Your Mother Was a Neanderthal

Time Warp Trio #4

by Jon Scieszka, Lane Smith

Can modern brainpower and technology make wielders kings in prehistoric times? Even if the boys land naked without The Book magic to return home? When one kind of people go extinct is not the same time as dinosaurs? Scary firm black drawings enforce mood.

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science Fiction, Humor, Middle Grade

78 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Jon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. They have just the right amount of humor, information about the time period, and fabulous characterization to make such a skinny book feel like an adventure.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining

Good Middle grade read. My third grader is enjoying this series. I’m enjoying the break from the My Weird School series!

[Sri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time Warp Trio books is about three boys: Joe, Sam and Fred. Sam is the nerd, Fred the bad boy and Joe... What can I say about Joe? I don't remember he got any unique character... He likes magic, that's all. Sam and Fred is hilarious but my favorite character is Fred.
Your Mother Was a Neanderthal is pretty funny. It was started by Sam's idea about taking useful things with them when they do time-traveling. And they think the farther back in time they go, the more impressive their things will be... so they go to prehistoric time.
But as they go, they lost their things except Sam's glasses, Fred's hat, and Joe's "magic" straw. Surely those cannot impress anyone.

[Elza Kinde · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Warp Trio scheme up a way to show off their modern technology to the prehistoric peoples, but an unexpected surprise awaits them in the age of the Neanderthal. An Amazon-like tribe, threatening beasts, and natural disasters force them to use the tools at hand when their attempts to outsmart The Book leave them more vulnerable than ever.

With signature wit and fast-paced adventure, this fourth adventure explores some of The Book's rules and limitations. A mathematical twist shows us that modern concepts like the fulcrum are just as handy as our devices and tools. Kids these days might be confused by the outdated tech (Walkman?), the story itself is timeless, well-told, and hilarious.

[Kevin Hake · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites in the series

I used to love reading these books as a kid late into the night, and traveling back to the stone age was always one of my favorites, sparking my imagination for what can be done with knowledge.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the series. Me and my 5yo son absolutely love team Fred, Sam, and Joe. Their banter is the best. They are hilarious. We loved the grunting cavemen (and women) and the prehistoric animals. This was the best opening chapter of the series so far. We laughed so hard.

SPOILERS and book notes:
They are in the year 40,000BC. The Stone Age. Prehistoric. And they are naked. Bahaha. ““Don’t look so good?” said Fred. “We have to wait a million years for people to invent talking, writing, and then bookmaking. And all you can say is things don’t look so good?” “According to my calculations,” said Sam, “we’ve probably landed in the year 40,000 B.C. We are completely naked. We have no tools,’ weapons, or supplies. But we still have one thing.” “Goosebumps?” said Fred. “No, you jerk. Knowledge. Brainpower. All the learning of modern man,” said Sam. He pointed dramatically toward the smoking volcano. “Out there in the prehistoric world, we can still be kings, or at least very popular guys.” They made clothes out of leaves and vines hahah. They went to the Stone Age to become kings and now they are lunch for the dinosaurs that are supposed to be extinct. It wasn’t a real dinosaur! Three girl cavemen pulled a prank on them! ““Very funny,” said Fred. “We go back to the Stone Age to be kings, and we wind up doing Stupid Human Tricks for cavegirls.”” I love the names of the cavegirls: “Then she pointed to herself. “Nat-Li.” She held her red-haired friend by the arm. “Lin-Say.” Then she pointed to her hiccupping pal. “Jos-Feen.” The cave men or more stupid and named “Duh”. Saber tooth tigers, wooly mammoths! They use a fulcrum and a lever to move a giant rock in the Stone Age!

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this whole series! Each book is a new adventure in a different time and place with a new cast of characters and is just as hilarious as the one before it!

This time we encounter Neanderthals, or cave men and women. But ironically we find that the men and women don’t live together. The women have it all figured out, fire and tools, but the men live simply.

