Synopses & Reviews
A beautiful journey into African American history: Discover the true meaning of being brave in this tender and whimsical picture book from Daniel Bernstrom (One Day in the Eucalyptus, Eucalyptus Tree; Gator, Gator, Gator) and Shane Evans (Chocolate Me ) that follows a grandfather and grandson traveling through time and discovering their own African American history.
When a little boy is feeling afraid to go to school one day, his grandfather, Big Papa, takes him away in his time machine — a 1952 Ford — back to all of the times when he was scared of something life was handing him. "That's called being brave," Big Papa says over and over.
Full of heartfelt moments and thrilling magical realism, Big Papa and the Time Machine speaks to the African American experience in a touching dialogue between two family members from different generations and emerges as a voice that shares history and asks questions about one family's experience in 20th-century black America.
"Wasn't you scared?"
"Oh, I was scared," Big Papa said. "Sometimes you gotta walk with giants if you ever gonna know what you made of. That's called being brave."
Review
"...tender story....Wide angles give the spreads visual power, while soft pastels convey the journey's otherworldly atmosphere and the stories' intimacy." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
Review
"A unique perspective in a beautifully executed book about starting school. A must-purchase....Evans's signature style animate(s) the story in a joyous way that uplifts the text."
School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"Love and reverence for history and family radiate from Bernstorm's words." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"This imaginative and inventive tale walks a child through African American history by way of his grandfather's past. An excellent choice for reading with grandparents or for a first-day-of-school storytime." Booklist
About the Author
Daniel Bernstrom is the author of the critically acclaimed One Day in the Eucalytus, Eucalyptus Tree and Gator, Gator, Gator!. Dan earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and currently works at the Learning Resource Center Coordinator at Minnesota State College Southeast, where he tutors students in math, writing, and science. He lives in Red Wing, Minnesota, with his wife, Heather; daughter, LaVonne; and sons, Grace, and Haven. Visit him at www.lillylabs.com.
Shane W. Evans is the illustrator of more than thirty picture books for children, including The Way a Door Closes by Hope Anita Smith, a Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award winner, and the author and illustrator of Olu's Dream. He has exhibited his art in West Africa and Paris and in Chicago, New York, and other major U.S. cities. He lives in Kansas City, Missouri, where he runs Dream Studio, a community art space.