Ekin and Dad

Chapter One · 1 of 10

On a sunny Saturday morning, Ekin woke up early, because today was a museum day, and a museum day is a day that starts before the sun is fully up. His dad stood at the door of his room and smiled, because a dad who sees his son jump out of bed like that knows that today will be a good day. Ekin threw off his blanket and ran to get ready, because the Natural History Museum was waiting, and waiting is the hardest part of a museum day.

Chapter One · 2 of 10

Ekin put on his favourite truck sweater, cream with orange and grey trucks, and his black pants and his white sneakers, because a museum day needs a good outfit, and the truck sweater is the best outfit Ekin owns. Then he packed his notebook and a pencil in his bag, because a museum day is a day for notes, and Ekin had already decided to write a whole book about today, with chapters and pages and feelings for every part.

Chapter One · 3 of 10

At breakfast, Dad said that they would take four trains to the museum, and Ekin counted them on his fingers, one by one, because four trains is a lot of trains. First the R train, then the E train, then the D train, and last the C train, Dad said, and Ekin repeated the letters after him, R, E, D, C, because a boy who knows his trains is a boy who is ready to travel.

Chapter One · 4 of 10

They walked to the station in Queens, and the morning was sunny and cool, and Ekin held his dad's hand, because a walk to the station is better when you hold someone's hand. The street was quiet for a Saturday morning, and the trees dropped a few yellow leaves on the sidewalk, and Ekin kicked one leaf and watched it fly, because a kicked leaf is a leaf that is having fun.

Chapter One · 5 of 10

Down the stairs they went, into the station, where the trains rumble and the air smells like metal and warm wind. The R train came around the bend, and its windows were bright, and Ekin pressed his face to the glass at the door, because a coming train is a train that you must watch. The doors opened with a soft sound, and they stepped inside, because a museum day starts with a train door opening.

Chapter One · 6 of 10

Ekin sat by the window, and the R train moved off, past houses and shops and the grey backs of buildings, and Ekin watched the city roll by, because a window on a train is the best television in the world. The train went under the river in a dark tunnel, and the lights in the car shone yellow, and Ekin felt like an explorer going under the water, because a tunnel under a river is a secret road.

Chapter One · 7 of 10

Dad showed Ekin the subway map, and Ekin traced the red line of the R train with his finger, all the way to the place where they would change trains. The map was full of coloured lines, red and blue and orange and green, like a bowl of noodles, and Ekin liked the blue line most, because the blue line is the colour of the ocean, and the ocean hall was waiting for them.

Chapter One · 8 of 10

Ekin opened his notebook on the train and drew a little dinosaur with a long neck, because a ride is a good time to draw, and a dinosaur is the best thing to draw on the way to a museum. The train rocked gently from side to side, and his pencil rocked with it, so the dinosaur's neck came out wobbly, and Ekin laughed, because a wobbly dinosaur is a funny dinosaur.

Chapter One · 9 of 10

The R train stopped at a busy station, and Dad said it was time to change, so they stood up and held the pole, and Ekin held his notebook tight to his chest. The doors opened, and people stepped off, and people stepped on, and Ekin stepped off with Dad, because a boy who holds his notebook tight never loses his notebook.

Chapter One · 10 of 10

Ekin was happy, because the museum was closer now, and a museum day is the best kind of Saturday. He skipped a little on the platform, just one small skip, because a happy boy skips, and Dad skipped too, just one small skip, because a dad who skips with his son is a dad who is happy too. The platform was long and empty, and their skips echoed a little, and Ekin laughed at the sound of them.

Question

What did Ekin wear to the museum?

Chapter Two · 1 of 10

The E train came, and it was full of people, so full that Ekin had to squeeze in between the coats and the bags, and Dad squeezed in beside him. There was no seat for Ekin, and no seat for Dad, and the doors closed, and the train moved off, because a train does not wait for a boy to find a seat. The doors closed with a soft sigh, and the train began to move, and Ekin held on tight to the pole.

Chapter Two · 2 of 10

Ekin had to stand, and the train moved, and he held the cold pole with both hands, and his legs got tired, and he felt angry, because a tired boy standing on a train is a boy who wants a seat. He looked at the seats and wished that one of them was his, because a seat is a small thing, but to a tired boy it is the whole world.

Chapter Two · 3 of 10

The doors opened at the next station, and more people came in, and Ekin was pushed a little to the side, and he frowned, because being pushed is not fair, and a boy who is pushed gets angry. Dad put a hand on his shoulder, and the hand was warm, and Ekin's angry feeling grew a tiny bit smaller, because a warm hand is a hand that says everything will be all right.

Chapter Two · 4 of 10

Dad lifted Ekin up, high above the people, so that he could see over the heads and the hats and the bags, and from up high Ekin could see the whole car. He saw a man reading a book, and a lady with a red scarf, and a baby in a stroller, fast asleep, and Ekin felt a little better, because a boy who can see everything feels like a captain on a ship.

Chapter Two · 5 of 10

Then a kind woman stood up and said, "You can have my seat, little one," and Ekin said thank you very much, because a kind woman is a woman you must thank. The seat was warm from the woman, and Ekin sat down and swung his legs, and the E train rocked, and Ekin's angry feeling shrank until it was as small as a pea.

Chapter Two · 6 of 10

Ekin opened his notebook and drew a whale, because the E train is the blue line, and the colour of the ocean is blue, and a blue whale is the best thing to draw on a blue line. He coloured the whale blue with his pencil, and the whale smiled in his notebook, because a whale in a notebook is a whale that is happy.

Chapter Two · 7 of 10

The train stopped at a big station, and the doors opened, and many people got off, and the car grew quieter and emptier, and Ekin could hear his own breathing again. The seats around him were empty now, and the train felt like a room that had been too full and was now just right, because a quiet train is a train that lets a boy think.

Chapter Two · 8 of 10

Dad said that the next train was the D train, and Ekin put his notebook away and stood up, because his angry feeling was smaller now, and his legs were rested, and a rested boy is a boy who walks fast. He walked fast to the next platform, and his shoes made a happy sound on the floor, because a boy who walks fast is a boy who wants to see the museum.

Chapter Two · 9 of 10

The D train came, and its seats were empty, so Ekin sat by the window again, and Dad sat beside him, and the train moved off with a soft sound. Ekin looked at the lights going past the window, and the lights looked like stars that were running, and Ekin smiled, because the angry part of the ride was over.

Chapter Two · 10 of 10

Ekin leaned his head on Dad's arm, just for a moment, because a tired boy leans on his dad, and a dad's arm is a soft place. The D train carried them uptown, and Ekin watched the stations go by, and he thought about the whale and the dinosaur, because a boy who thinks about whales and dinosaurs is a boy who is almost at the museum.

Question

Which train was too crowded?

Chapter Three · 1 of 10

The D train was slow, and it stopped at many stations, and Ekin looked out the window and sighed, because a slow train is a train that makes a boy sad. The seats were blue and hard, and the window was a little dirty, and Ekin wiped the glass with his sleeve so he could see better. The houses outside were grey and brown, and the sky was grey too, and Ekin felt like the whole morning was walking slowly, one step at a time.

Chapter Three · 2 of 10

Ekin counted the stops on his fingers, one, two, three, four, and the museum still felt far away, because counting stops is a game that only works when the stops are few. He counted again, and the number was the same, and he put his fingers down, because a boy who counts the same number twice is a boy who is waiting.

Chapter Three · 3 of 10

Dad said that the museum was worth the waiting, and Ekin nodded, but his smile was small, because waiting is hard when you want to see dinosaurs, and dinosaurs are the best thing in the world to wait for. Dad patted his hand and said that a museum is like a cake: the waiting makes the eating better, and Ekin thought about cake.

Chapter Three · 4 of 10

A man began to play music in the train car, soft music on a small guitar, and Ekin listened, because music on a train is a surprise, and a surprise on a train is a gift. The music was slow and sweet, and Ekin's shoulders went down, and his sad feeling went down with them, because music makes a sad heart feel lighter.

Chapter Three · 5 of 10

They changed to the C train, the last train, and Ekin knew it was the last one, because Dad said, "This is the museum train," and a museum train is a train with a happy job. The C train was the blue line too, and Ekin liked that, because two blue trains in one morning means the ocean is close. The seats on the C train were blue too, and Ekin sat down and swung his legs, happy to be on the last train.

Chapter Three · 6 of 10

The C train went uptown, and Ekin watched the station names go by, and his eyes were wide, because the stations were getting closer to the museum. 72nd Street went by, and then 79th Street went by, and Ekin held his breath, because the next stop was the one he had been waiting for. He pressed his nose to the window and watched the dark tunnel go by, and the lights flashed past like stars.

Chapter Three · 7 of 10

Then the speaker said, "81st Street, Museum of Natural History!" and Ekin jumped up so fast that Dad laughed, because a boy who jumps up that fast is a boy who has arrived. Ekin grabbed his bag and his notebook, and he was at the door before Dad was, because a boy who is first at the door is a boy who is going to the museum.

Chapter Three · 8 of 10

They climbed the stairs out of the station, and the sun was bright, and the air was fresh, and the big museum was right there across the street, bigger than Ekin had ever imagined. Ekin stood on the sidewalk and looked up, and up, and up, because a building that big is a building you must look at from the bottom to the top.

Chapter Three · 9 of 10

Ekin ran to the steps of the museum, and the steps were wide and made of stone, and the doors were tall and made of glass, and Ekin felt small next to them, but happy, because a big door is a door that opens to big things. He ran up three steps, and then three more, and then he was at the top, and the museum was in front of him.

Chapter Three · 10 of 10

Ekin was happy again, and his sad waiting was forgotten, because the museum was here, and the dinosaurs were inside, and the whale was inside, and the mammoth was inside. He turned to Dad and said, "We made it!" and Dad said, "We made it," and they walked in together, because a museum day starts at the door.

Question

Which train did they take last to the museum?

Chapter Four · 1 of 10

Inside, the great hall was called the rotunda, a big round hall with tall columns and a high ceiling, and Ekin's voice echoed a little when he whispered, "Wow," because a rotunda is a hall that makes a whisper sound big. The floor was shiny, and the light came down from the windows high above, and Ekin felt like he was inside a castle.

Chapter Four · 2 of 10

In the middle of the rotunda stood a giant dinosaur skeleton, a Barosaurus, with a neck so long that it reached up toward the ceiling, and a tail so long that it reached all the way across the floor. Ekin's mouth opened wide, because the dinosaur was bigger than his house, and bigger than his school, and bigger than anything he had ever seen.

Chapter Four · 3 of 10

Ekin laughed, because the dinosaur's head was higher than the lights, and he tried to count how many Ekins tall it was, one, two, three, four, and he lost count, because the number was too big. He looked at Dad and said, "It is a hundred Ekins tall!" and Dad laughed, because a hundred Ekins is a very tall dinosaur.

Chapter Four · 4 of 10

Dad showed Ekin the sign, and the sign said that the Barosaurus was fifty feet tall, and Ekin stretched his arms as wide as he could to show fifty feet, and then he fell over laughing, because fifty feet is more arms than any boy has. Dad picked him up, and they laughed together, because a sign that says fifty feet is a sign that makes a boy laugh.

Chapter Four · 5 of 10

Ekin walked under the dinosaur's long tail and pretended to be a tiny mouse, because a mouse under a dinosaur is the silliest thing he could think of. He squeaked in a tiny voice, "Squeak, squeak!" and Dad laughed so hard that a lady nearby laughed too, because a boy who squeaks like a mouse under a dinosaur is a boy who is being very silly.

Chapter Four · 6 of 10

Then Ekin looked at the bones again, and he felt quiet and a little sad, because the Barosaurus was gone, and no boy will ever see a real one walk, and no girl will ever hear a real one roar. The bones were beautiful and white, but they were still, and Ekin was sad, because a still dinosaur is a dinosaur that will never move again.

Chapter Four · 7 of 10

Dad knelt down next to him and said that the bones were a gift, because of the skeleton we can know how big and strong the Barosaurus was, and how long its neck was, and how it walked. "Without the bones, we would never know," Dad said, and Ekin nodded, because a gift of bones is a gift of knowing. The bones were white and quiet, and Ekin felt like a scientist, because a scientist is a person who learns from bones.

Chapter Four · 8 of 10

Ekin touched his own chest and felt his ribs, small and close together, and then he looked at the dinosaur's ribs, which were bigger than his whole body, and that made him laugh again. "My ribs are baby ribs," he said, "and his ribs are giant ribs!" and Dad said that Ekin's ribs were just the right size for a boy.

Chapter Four · 9 of 10

They took a photo under the long neck, and Ekin stood tall like the Barosaurus, with his chin high and his chest out, and his smile was as big as the hall. Dad said, "You look just like a dinosaur, but with better shoes," and Ekin laughed, because his white sneakers were better than dinosaur feet. The photo came out well, with Ekin standing tall and the long neck rising behind him like a bridge.

Chapter Four · 10 of 10

Ekin said goodbye to the giant and walked on, because a museum has many halls, and the next hall was waiting, and a boy who says goodbye to a dinosaur is a boy who is ready for the next hall. He waved at the Barosaurus with his whole hand, and he was glad that the giant was still there, even if it was only bones.

Question

What giant did Ekin see in the rotunda?

Chapter Five · 1 of 10

In the rotunda there was a bench, and on the bench sat a man made of bronze, Theodore Roosevelt, with a moustache and a hat in his hand, and boots that looked ready to walk. Ekin stopped and stared, because the man was sitting so still and so real that for a moment Ekin thought the man might stand up and say hello.

Chapter Five · 2 of 10

Ekin sat down next to him, because the man looked friendly, and Ekin put his hand on the man's shoulder, the way he would with a friend. The bronze was cool and smooth under his hand, and Ekin smiled a little, because sitting next to a statue is a funny thing to do on a Saturday. The bench was made of wood, and it was warm from the sun, and Ekin swung his legs a little, because a bench is a good place to sit.

Chapter Five · 3 of 10

"Hello," Ekin said, but the man did not answer, because he was a statue, and a statue cannot talk, and Ekin felt a little sad. He waited for a moment, just in case, but the man only sat there with his hat in his hand, looking out at the hall, and Ekin's smile grew smaller, because a hello that no one answers is a sad hello.

Chapter Five · 4 of 10

Dad sat down on the other side of the bench and told Ekin that Roosevelt loved this museum, and that he loved animals, and that he helped save the forests and the wild animals of America. "This museum was his favourite place," Dad said, "and he would be happy to know that a boy like you came to see it."

Chapter Five · 5 of 10

Ekin looked at the man's boots and his jacket, because the man looked like an explorer, a man who walked through forests and over mountains. His hat was in his hand, like a man who had just come inside from a long walk, and Ekin imagined that the man had walked all the way from a forest, just to sit on this bench.

Chapter Five · 6 of 10

Behind them was the door to the Hall of North American Mammals, and through the door Ekin could see a soft blue light, like the sky at the edge of the world. He wanted to go inside and see the animals, but first he wanted to stay with the man on the bench, because the bench was a quiet place in a busy museum.

Chapter Five · 7 of 10

Ekin felt sad again, because the man on the bench would never walk into the hall with him, and would never see the animals with him. "He would have liked it," Ekin said, "because it is full of animals, and he loved animals." Dad nodded, because Ekin was right. The hall was quiet, and the statue sat still, and Ekin felt proud, because he had understood the man on the bench.

Chapter Five · 8 of 10

Dad said that in a way, the man was always here, watching over the museum he loved, and Ekin liked that thought, because a man who watches over a museum is a man who is never really gone. Ekin looked up at the statue's kind face, and the bronze seemed a little warmer, or maybe that was only the sun.

Chapter Five · 9 of 10

Ekin waved at the statue and said, "Thank you for the museum," and his sad feeling grew smaller, because saying thank you is a good feeling, and a good feeling makes a sad feeling smaller. He waved with his whole hand, and the statue's bronze hand did not move, but Ekin waved anyway, because waving is a kind thing. The statue did not wave back, but Ekin felt that it had heard him, in the way that statues hear.

Chapter Five · 10 of 10

They stood up from the bench and walked on toward the ocean hall, where the biggest animal of all was waiting, but Ekin turned once to look back at the man. "Goodbye, Mr. Roosevelt," he said, and Dad said that it was a very polite goodbye, and Ekin was proud, because a polite goodbye is a good goodbye.

Question

Who was the man on the bench?

Chapter Six · 1 of 10

The ocean hall was dark and blue, like being under the sea, and above them floated the biggest animal Ekin had ever seen: a blue whale, grey and blue and beautiful, swimming through the air. Ekin stopped in the doorway and held his breath, because a whale in the air is a whale that stops a boy's feet.

Chapter Six · 2 of 10

The blue whale model is 94 feet long, longer than three school buses in a row, and Ekin opened his mouth wide and could not close it, because 94 feet is a number that is too big for a mouth. Dad said that a real blue whale is the biggest animal that ever lived, and Ekin believed him, because the whale above them was proof.

Chapter Six · 3 of 10

Many people stood in front of Ekin, and he could not see the whale's tail, and he stomped his foot, because a boy who cannot see is a boy who feels angry. He tried to jump to see over the people, but he was too small, and the people were too tall, and Ekin's angry feeling grew bigger, because a whale is for everyone, not just for tall people.

Chapter Six · 4 of 10

A tall man stepped aside, but another person stepped in front, and Ekin frowned, because the whale was too big to see all at once, and that was not fair. He wanted to see the mouth and the tail at the same time, and he wanted to see the fins, and he wanted to see everything, and Ekin was angry, because wanting everything and seeing nothing is the hardest thing.

Chapter Six · 5 of 10

Dad lifted Ekin up onto the stairs, and from the stairs Ekin could see the whole whale at last, from its big mouth to its long tail, and he laughed, because a whole whale is a whale that is worth the waiting. The stairs were the best seats in the hall, and Ekin sat on the top step like a king, because a boy on the stairs is a boy who can see.

Chapter Six · 6 of 10

The whale's belly had long lines, like a washboard, and Ekin counted the lines, one, two, three, and Dad said that the whale eats tiny shrimps called krill, thousands and thousands of them. Ekin laughed, because a whale that is bigger than a house eats food that is smaller than his fingernail. Ekin held up his fingernail and looked at it, and it was very small, and he laughed, because a whale eating such tiny food was the silliest thing.

Chapter Six · 7 of 10

Below the whale, families sat on the floor and looked up, and Ekin sat with them for a moment, because sitting under a whale is a calm thing to do. The floor was cool, and the light was blue, and the whale swam above them all, quiet and slow, and Ekin felt like a little fish in a big blue sea. A baby in a stroller gurgled beside him, and Ekin smiled at the baby, because a baby under a whale is a happy baby.

Chapter Six · 8 of 10

Dad told Ekin that a real blue whale's heart is as big as a small car, and that its tongue weighs as much as an elephant, and Ekin's eyes grew round, because a heart as big as a car is a heart that loves a lot. His angry feeling was gone now, because a whale that big leaves no room for anger. Ekin put his hand on his own chest and felt his heart beating, small and fast, and he wondered if a whale's heart beat slowly, like a drum.

Chapter Six · 9 of 10

They took a photo with the whale above them, and Ekin smiled, because the whale was his favourite part of the museum so far, and a photo with a whale is a photo that will make everyone at school say wow. Ekin stood very straight for the photo, because a straight boy is a boy who looks tall next to a whale. Dad said, "Say whale!" instead of cheese, and Ekin said, "Whale!" and laughed.

Chapter Six · 10 of 10

Ekin waved at the whale and said, "See you later, whale," because he would come back before they went home, and a whale that you say goodbye to is a whale that you will visit again. He blew the whale a kiss, and Dad blew one too, because a whale deserves two kisses. The whale did not kiss back, because a whale in the air cannot kiss, but Ekin was sure that the whale had heard him.

Question

How long is the blue whale model?

Chapter Seven · 1 of 10

Ekin walked to the back of the ocean hall, where the light was a deeper blue, and a long shark swam above a glass case: a whale shark, spotted like a sky full of stars. Ekin stopped and stared, because the spots were beautiful, and each spot was different, and no two whale sharks have the same spots.

Chapter Seven · 2 of 10

The whale shark was spotted like a sky full of stars, and Ekin liked the spots, because every whale shark has different spots, like a fingerprint, and a fingerprint in the sky is a beautiful thing. He tried to count the spots, one, two, three, but there were too many, and he laughed, because some things are too many to count.

Chapter Seven · 3 of 10

Dad read the sign with him, and the sign said that whale sharks are gentle giants, and that they eat the smallest food in the sea. "A giant that eats tiny food," Ekin said, "just like the blue whale!" and Dad said that the ocean's biggest animals are the gentlest ones, and Ekin liked that, because gentle giants are the best giants.

Chapter Seven · 4 of 10

Then Ekin felt sad, because the real ocean is in trouble, and the big whales have to swim past ships and nets, and past water that is not clean. He looked at the whale shark's spots and thought about a real whale shark swimming far away in the real ocean, and he hoped it was safe, because a boy who hopes for a shark is a boy with a big heart.

Chapter Seven · 5 of 10

"Do people help the whales?" Ekin asked, and Dad said yes, that people make safe places in the sea, and that scientists watch the whales to keep them safe, and that children who learn about whales grow up to help them. Ekin nodded, because a boy who learns about whales is a boy who will help them one day.

Chapter Seven · 6 of 10

Ekin looked at the blue light and thought about a real whale swimming far away in the real ocean, big and grey and free, and he hoped the whale was safe and happy. He closed his eyes for a moment, just one moment, and he sent the whale a wish in his mind, because a wish sent in the mind is a wish that can travel very far.

Chapter Seven · 7 of 10

A small fish tank glowed next to them, and the fish were orange and quick, and they darted between the rocks like little flames. Ekin watched them, and his sad feeling grew softer, because little orange fish are bright, and bright fish make a sad heart feel brighter too. The tank was warm and glowing, and the fish left little trails of bubbles, and Ekin watched the bubbles rise like tiny balloons.

Chapter Seven · 8 of 10

Ekin's sad feeling was soft now, like a wave that goes out, and he was glad that people were helping the whales, because a glad boy is a boy who has hope. He put his hand on the glass of the fish tank, very gently, and the fish swam to his hand, and Ekin smiled, because the fish had come to say hello.

Chapter Seven · 9 of 10

He opened his notebook and drew a blue whale, with a small heart next to it, because a heart next to a whale means "I love the whales." He drew the heart carefully, round and red, and he wrote the word "whale" under it in big letters, because a heart and a word are a promise. He coloured the heart red with his pencil, pressing hard so the red was bright, because a bright heart is a heart that means it.

Chapter Seven · 10 of 10

They walked back through the blue hall, and Ekin held Dad's hand, because the blue hall was big and dark, and a hand in the dark is a good thing. The whale swam above them one more time, and Ekin whispered, "Stay safe, whale," and the whale swam on, quiet and blue, because a whale in the air is a whale that hears a whisper.

Question

What did Ekin see at the back of the ocean hall?

Chapter Eight · 1 of 9

In the next hall stood a giant skeleton with long curved tusks, a mammoth, taller than Dad, with a skull as big as a table and legs as thick as tree trunks. Ekin stopped and stared, because a mammoth is an elephant with a coat of hair, and a coat of hair on an elephant is the funniest thing he had ever heard of.

Chapter Eight · 2 of 9

Ekin read the little sign with Dad, and the sign said that the mammoth's long name was Mammuthus primigenius, and that it lived when the world was cold and icy. Ekin said the name slowly, "Mammuthus primigenius," and it sounded like a spell, because a long Latin name is a name that sounds like magic.

Chapter Eight · 3 of 9

The mammoth's tusks curved like giant bananas, and Ekin laughed, and then his face changed, because he was angry. He looked at the tusks and the bones, and he thought about a real mammoth walking in the snow, and he felt the angry feeling rise up in his chest, because a boy who sees a mammoth's bones wants to see the mammoth.

Chapter Eight · 4 of 9

"It is not fair!" Ekin said, because the mammoths are extinct, and he will never see a real mammoth walk, and extinct means gone forever, with none left alive anywhere. He stamped his foot once, and the sound was small in the big hall, but Ekin did not care, because a stamp is a stamp, even if it is small.

Chapter Eight · 5 of 9

Dad knelt down and said that being angry was fair, because it was sad that the mammoths were gone, and Ekin stamped his foot once more, just to be sure. "It is okay to be angry about a mammoth," Dad said, "because a mammoth is a big thing to lose." Ekin nodded, because Dad was right. The hall was quiet, and the mammoth stood still, and Ekin felt his angry feeling settle, like dust settling on a shelf.

Chapter Eight · 6 of 9

Next to the big mammoth stood a small model of an elephant, and Dad showed Ekin that elephants were the mammoth's cousins, alive today, with trunks and big ears and thick legs. Ekin looked at the little elephant, and then at the big mammoth, and he saw that they were family, because family looks like family, even across a very long time.

Chapter Eight · 7 of 9

Ekin looked at the bones again and saw how strong the mammoth was, and how big its heart must have been, and he knew that the bones told the story, even when the animal was gone. "The bones are the book," Dad said, "and we can read it." Ekin liked that, because a book made of bones is a very old book.

Chapter Eight · 8 of 9

He opened his notebook and drew the mammoth, with tusks like moons, and he wrote "Mammuthus primigenius" under it, slowly, letter by letter, because a long name is a name you must write slowly. The mammoth in his notebook smiled, because a mammoth in a notebook is a mammoth that is alive again. He drew the tusks carefully, two long curves, and he was proud, because a curve that is just right is a curve that looks like a moon.

Chapter Eight · 9 of 9

Ekin said goodbye to the mammoth, and his angry feeling was still there, a little, because some things in the museum were gone forever, and a boy who knows that is a boy who is growing up. He waved at the tusks one more time, and the tusks did not wave back, because bones cannot wave, but Ekin waved anyway.

Question

What is the mammoth's long Latin name on the sign?

Chapter Nine · 1 of 9

Ekin had a silly idea, and a silly idea is an idea that makes a boy giggle before he even does it. He would walk like a mammoth, with his arm out in front of him like a trunk, and his feet heavy like a mammoth's feet, and he told Dad, "Watch me!" because a silly idea needs someone to watch it. The hall was wide and open, and the floor was smooth, and Ekin had plenty of room to stomp, because a mammoth needs room.

