Big Papa and the Time Machine

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.”

 “Love and reverence for history and family radiate from Bernstorm's words.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Big Papa takes his grandchild back in time to see what bravery looks like in this tender story by Bernstrom (Gator, Gator, Gator!) . . . Wide angles give the spreads visual power, while soft pastels convey the journey’s otherworldly atmosphere and the stories’ intimacy.” - Publishers Weekly (starred 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

“Bernstrom’s colloquial text captures the warm relationship between Big Papa and his grandson.” - Horn Book Magazine

"A unique perspective in a beautifully executed book about starting school. A must-purchase. Bernstrom’s latest book digs deep, with a story about a child facing fears by discovering a grandfather’s difficult past . . . In the first-person narrative, written largely in dialogue that features African American Vernacular English, the child poses questions, and the knowing grandparent responds with sage, though not preachy, one-liners. “Sometimes you gotta walk with giants if you ever gonna find out what you made of.” Evans’s signature style animate(s) the story in a joyous way that uplifts the text."