosen Ones are the only ones allowed to paint in there, and Tao believes that he will not be the Chosen One because of his bad foot. When Tao does become the new Chosen One he can now paint in the beautiful chamber.
