What happened in Panama before Europeans arrived? This is the question that sets a young student named Martina off on a quest to build a time machine in the new graphic novel, Martina and the Bridge of Time (Martina y el Puente en el Tiempo). The story, written by STRI paleontologist Aaron O’dea and illustrated by Ian Cooke Tapia, aims at inspiring young people to question the world around them and become interested in science. Through her various adventures jumping across a span of several million years, Martina learns that the history of the isthmus was much more exciting and far different than anything she imagined.
Martina and the Bridge of Time (Martina y el Puente en el Tiempo) was published as a collaboration between STRI and Panama’s National Office of Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT). It is available in both print and digital format, in both Spanish and English. More information can be found on its official website, PANAMARTINA.com.