About the Holiday

For almost as long as human kind has recognized time, we have wanted to be able to move back and forth in it, searching for enlightenment, to witness history being made, or to right some mistake (isn’t that a no-no, though?). Still, our fascination with the reality of time and the ability to manipulate it has spawned countless books, movies, television shows, scientific experiments, and dreams. Established in 2007, today’s holiday lets us indulge our fondness for time warps. Hey! If anyone can manage it—could you add a few hours to the day? Thanks!

Tek: The Modern Cave Boy

Written by Patrick McDonnell

There once was a Troglodyte cave boy named Tek. Well…actually, this might have happened yesterday. Tek was a normal cave kid except he never wanted to leave his cave—even when T-rex came by wanting to play. He stayed inside “glued to his phone, his tablet, and his game box.” At night the light of the stars was dwarfed by the “eerie glow” coming from Tek’s cave. His mom was mad at his dad for ever inventing the Internet.

Copyright Patrick McDonnell, 2016, courtesy of Hachette Book Group

“Outside, the real world was evolving, but Tek couldn’t have cared less.” During the ice-age? Tek missed all the winter fun. Dinosaurs? Tek only knew them as “Watchamacallitasaurus,” “Hoozdatasaurus,” and “Idontgiveadactyl.” Time was going by, and even Tek’s best friend Larry, whose brain was “the size of a walnut” knew something had to be done.

Tek’s parents tried everything they knew to pull him away from his gadgets. “‘I need to light a fire under that boy’s butt,’ grumbled Tek’s dad. ‘Except I haven’t invented fire yet.’” They appealed to the higher-ups in the tribe, but Tek paid them no notice. Not even “Dora Duddly and her dinosaurs for a better tomorrow” could talk sense into Tek. But then Big Poppa, the village volcano, had a blast of an idea.

Copyright Patrick McDonnell, 2016, courtesy of Hachette Book Group

“The eruption shot Tek and his phone, tablet, and game box out of his cave and into the sky.” When he crashed down to Earth he was “totally disconnected.” Upon opening his eyes, Tek wondered at the fresh smells, the warm sun, the bugs and flowers, the hairy elephant, and the hairy people. He thought the world was “‘Sweet!’” Tek rushed to find Larry and on the way stopped to kiss his mom and dad. He used some fancy footwork atop a wheel to reach Larry and beeped him on the nose. Larry was thrilled to see him. The two spent all day playing with their friends, and by that night they knew how to “reach for the stars.”

Copyright Patrick McDonnell, 2016, courtesy of Hachette Book Group

On every level Patrick McDonnell’s Tek: The Modern Cave Boy is a delight. If you love wordplay, it starts on page one…no, before that—on the cover—with riffs on technology, kids TV, dinosaurs, and more. If you like time shifting, you’ll relish the prehistoric/modern mashup, and if you’re partial to laugh-out-loud illustration, you’ll want to get an eyeful of little Tek, full beard and all. This is one book that adults and kids will giggle over together even as it humorously pokes fun at our penchant for gadgets. Even the book itself is in on the joke , with a size and shape any tablet user well knows. But the board book-thick covers give way to paper pages, reinforcing the idea of leaving technology behind to enjoy the outside world.

Tek: The Modern Cave Boy will quickly become an often-read favorite for both kids and adults and would make a welcome addition to kids’ bookshelves.

Ages 4 – 9 and up

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016 | ISBN 978-0316338059

Discover more about Patrick McDonnell and his books on his website!

Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day Activity

Visit another Time Coloring Pages

The ability to travel through time would be so cool! If you could suddenly find yourself in a different time period, where would you go? Back to the age of the dinosaurs? To medieval times? To the gold rush? Maybe to a time when pizza is delivered by spaceship! Grab your pencils and have fun coloring these printable Visit another Time Coloring Pages!

Age of Dinosaurs | Medieval Times | Gold Rush | Spaceship Pizza Delivery

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