The men were actually made to look pretty stupid in comparison to the women, which I kind of found funny since I’m a girl and always thought these were boy books with strong male characters.

Anyways, as always, the boys manage to get the men and women together to save the day and secure the future of men. Huzzah!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, and cute little story. It was actually the first that I’ve read in The Time Warp Trio series, because of a book challenge I am doing to read 5 books with the word Mother in the title. The boys experiences, and adventures in this book were funny, and exciting. I think my 7 year old son would love reading this book. I am interested in the other books now as well. While this book made a great story on its own, I still felt like I was missing something, and now I think that is because I haven’t read the first 3 books.

[Andrex · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want your kids to learn how to be disrespectful with little intelligence, let them read this. When we read the first in the series I was quite impressed. Alas this one was less than stellar and truly an insult to humankind. Man was created with intelligence but the cavemen and women in this book are shown as stupid and dumb. Sam, Joe and Fred, the Time Warp Trio who have gone back in time try to plan ahead by taking tools etc. with them. Alas this time they arrive back in time naked!

I purchased this book in a set. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. Thanks, Liz

[Flint · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this signed by Jon at my neighbor's party a few years back, I have most of the series and most are signed. I have Frank Einstein signed, and I have the stinky cheese man, the true story of the 3 little pigs- It's safe to say I like Jon's work. When I was younger it was a good read while I was supposed to be asleep. I really enjoyed these books and they're great from kids around elementary age.

[Kelly Ewing · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, short, and sweet! It was a very quick paced story about 3 friends who time travel. Very funny attempts to communicate with Neanderthals/Cavemen. And a quick rescue! And I loved that the mom knew in the end that they were traveling and that SHE had done it before!

Great starter chapter book for second graders but also for third graders who are starting to gain confidence with reading. Also great for a quick read for those who like the Magic Treehouse books

[Jenny Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better ones so far. I liked seeing the boys trying to problem solve more so than in the first three, and the twist that it was actually Joe's mom who taught Uncle Joe magic was fun.

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were parts of this that were funny, and the writing is good, and I like the characters, and the plot in general was good, but all of the evolution and the world is crazy old being treated like facts instead of the theory it is was highly offensive to me.

[Amélie Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was quite confusing.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So now they are changing the past, I think.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trio travel to a time that predates everything (including clothes), yet some things never change. We'll call this creative history. Another amusing adventure for Joe, Fred, and Sam.

[Mete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Çok eylenceli bir kitap.

[Nolan Brendel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it because the met some Neanderthals and because they met some animals.

[sara]

We abandoned this one. It wasn’t interesting enough for my son, and it wasn’t historical enough for me. We won’t try other books in the series.

[Krista Kimball · Rating 4 out of 5]

My students are going to love this as a read aloud while studying early man.

[Elan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It happened again as the time trio time travels to the time of the cavemen and cavewomen, this time harder than any other time. I liked the time they fought a Saber-toothed Tiger and many more like that. It took me 1 hour in one day to finish, and love it.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this in a thrift store for 95 cents! The cover looked intriguing and it was thin enough that I thought why not? Entertaining read for a short flight! I think every adult should read some children’s books from time to time.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I learned what a neanderthal is. I also liked this book because in this book Joe, Fred and Sam are really funny again.

[Chris Maynard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Student Name: Chris Maynard

Purpose: Fantasy (Wide Reading Project)

Genre: Fantasy

Grade: Intermediate - Early Middle School

Subjects/Themes: See the bookshelves above.

School Use: I would not teach this book at all as I did not like it. With that said, I borrowed it from the classroom library of a sixth-grade teacher whom I was observing. In a similar light, a classmate of mine named Lizabeth said this book and the Time-Warp-Trio series were very popular with her middle school students. With that in mind, I would have this in my classroom library if able to get this book for free, as I would not spend any money on it.

