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Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief
Join Zula and Milo on a thrilling adventure as they find themselves unexpectedly stuck in the dangerous world of Tudor London on the trail of a mysterious silk thief. This book is perfect for engaging and entertaining children aged 7 and up, who enjoy WONDERSCAPE by Jennifer Belle and the LIZZIE AND BELLE MYSTERIES series.“Time tub, time tub, take us to the past,Let’s zoom through history, very, very fast.”When Zula’s aunt's antique bathtub turns out to be a Time Machine, she and her best friend Milo find themselves trapped 400 years in the past. Excited at the chance to show her history teacher, there are Black people in Britain’s past, she pulls Milo deeper and deeper into the dangerous world of Tudor London. History is about to get real in ways Zula never imagined.Will Zula prove her teacher wrong and get herself and Milo safely back to their own time?Reader's praise for Time Tub Travellers'I was on the edge of my seat' - Sreya, age 10'Fun, interesting and exciting' - Lucas, age 7'It made me want to read more' - Aaliyah, age 9'Amazing, interesting and surprising' - Ishaq, age 9'I learned about Tudor life' - Isabel, age 10'Great characters and a gripping plot' - Adam, age 11
227 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2024
7 people are currently reading
121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 9, 2024
What a joy reading this!! Following Zulu and Milo as they travel back to 1589 to learn more about black people in Tudor times and pick up something about their friendship as well.
As a 27 year old this book educated me, and the importance of searching for representation in history if you can’t find it and not taking someone’s no!
I’m more intrigued about Black people in history in England after not being taught about them in school when we learnt about these historical times.
As a 27 year old this book educated me, and the importance of searching for representation in history if you can’t find it and not taking someone’s no!
I’m more intrigued about Black people in history in England after not being taught about them in school when we learnt about these historical times.
April 2, 2024
Zula is determined to prove to her teacher that Black people are part of Britain's history. When she visits her aunt with her best friend Milo they stumble upon a magical bathtub that turns out to be a time machine! Zula and Milo find themselves trapped 400 years in the past and must solve a mystery to get back home.
They learn about their history and each other as they adventure through the dangers of Tudor London.
This is a fabulous story that had me hooked from the first page. It's fast paced and funny and gives a wonderful insight into lesser seen parts of history. I devoured this book in a single sitting!
They learn about their history and each other as they adventure through the dangers of Tudor London.
This is a fabulous story that had me hooked from the first page. It's fast paced and funny and gives a wonderful insight into lesser seen parts of history. I devoured this book in a single sitting!
October 20, 2024
“Until the lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter.”
African Proverb
As a librarian and a teacher I was always looking for children’s books that engaged, excited and inspired children to read. The icing on the cake was a book which promoted empathy, diversity, inclusion; informed or taught…
Imagine a book that has the kind of humour that children will love - think farting futons and stepping in poop! Imagine a book that is a wonderful adventure with snakes, child-catchers and time travel. Imagine a story which promotes diversity and inclusion, which makes maths a superpower and history exciting. Imagine a book which takes you back in time, introduces some fascinating lesser known history and rather like the Jorvik centre, provides a full blown sensual experience - the smells, the sights and sounds! Here you go, The Time Tub Travellers does all of this. It is so good I immediately ordered a copy for our library.
Zula gets a C for her history project because her drawing of a typical Tudor family features a black family. Her teacher tells her that ‘There were no Black Tudors.” Zula is devastated because getting a good grade was a prerequisite of being a member of the Maths Team. Although she hates history, she is determined to find out more and prove her teacher wrong, what if there were black Tudors? Zula takes her friend, Milo, on a visit to her Aunt’s antique shop. Her aunt tells her about Reasonable Blackman, one of the first black tradesman in London. Reasonable was a successful silk weaver. Whilst exploring the shop, Milo and Zula find a bath tub…which is actually a time machine and they find themselves whizzing back to 1589.
I absolutely loved this book. It’s wonderfully written, engaging, exciting, funny - wait for the mention of William Shaker! It is a fabulous story but most importantly for me it taught me so much and was the very best book I could have chosen for Black History month. As an older person who was brought up on a diet of British colonialism, I am trying to relearn and address so many of the narratives I absorbed.
African Proverb
As a librarian and a teacher I was always looking for children’s books that engaged, excited and inspired children to read. The icing on the cake was a book which promoted empathy, diversity, inclusion; informed or taught…
Imagine a book that has the kind of humour that children will love - think farting futons and stepping in poop! Imagine a book that is a wonderful adventure with snakes, child-catchers and time travel. Imagine a story which promotes diversity and inclusion, which makes maths a superpower and history exciting. Imagine a book which takes you back in time, introduces some fascinating lesser known history and rather like the Jorvik centre, provides a full blown sensual experience - the smells, the sights and sounds! Here you go, The Time Tub Travellers does all of this. It is so good I immediately ordered a copy for our library.
Zula gets a C for her history project because her drawing of a typical Tudor family features a black family. Her teacher tells her that ‘There were no Black Tudors.” Zula is devastated because getting a good grade was a prerequisite of being a member of the Maths Team. Although she hates history, she is determined to find out more and prove her teacher wrong, what if there were black Tudors? Zula takes her friend, Milo, on a visit to her Aunt’s antique shop. Her aunt tells her about Reasonable Blackman, one of the first black tradesman in London. Reasonable was a successful silk weaver. Whilst exploring the shop, Milo and Zula find a bath tub…which is actually a time machine and they find themselves whizzing back to 1589.