Chapter Nine · 2 of 9

He swung his trunk-arm from side to side and stomped softly on the floor: stomp, stomp, stomp, and the sound was soft, because a museum is a quiet place, and a mammoth in a museum must stomp softly. His trunk-arm swung left and right, and Ekin laughed, because a trunk-arm that swings is a trunk-arm that is having fun.

Chapter Nine · 3 of 9

A little girl laughed, and Ekin laughed too, because a silly walk is a walk that makes everyone laugh, and a museum full of laughing children is a happy museum. The little girl waved her own arm like a trunk, and soon there were two mammoths in the hall, one big and one small, and both of them were silly.

Chapter Nine · 4 of 9

Dad walked like a mammoth too, with both arms out, and his trunk was the longest trunk in the hall, and his stomps were the loudest stomps in the hall, because a dad who walks like a mammoth is a dad who is not afraid to be silly. People turned to look, and some of them smiled, because a family of mammoths is a funny family.

Chapter Nine · 5 of 9

They stomped to the end of the hall, and Ekin's trunk-arm got tired, so he waved it like a flag instead, and the flag said, "I am a mammoth!" in the air. Dad's trunk-arm got tired too, so he put his hands on his hips, and that was the end of the mammoth walk, because a tired trunk is a trunk that needs a rest.

Chapter Nine · 6 of 9

A guard smiled at them, because a museum is a quiet place, but a quiet laugh is a happy sound, and a happy sound is a sound that belongs in a museum. The guard said, "Nice mammoths," and Ekin said, "Thank you!" because a guard who likes mammoths is a guard who is kind. The guard's uniform was dark blue, and his smile was wide, and Ekin waved his trunk-arm at him, because a waved trunk is a friendly trunk.

Chapter Nine · 7 of 9

Ekin sat on a bench and fanned himself with his notebook, because walking like a mammoth is hard work, and hard work makes a boy hot. The notebook made a soft wind, and Ekin closed his eyes and felt the wind, and he thought that a notebook is good for writing and good for fanning, and that is two good things.

Chapter Nine · 8 of 9

"I am the silliest mammoth in New York," Ekin said, and Dad said, "And I am the second silliest," and they both laughed, because being the silliest mammoth in New York is a very good thing to be. Ekin put his trunk-arm down and his feet down, and he was a boy again, but a boy who had been a mammoth for a little while.

Chapter Nine · 9 of 9

They rested for a moment, and Ekin's cheeks were pink from laughing, because a silly game is the best kind of game, and a pink cheek is a cheek that has laughed a lot. He took a drink of water, and he was ready for lunch, because a mammoth needs food after a long walk, and a boy does too. His legs were a little wobbly, and his cheeks were pink, and he felt like a real mammoth who had walked a very long way.

Question

How did Ekin walk in his silly game?

Chapter Ten · 1 of 9

It was lunch time, and Ekin was hungry, because a morning at the museum is a morning that makes a boy hungry. His belly rumbled like a small drum, and Dad laughed, because a rumbling belly is a belly that is asking for lunch, and a belly that asks for lunch must be answered. The cafeteria smelled like bread and soup, and the tables were clean, and Ekin chose a table by the window, because a table by the window is the best table.

Chapter Ten · 2 of 9

They found a table and ordered a big slice of pizza and a cold can of orange Fanta, and the pizza smelled like cheese and warm bread. Ekin looked at the slice and his eyes grew wide, because the slice was as big as his hand, and his hand was open, and the pizza was open too. The crust was golden and crisp, and the cheese was white and bubbly, and Ekin could hardly wait, because waiting for pizza is the hardest waiting.

Chapter Ten · 3 of 9

Ekin took a bite, and the cheese stretched long, like a rope, all the way from the slice to his mouth, and Ekin laughed, because the cheese would not break. He pulled and pulled, and the cheese was as long as his arm, Dad's eyes were wide, because a cheese as long as an arm is a cheese that deserves wide eyes. and Dad said, "That is the longest cheese I have ever seen," and Ekin was proud.

Chapter Ten · 4 of 9

He laughed, because the cheese would not break, and he pulled a little more, and the cheese was still there, shining and golden, and Ekin thought that the cheese was a little magic. It was the best cheese in the world, because it was lunch cheese, and lunch cheese is the cheesiest cheese of all. He licked his lips, because a cheese like that is a cheese you lick your lips for.

Chapter Ten · 5 of 9

Dad laughed too, and Ekin put the whole long cheese string in his mouth at once, like a noodle, and he chewed and chewed, and the cheese was warm and salty and wonderful. He closed his eyes and smiled, because a cheese string eaten all at once is a cheese string that tastes like winning. He chewed slowly so the taste would last, because a taste that lasts is a taste that is worth waiting for.

Chapter Ten · 6 of 9

The Fanta was cold and fizzy, and the bubbles tickled Ekin's nose, and he sneezed a tiny sneeze, and laughed again, because a sneeze from Fanta is the silliest sneeze there is. The bubbles danced in the can, orange and bright, and Ekin took another sip, and another sneeze tickled, but this time he held it in, like a champion.

