maps and stories: an article "the cartographic journal"

"the cartographic journal":
2015 Impact Factor: 0.569
http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/ycaj20/current

Geography professors Sébastien Caquard and William Cartwright have analysed the relationship between maps and narratives, and they agree that maps are an extraordinary tool to explain stories.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1179/0008704114Z.000000000130
The Cartographic Journal
The World of Mapping
Volume 51, 2014 - Issue 2: Cartography and Narratives

“The potential of maps to both decipher and tell stories is virtually unlimited. Maps can contribute to leaving cartographic traces, making these experiences more visible and more tangible.”

If you are starting to create your own maps, some of the best tools you can use are CartoDB and Google Fusion Tables. You can also get simple and effective maps with Google Maps.

If you have some knowledge of JavaScript, you can also use Mapbox with hundreds of options to customise your maps.

Ref:
http://www.carlapedret.cat/maps-stories-cartodb-mapbox-fusion-tables/