BIG PAPA AND THE TIME MACHINE by Daniel Bernstrom and THE OLD TRUCK by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey

At our last meeting we discussed Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom (2020) and The Old Truck by brothers Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (2020). We realized that these two books had many things in common: Each dealt with three generations of an African-American family; each had a vehicle that made imaginary trips; each dealt with the strength and persistence of particular family members.

But the books were quite different. 'Big Papa's' strength was shown in the title character -- a grandfather -- who, while driving around Chicago with his grandson who was afraid of starting school, recounted various events in his life, and emphasized that every time he was scared, he also realized that he was brave. Their magical car went back to Arkansas, 1952; Chicago, 1955 & '57; Chicago, 1986; and Arkansas, 1941. In each instance, Big Papa recounted his fear, and how what he had learned had made him brave.The lyrical writing and the conversation between the two of them was a pleasure to listen to aloud. The emphasis on learning from life and in school were evident throughout. We all agreed that the strength of this story was in the language, but  we also liked how the 'historical' parts were shown in dreamlike/foggy/pastel colors, while the 'today' parts were in bright colors. We all felt the book was a 'hit'!

The Old Truck was completely different. In this book, the illustrations tell the story. The very spare, simple, straightforward text only works well if one can clearly see the illustrations, which were made using 250 different ink stamps in various combinations to create a farm through three generations of one family, where a red truck is used, discarded, and then brought to life and used again through the ingenuity of the last daughter. Here the strength was shown in the young girls who became women who continued the work of the farm. Sadly, the text was not a thrilling read-aloud, and since everyone did not have a copy of the book in hand, the illustrations did not come through well in a Zoom situation. We agreed it could be used with a small group of children who could see the pictures closely, and on each double-page spread there was much to notice and discuss. Although a wonderful story, it had to be seen closely to be properly understood and enjoyed.