Review: I am a bit torn with this book in which three boys travel back in time to the Stone Age. I read it the same night that I read Tuck Everlasting, which was a masterpiece, meaning that it was being held against a very high standard. I had heard a lot of good things about Jon Sczieka but this book was really flat to me and not funny (maybe the humor is more specific to its intermediate/middle school reading audience?). I am not sure if my dislike of the book had to do with the fact that it was a part of a series of which I had not read previous books, possibly leading to a disconnected experience. Whatever the case, all I could say after this was "What's the big fuss?", a question that reveals the importance of reading different works from the seemingly interesting Sczieka.

[Tabitha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Independent Reading: 3rd- 4th grade

Scieszka told the story of the “Time Warp Trio-Your Mother was a Neanderthal” using figurative language and imagery. This story is told from a child’s point of view with adventure and suspense. Smith added black and white sketches that were scattered about and were specific to the main point on the page. These sketches were done in such a way that I believe it is a transitional science fiction chapter book that is giving a little of that visual support to the reader while teaching them to use their imagination. Scieszka incorporated dialogue in the text and touched on a child’s fantasy to travel through time. The question that this story raises like, how are they going to get back home when they are in a time period before books were created, makes a great discussion piece. This book will appeal to young readers because of the dinosaur time period, they can travel through time, and it has a comical aura.

Subjects: Geography or Math

Lesson Plan- Geography: Suppose you built a time machine and you can go anywhere in the world that you like at anytime in history or in the future. Make a map of what the earth will look like in your time period. Give a brief synapses of why you choose that time and location.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again, the boys are sent back in time; this time, they travel to the Stone Age. They meet up with some cave people and the matriarch looks strikingly like Joe's mother. How did that happen? The boys must battle a dinosaur- what? A dinosaur? That doesn't sound right. Well they have to battle all sorts of things. You are just going to have to read the book to find out what a dinosaur was doing alongside cavemen and how the boys are going to get back to their own time long without The Book since books there are no books in the Stone Age. Or are there?

Another quick and entertaining read in The Time Warp Trio series. Your Mother Was a Neanderthal was not my favorite so far, but it was still mildly entertaining and a good, quick, before bedtime read. Boys will likely enjoy it and if you have a daughter like mine, they will enjoy it as well because gross is funny to kids. While I would not sit down and read this book for myself, it is a good book for read aloud sessions.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

We've read a few books in the Time Warp Trio series and they are fun. The boys are always getting themselves into tricky situations, there's always some drama, some danger, and yet it always comes out okay in the end. Jon Scieszka is a wonderful author and when he collaborates with Lane Smith, they make a great team. We are certain to look for more titles in this series at our local library. I like the twist that he put in this story. Since they went to a time over 40,000 years ago, long before books, how would they ever find The Book? Clever ending.

[Joey Nardinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most surprising part of this book that I don't remember from my childhood reading of it is that the ending actually attempts to change some of the status quo involving the frame narrative around Joe, his mom, and his uncle, which seems fun. The core of this book is fine -- definitely a struggle to really do justice by Neanderthals and homo erectus interacting with one another, and the bit where at the end, the female clan has...bread? That seemed odd and unlikely. The kids are pretty fun in this one -- not sure there's a real stand out moment, though I think first meeting Duh and the male clan and being trapped inside their pit home is something that is most likely to stick with me from this read. Enzo continues to love these such that when I wasn't available to finish reading this with him, he went right to Mom instead.

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this book when i was alot younger but i still remember it because i liked it alot. This series of books was good because they were really funny and i always wanted to find out what would happen in the next book in the series. I chose this book to do a review on because it was the favourite one in the series that i liked. The series is about 3 boys who go back in tie to diffrent periods of time and they get in lots of trouble.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the author is getting better at the flashback beginning because this book read a lot smoother to me. I liked this story - it was creative and funny in how it handled sending the boys back to the prehistoric period. I liked how they used their wits to solve the problems at hand, and even learned a few things they didn't know along the way. Very good story all around.

Nice little cliff hanger ending too. :D