I absolutely loved this book. It’s wonderfully written, engaging, exciting, funny - wait for the mention of William Shaker! It is a fabulous story but most importantly for me it taught me so much and was the very best book I could have chosen for Black History month. As an older person who was brought up on a diet of British colonialism, I am trying to relearn and address so many of the narratives I absorbed.
July 22, 2024
When Zula’s teacher marks her history project down for historical inaccuracy, she is determined to prove that there were Black people in Tudor England. A visit to her aunt’s antique shop leads to much more convincing proof than she could possibly have imagined when she and her best friend, Milo, are accidentally transported back in time to 1589 in a bathtub time machine. (I love the idea of a bathtub time machine!) The first person they meet is a girl called Jane, daughter of the silk merchant, Reasonable Blackman, who was a real person who lived in Southwark in the late 16th century and is one of the earliest Black business owners on record. A thief has just stolen a bolt of silk from Jane that was intended to make costumes for the newly built Rose Theatre. Zula and Milo must help Jane to trace the thief, get the silk back and, in the process, find a way to get back home again.
‘Time Tub Travellers’ is an exciting and engaging adventure story, perfect for lower KS2, and it is the first book in a series intended to bring to light the relatively unknown and uncelebrated role of Black people in British history. The story is also well-researched and packed with fascinating facts about Tudor London, without being didactic. I first heard about this book through the author’s brilliant TikTok channel where she discusses diverse children’s books. It is a self-published book but it’s really well produced and finished, and I particularly love the cover illustrations of the two main characters by Onyinye Iwu. I’ll definitely be adding this one on to my Year 5 Curriculum Recommended Reading List for their Tudor topic and I can’t wait to find out where the Time Tub Travellers are going next! Highly recommended!
‘Time Tub Travellers’ is an exciting and engaging adventure story, perfect for lower KS2, and it is the first book in a series intended to bring to light the relatively unknown and uncelebrated role of Black people in British history. The story is also well-researched and packed with fascinating facts about Tudor London, without being didactic. I first heard about this book through the author’s brilliant TikTok channel where she discusses diverse children’s books. It is a self-published book but it’s really well produced and finished, and I particularly love the cover illustrations of the two main characters by Onyinye Iwu. I’ll definitely be adding this one on to my Year 5 Curriculum Recommended Reading List for their Tudor topic and I can’t wait to find out where the Time Tub Travellers are going next! Highly recommended!
January 9, 2026
I was so excited to snap up Claire Linney's fantastic book series, Time Tub Travellers, and it was AMAZING!
As someone who has always loved middle grade books, and is just starting to get into history, this was a perfect read. Linney makes the past feel so real. From the smells of waste being thrown out Tudor windows, to the texture of clothing, the way people speak, or how London Bridge used to have houses (!!) on it, this was not just about travelling in time, it was, itself, time travel. The pacing was fast and exciting, and Zula's character arc had me so invested.
What really stood out to me was the sheer heart breaking writing of that opening scene between Zula and her teacher, where her teacher tells her there were no Black people in Tudor London. The casual way the teacher says it, and seemingly without the intention to insult, really shows just how easily role models, like teachers, can crush not just the spirit of those who look up to them, but also convince them of something utterly false. Seeing Zula go above and beyond (in this case, beyond the realms of time!) to uncover the real truth, was so cathartic.
I've still got to read the second and I'm excited to see where that time travelling bathtub will take Zula and Milo next!
As someone who has always loved middle grade books, and is just starting to get into history, this was a perfect read. Linney makes the past feel so real. From the smells of waste being thrown out Tudor windows, to the texture of clothing, the way people speak, or how London Bridge used to have houses (!!) on it, this was not just about travelling in time, it was, itself, time travel. The pacing was fast and exciting, and Zula's character arc had me so invested.
What really stood out to me was the sheer heart breaking writing of that opening scene between Zula and her teacher, where her teacher tells her there were no Black people in Tudor London. The casual way the teacher says it, and seemingly without the intention to insult, really shows just how easily role models, like teachers, can crush not just the spirit of those who look up to them, but also convince them of something utterly false. Seeing Zula go above and beyond (in this case, beyond the realms of time!) to uncover the real truth, was so cathartic.
I've still got to read the second and I'm excited to see where that time travelling bathtub will take Zula and Milo next!
June 3, 2024
44. Time Tub Travellers and the Silk Thief-Claire Linney- 5⭐️- Fun, informative, YA fantastical adventure to Tudor times by two black London middle school students. Young and older readers get insights into forgotten history of talented and diverse figures. Definitely excited to get the next book in 2025!
March 16, 2025
This was so much fun. Think Paddington meets Bill and Ted with an effortless drive to help you learn not just about black british history but about being a friend and part of a family. I learnt a lot and I smiled a lot. What a joy.
December 30, 2025
Highly recommended by me and my 8-year-old! A perfect balance of historical fact, historical fiction, racial consciousness, and stinky gross kid stuff! Very creative and well paced, with vivid and relatable characters.
April 8, 2024
This was an absolute joy!
June 3, 2024
A super quick, fun middle grade book focused on black British history.
Really enjoyed this ❣️
📖📓📖
Really enjoyed this ❣️
📖📓📖
November 23, 2024
This was a fun, quick read. A little simple at times but then, I’m a smidge older than the intended reader lol. I look forward to more time tub adventures!
July 29, 2025
I purchased this for my niece and it is so cute. I also learned a lot and I can't wait to share it with my niece.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews