Entertainment

Book Review- “Ticktock Banneker’s Clock”

Published

9 years ago

October 12, 2016

Your favorite toy came apart yesterday.

That’s okay, though; it snapped right back together. It’s made to come apart, in fact; it’s one of those things you can build with and you like doing that anyhow, which is why it’s your favorite.

And in the new book “Ticktock Banneker’s Clock” by Shana Keller, illustrated by David C. Gardner, you’ll see how one really interesting project can lead to another.

There wasn’t much to do on that fall day near Chesapeake Bay. Once Benjamin Banneker had harvested his crops and prepared his farm for winter, there was plenty of time for thinking and dreaming.

A friend had recently given Banneker a pocket watch and Banneker was quite fascinated with it. He’d never seen one before and while he knew his friend would want the watch back, Banneker also knew that he could take it apart, if he was careful.

And that’s what he did that winter. He disassembled the watch to see the tiny little parts so he could understand how they worked together, and how each gear ran the other gears.

He studied them and drew diagrams – partly because he knew he’d have to put the watch back together again, and partly because he wanted to make a timepiece of his own. It “was a challenge and he loved challenges.”

But the pocket watch was made of metal. Metal was expensive. How could Banneker make a watch without any metals?

The answer arrived the following spring, right in front of him, right on his farm! He had plenty of wood and wood should’ve worked fine, but when he started carving, it split. Banneker had to figure out how to keep his project from being ruined.

It took much of the summer but he finally realized that he knew all along how to cure wood so it wouldn’t splinter.

And so that next winter, Banneker carved and drew. He figured and thought some more, and he dreamed. Could a man make a working clock from scraps and scratch?

I’m sure you can surmise the answer to that, but what makes it remarkable is included in on the last page of “Ticktock Banneker’s Clock.”

In her Author’s Note, Shana Keller explains a bit more about the real Benjamin Banneker and his life and times, which felt to me like I’d happily come upon a little-known corner of history that needed the light of day to fully appreciate.

For the far end of the audience (kids up to 10 years old), that fresh information may spur them to learn more about this brilliant self-taught inventor.

Children on the lower end of the age-target (children in kindergarten and first grade) will learn, too, but may initially get more from the artwork by illustrator David C. Gardner.

Overall, I think this is one of those unexpected gems from history that kids may find fun to learn about, and that parents will like, too.

For any reader looking a new hero to emulate, “Ticktock Banneker’s Clock” is a book to make time for.

“Ticktock Banneker’s Clock” by Shana Keller, illustrated by David C. Gardner, c. 2016, Sleeping Bear Press, $16.99; 32 pages.

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Related Topics:Book review David C. Gardner Shana Keller Terri Schlichenmeyer The Bookworm Sez Ticktock Banneker’s Clock

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

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February 20, 2026

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Arts and Culture

Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

Published

3 weeks ago

February 10, 2026

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Photo of Black History Month book covers by Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,

Everybody in your family has stories to share.

Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.

She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.

Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.

Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.

Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.

And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.

On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.