Chapter Ten · 7 of 9

Ekin ate the whole slice, down to the last bite of crust, and wiped his mouth with a napkin, because a tidy boy wipes his mouth, and a museum boy is a tidy boy. The plate was empty, and the can was empty, and Ekin was full, and a full boy is a happy boy, and a happy boy is ready for more museum. He folded his napkin into a square, because a folded napkin is a napkin that has done its job.

Chapter Ten · 8 of 9

His eyes were sleepy after lunch, and he blinked slowly, because a full belly is a sleepy belly, and a sleepy belly wants a little rest. Dad said they could rest for five minutes, and Ekin leaned on the table, just for a moment, and the table was cool, and the cafeteria was warm, and Ekin felt like a cat in the sun.

Chapter Ten · 9 of 9

Dad said they still had time for one more look, and Ekin woke up, because one more look at the whale was a good idea, and a good idea wakes a boy up faster than anything. He put his arms over his head and stretched tall, because a stretch is a good way to wake up. He stood up, stretched his arms high, and said, "Let us go see the whale again!" and they did.

Question

What did Ekin drink with his pizza?

Chapter Eleven · 1 of 9

The museum was closing soon, and Dad said it was time to go, and Ekin shook his head, because he did not want to leave. The whale was still swimming, and the mammoth was still standing, and the dinosaur was still tall, and Ekin wanted to stay with all of them, because leaving friends is hard, even when the friends are bones.

Chapter Eleven · 2 of 9

"I don't want to leave!" Ekin said, and his voice was loud in the big hall, and he crossed his arms, because crossed arms are the arms of a boy who means it. The floor was shiny, and his shoes squeaked when he shifted his feet, and he liked the squeak, because a squeak is a sound that says a boy is here. The people nearby looked, but Ekin did not care, because a boy who does not want to leave is a boy who says so.

Chapter Eleven · 3 of 9

Ekin was angry, because the day went too fast, and he did not see everything, and the whale was still waiting for him, and the gift shop was still waiting for him, and a day that goes too fast is a day that is not fair. He kicked the floor once, softly, because a soft kick is a kick that says "I am angry," without breaking anything.

Chapter Eleven · 4 of 9

Dad knelt down and said that the museum would still be here next week, and next month, and next year, and that the whale would wait, and the mammoth would wait, and the dinosaur would wait, because a museum is a patient place. Ekin listened, but his arms were still crossed, because a boy who is listening can still be angry.

Chapter Eleven · 5 of 9

Ekin dragged his feet to the door, one slow step at a time, because slow feet are the feet of a boy who does not want to go, and each step was slower than the last. His shoes made a soft sound on the floor, and the sound was slow, and the slow sound matched his slow feet. Dad walked beside him, slow too, because a dad who walks slow is a dad who understands.

Chapter Eleven · 6 of 9

At the door, Ekin turned and looked back at the great hall one more time, and his angry feeling was still there, but smaller, because a look back is a look that keeps the hall in your heart. The columns were tall, and the light was warm, and Ekin took a deep breath, and the breath smelled like museum, which is the best smell.

Chapter Eleven · 7 of 9

Dad held out his hand, and Ekin took it, because a hand is a promise that the day is not over yet, and that a train ride home can be a good part of a day too. Dad squeezed his hand once, gently, because a squeeze is a small promise that everything is all right. The hand was warm, and Ekin's hand was warm, and the two warm hands walked out together, because two hands are better than one.

Chapter Eleven · 8 of 9

They walked down the museum steps into the evening light, and the city was loud and bright, and Ekin blinked, because the evening light was different from the morning light, and a different light is a light that says the day is changing. The steps were wide, and Ekin went down them one at a time, like a king leaving a castle.

Chapter Eleven · 9 of 9

Ekin looked back at the big building and said, "I will be back, museum," and he meant it, because a boy who says he will be back is a boy who keeps his promises. The museum did not answer, but the windows shone in the evening sun, and Ekin thought that the shining windows were the museum saying, "See you soon."

Question

Why was Ekin angry at the door?

Chapter Twelve · 1 of 9

On the train home, Ekin opened his notebook, because he had a plan: he would write the story of today, and the story would be a big book, because today was a big day. The train rocked gently, and Ekin's pencil was ready, and his mind was full of whales and dinosaurs and mammoths, because a mind full of a museum is a mind that is ready to write.

Chapter Twelve · 2 of 9

He wrote the title in big letters: "I went to the natural history museum." The letters were big and wobbly, and the pencil was a little dull, but Ekin did not care, because a big title is a title that is proud, and a proud title does not need a sharp pencil. He underlined the title twice, because an underlined title is a title that is important.

Chapter Twelve · 3 of 9

Then he wrote the numbers: 13 chapters, 140 pages, because a big day needs a big book, and 140 pages is a very big book. He counted the numbers with his pencil, one, three, one, four, zero, and he smiled, because 140 is a number that sounds like a mountain. He wrote the zero last, big and round, because a zero is a circle, and a circle is a fine way to end a number.

Chapter Twelve · 4 of 9

He wrote the feelings for each chapter: happy chapters 1 and 12, angry chapters 2, 6, 8, 11 and 13, silly chapters 4, 9 and 10, sad chapters 3, 4, 5 and 7. The feelings were important, because a book without feelings is a book without a heart, and Ekin's book had a big heart. The list took up three whole lines, and Ekin read it back twice, because a list that is read twice is a list that is right.

Chapter Twelve · 5 of 9

He wrote the trains too: first the R train, then the E train, then the D train, and last the C train, because the trains were part of the day, and a day without trains is a day that is missing something. He drew a little train next to the words, with four cars and four windows, because a train needs cars and windows.

Chapter Twelve · 6 of 9

The train rocked gently, and Ekin's pencil rocked with it, and his letters were big and wobbly, and that was fine, because a wobbly letter is a letter that is honest. His hand was getting tired, but he kept writing, because a tired hand is a hand that is doing good work. Dad looked at the notes and said nothing, because a boy writing his notes is a boy who should not be disturbed.

Chapter Twelve · 7 of 9

Dad read the notes over his shoulder and smiled, because Ekin's notes were the best notes in the world, and the best notes are notes that are written by a boy who lived the day. "You wrote a whole book plan," Dad said, "and it is a very good plan." Ekin sat up straighter, because a good plan is a plan to be proud of.

Chapter Twelve · 8 of 9

Ekin closed his notebook and hugged it to his chest, because a notebook full of a museum day is a treasure, and a treasure is a thing you hug. The notebook was warm from his hands, and the pages were full, and Ekin felt like the richest boy in the train, because a boy with a notebook full of a museum is rich.

Chapter Twelve · 9 of 9

When they reached Queens, Ekin was happy, because today was a museum day, and a museum day is the best day, and a best day is a day that you write down so you never forget it. He skipped a little on the platform, just one small skip, because a happy boy skips, and today was a happy day. The evening air was cool, and the street was quiet, and Ekin felt like a boy who had done a very big thing.

Question

What did Ekin write on the train home?

Chapter Thirteen · 1 of 9

At home, Ekin put his notebook on the table, and he was angry again, because he had to wait for the next museum day, and waiting is the hardest part of the whole week. The museum was far away now, in Manhattan, and Ekin was in Queens, and the distance felt as big as the whale. He looked out of the window at the street, but the street was only a street, and a street is not a museum.

Chapter Thirteen · 2 of 9

"I want to go tomorrow!" he said, and Dad said that tomorrow was a school day, and Ekin groaned, because a school day is a day that is not a museum day, and a boy who wants a museum is a boy who groans at a school day. He put his bag by the door for the morning, because a bag by the door is a bag that is ready, even for school. He crossed his arms, because crossed arms are the arms of a boy who is waiting.

Chapter Thirteen · 3 of 9

Waiting is hard, and Ekin stamped his foot once, because an angry foot is a foot that wants to run to the museum right now, and a foot that wants to run is a foot that is full of energy. The stamp was small, but Ekin felt it in his whole body, because an angry stamp is a stamp that shakes a boy. The floor was hard, and the stamp was loud, and Dad looked up from his book, because a loud stamp is a stamp that is heard.

Chapter Thirteen · 4 of 9

Dad promised: "We will come back to the museum, and we will see the whale again, and the mammoth, and the giant dinosaur, and we will sit on the bench with Mr. Roosevelt again." Ekin listened, and the promise was warm, because a promise from a dad is a promise that is real. Ekin sat up a little straighter, because a real promise is a promise that makes a boy sit up.

Chapter Thirteen · 5 of 9

Ekin thought about the whale, big and blue, swimming through the air, and his angry feeling grew a little smaller, because a whale in the mind is a whale that is still there. He could see the belly with the long lines, and he could see the tail, and he smiled a little, because a whale in the mind is a whale that is free.

Chapter Thirteen · 6 of 9

He thought about the mammoth with the moon tusks, and his angry feeling grew smaller still, because a mammoth with moon tusks is a mammoth that is worth thinking about. He could see the tusks curving like bananas, and he laughed a tiny laugh, because a mammoth's tusks are funny, even in the mind. He could hear the mammoth's stomps in his mind, soft and slow, and the stomps sounded like a lullaby.

Chapter Thirteen · 7 of 9

He thought about the pizza, and the cheese like a rope, and he laughed a little more, because a laughing boy is not an angry boy, and a cheese rope is a rope that makes a boy laugh. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and his shoulders shook a little, and Dad laughed too, because a laughing family is a happy family. His angry feeling was almost gone now, like a cloud that is almost out of the sky.

Chapter Thirteen · 8 of 9

Ekin put his notebook by his bed, so he would see it when he woke up, and he whispered, "Next time, museum." The notebook was the story of today, and the story was not over, because the next museum day was already waiting, and a waiting museum day is a day that is full of hope. The room was dark, and the notebook was a small pale shape on the bed, and Ekin was glad it was there.

Chapter Thirteen · 9 of 9

And that is how this book was made: from Ekin's own notes, written on the train home, with 13 chapters and 140 pages, because a day at the museum is a day worth a whole book. The whale is still swimming, and the mammoth is still standing, and the dinosaur is still tall, and they are all waiting for Ekin to come back.

Question

What did Dad promise Ekin?

New Words

New words: skeleton — the bones of an animal, all put together the way they were when the animal was alive; mammoth — a giant hairy cousin of the elephant that lived long ago in the cold; rotunda — a big round hall with tall columns and a high ceiling; extinct — gone forever, with none left alive anywhere.

The End

Ekin and Dad had a museum day with four trains, a giant Barosaurus, a quiet man on a bench, a 94-foot blue whale, a mammoth with moon tusks, a silly walk, pizza with cheese like a rope, and a promise to come back, and Ekin wrote it all down in his notebook so that it would be a book.