From Bob McKinnon comes this modern retelling of the beloved classic, Little Engine that Could, that asks young readers, “How does your journey differ from others?” It also serves as a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from their track.
Available in your favorite bookstores.
Have you ever asked yourself this question? Or wondered why your life turned differently than you expected or from others you know. On this site, you’ll find tools, writing and podcast episodes that explores this question and others. Watch Bob’s TEDx talk to learn about his journey and the science behind how we see our lives and those of others.
Children’s Books
I think I can, I think I can, I think I… can’t? What’s an Engine to do when even believing in yourself won’t get you to the top of the mountain? In this modern retelling of the beloved The Little Engine That Could, The Little Blue Engine and her friends attempt to reach the town on the other side of the mountain, but they quickly realize that not every engine is on the same track, and they all face different obstacles in their journey. In Three Little Engines author Bob McKinnon asks young readers: How does your journey differ from others?
While paying homage to the beloved classic, author Bob McKinnon acknowledges that although positive thinking and confidence are important, they are not always enough to help you succeed. In many instances, success requires a helping hand. This book is a gentle introduction to the idea of socioeconomic mobility and inequality in America. Heavily inspired by his own experiences, McKinnon teaches the youngest of readers how to recognize opportunity and inequality in the American Dream, and, most importantly, how to extend a helping hand to those on different tracks of life. At its heart, Three Little Engines is a thank you letter to all the parents, teachers, role models, and even strangers, who help to clear the storm or pull the tree trunk from your track.
Three Little Engines is now a New York Times best seller! Order your copy today from your favorite online bookseller or your local bookstore:
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Newsletter
Underwhelmed
Students were gathered in masses. Strangers talked to each other. Often loaning their special glasses so others could get a glimpse of the solar eclipse. Anticipation was high.
When it was all over and we returned to our class, some noted that they were underwhelmed. Expectations had been higher. Promises of complete darkness, lowering temperatures and the quieting of birds were unkept.
This underwhelming feeling was echoed when I went home and heard from my own children.
Given expectations and hype, the feeling is understandable. Yet at the same time, it also represents a general lack of appreciation for how spectacular and wondrous our very existence is and how rare an occurrence the eclipse was.
Consider this. You are a tiny spec standing on a planet that is rotating on its access at 1,000 miles per hour. Looking up at a moon that is rotating around you on the earth at an even faster 2,288 MPH. On top of this, the spinning planet you are standing on is hurtling you through space, orbiting around the sun at an unfathomable speed of 67,000 MPH.
The precision of this blistering celestial dance means that on occasion, the moon aligns in such a way to block out our sun. While watching this, it may appear that these two bodies are moving at a glacial pace as the moon “slowly” covers the sun. But this is an optical illusion given the speed mentioned earlier. One impacted by the different orbiting planes and of course the extraordinary distance as the sun is 93 million miles away from us and the moon “only’ 200,000.
Our appreciation for our planet and its role in the universe if often lacking – particularly considering how we choose to take care of it.
A few days before the eclipse, the earth let its presence be known on the east coast as an earthquake shook an area ranging from Maryland to Massachusetts. When it was over in a matter of seconds, many didn’t stop to consider the magnitude of what actually happened. Magnitude not captured by a 4.7 number on a Richter scale but by an understanding of what was happening under the ground we stood on.
In New Jersey, just three miles below the surface of the Earth, there are cracks in the Ramapo fault zone. Motion accumulates, stress grows, until something slips. A little like throwing your back out. Or as this article states, “It’s like an old house creaking and groaning.” Because the rocks are so old, hard and dense, earthquakes in the Northeast travel over greater distances. So a slipping rock in New Jersey, causes the ground to rumble five hundred miles away in Maine.
So yes, on one level, we may have found the eclipse underwhelming. Or quickly moved on without giving an earthquake a second thought.
We could, instead, take a step back and really consider the enormity of what is happening every day beneath our feet or in the skies above us. It should invoke awe and wonder for the world in which we live – causing us to feel small in its presence. And perhaps more importantly remind us of how critical it is that we appreciate and take care of it.
Monday Morning Notes
Delivered to your mailbox each Monday morning, these short notes offer an opportunity each week to reflect on who and what contributes to where we end up in life. Readers tell us it’s a great way to start their week on a positive note. See the latest note below:
Underwhelmed
Students were gathered in masses. Strangers talked to each other. Often loaning their special glasses so others could get a glimpse of the solar eclipse. Anticipation was high. When it was all over and we returned to our class, some noted that they were underwhelmed. Expectations had been higher. Promises of complete darkness, lowering temperatures and the quieting of …
Attribution with Bob McKinnon
Attribution is a podcast, where people from all walks of life, reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Our hope is after each episode, you feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported, then when you first hit play. Check out the latest episode below:
Episode 28: Family w/ Brittany Means
Brittany Means is author of the critically acclaimed memoir, “Hell if We Don’t Change Our Ways”. Reviews have called it “gut-wrenching and triumphant.” “Readable and rigorous.” “Brutal and beautiful.’ At its heart, it is a book about family. as Means recounts her complex relationships with her mother, father, brother, and grandparents and eventual guardians. What does it mean when those closest to us hurt us? Is understanding or forgiveness even possible? How do children make it through it all to find support and love? This was a particularly moving discussion. I hope you find it of value.
Links to learn more about:
Hell if We Don’t Change Our Ways