Little Miss Jean and the Time Machine Copyright 2021 by Karri Theis. All rights reserved. First edition. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author, except for brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Published by Fulton Books 2021

Meadville, PA

ISBN 978-1-63710-992-2 (paperback)ISBN 978-1-63710-994-6 (hardcover)ISBN 978-1-63710-993-9 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to Haley and Alivia, who inspire me every day.

In loving memory of my mom, Lorna, whose voice we still hear in our dreams.

-KT

I dedicate illustrations for this book to my faithful companions in games, my sisters, my brothers, and also to the

memory of my beloved grandmas and my childhood.-VJ

Little Miss Jean and the Time Machine

Written by: Karri TheisIllustrated by: Valentina Jaskina

“Time is standing still outside,” thought Little Miss Jean.She had spent weeks at home without a change of scene.

She was starting to feel a strong case of the “blahs,”since her big busy world seemed to pause.

No more dance, no more ball,no more playdates at all.Day and night the same,

even school felt kinda lame.

One day, she drifted off for a nap…

A shimmering silver box appeared before her eyeswith a sign that read, “Come aboard, let’s take a ride!”

then woke up with a jolt to a startling snap!

She jumped right in. She couldn’t wait to see!So curious, “I wonder where this will take me?”

“It’s okay Barney, hold on tight!I have a feeling we’re about to take flight!”

The box shook, jiggled, and spilled her pockets;then SwoosH, it blasted off like a rocket!

She knew they were flying but didn’t know where.She was just happy to get out of there!

All of a sudden, she felt a soft landing.She looked out the window and saw Grandma Elle standing

in a wide-open field with trees over yonder,and a flowery meadow she’d like to wander.

She opened the door and stepped onto the ground,“Come here, sweetheart, I’ll show you around.”

“Jean, I can tell something’s been bothering you.”“Grandma, I’m stuck at home with nothing to do!”

“Nothing? Hmmm…that may be in your head,

what if you made the most of what you have instead?”

“Huh?” Jean said.

“Boredom shouldn’t cause you frustration;it’s the very thing that wakes up your IMAGINATION!IMAGINATION!”

“When I was little, we didn’t havephones or electronic games.

We used our hands to inventand got creative with our brains!”

“This is the place where I grew up.See those tall trees?

We’d climb them and pretendwe were pirates at sea.

See those wooden sticks and hollow tin cans?”“Uh-huh.”

“Those were drums in ourneighborhood marching band.

We’d write letters to old friendsand made new friends by mail.

Oh, it was excitingto receive something by snail.

We’d cook and bake things and do so with glee,enjoying our meals together every night as a family.

Reading, sharing stories, telling each other jokes,we’d laugh until our bellies hurt even with our folks!

Our living room was transformed into a swinging dance hall.We’d make music, sing and dance, and have an absolute ball!

We puzzled and hammocked and built brand new things.We even hung up a homemade rope swing!

Most importantly, we helped others in need.It always feels good to do a good deed.

So as much as things seem upside down,simply open your eyes and look around.

Great ideas live inside your heart.All you have to do is make a plan and start.”

Jean quietly doodled in the sand where she sat.“Wait,” Jean thought, “yes, I can do that!”

“Now go on, Jean, your imagination’s in bloom!Do you have some ideas to take back to your room?”

“Yes, Grandma, you’re SIMPLY THE BEST!” and she hopped into the machine.

“It’s been a privilege, love you much!I’ll be seeing you, Miss Jean!”

WhOOsH, the box took off once again,then back in her room, she woke with a big cheeky grin.

Jean pulled out some paperand listed all the things she would do…

And wrote a note to Grandma Ellethat simply said, “Thank you.”

About the Author

Little Miss Jean and the Time Machine is Karri Theis’s first published children’s book. Her dream of publishing stories began at a young age. After having kids of her own, this vision progressively grew stronger and stronger. Her mother’s love and wisdom and the bond her daughters share with their heavenly grandma were the springboard for the story. In 2020, she decided to put her career on hold to navigate distance learning. Their challenging yet valuable time at home naturally brought the story of Little Miss Jean to light. Her daughters’ curious and creative personalities are her inspiration. Karri lives in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, and mini goldendoodle, Prince.

About the Illustrator

Valentina Jaskina always wanted to be an artist. As a child, Valentina painted “masterpieces” on the walls of her parents’ house. Flipping through picture books was her favorite pastime after drawing. She always wanted to illustrate books or draw cartoons. She began studying art at a children’s art school and later studied classical drawing, painting, and graphic design at the Novosibirsk Art College. Valentina lives in Siberia with her husband, two daughters, and a dog. She loves hiking, mountain trips, and good movies. But most of all, Valentina is inspired by lively emotions and the freshness of perception of children and teens.