robots

Review: Willful Machines by Tim Floreen

| Tasha

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen

Willful Machines by Tim Floreen (InfoSoup)

Lee is the son of the President of the United States, but he isn’t a teen who is particular positive or popular. A year ago, he tried to take his own life and now is left with a fear of heights. So when he sees a new boy at school balancing on his hands only inches away from the edge of his elite school’s waterfall, Lee is shaken. Later, the boy approaches him and the two become friends. It helps that Lee is immediately attracted to Nico with his Chilean accent and loud laugh. It’s an attraction that his ultra-conservative father will not approve of and one that his father’s national policies has made illegal. In order to get to know one another better, the two boys manage to lose Lee’s security detail a couple of times. But things at school are starting to get weird with one of Lee’s robotic creatures attacking him and a threat from a sentient computer program promising continued attacks. Lee finds himself at the center of the battle for robot rights as the robots begin to turn on him.

Floreen has set his novel in the near future. It’s a future filled with clever devices that keep people connected to the internet at all times, robots that are nearly flesh and blood, and one where terrorist attacks are created by sentient computers. He keeps a tight rein on the setting, an elite prep school where security is tight and the security around Lee is even tighter. This creates a wonderful claustrophobia as well as a paranoia about being watched and spied upon. It’s a great setting for this nail-biting adventure.

Lee is a character I adored immediately. I love his morose sadness and his unwillingness to display emotions unless he is feeling them. He is deeply grieving for the loss of his mother and his suicide attempt is an adept mix of tragedy and humor. He is honest through and through, a complete disappointment to the men in his family, and they don’t even know that he’s gay. Floreen incorporates that aspect of his character throughout the book. His romance with Nico is wonderfully hot and deeply romantic.

A great mix of LGBT, robots and science fiction, this book offers a bleak look at America’s near future with the spiciness of one hot romance. I’m hoping there’s a sequel on its way! Appropriate for ages 13-17.

Reviewed from ARC received from Simon and Schuster.

Review: Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! by Todd Tarpley

| Tasha

Beep Beep Go to Sleep by Todd Tarpley

Beep! Beep! Go to Sleep! by Todd Tarpley, illustrated by John Rocco (InfoSoup)

A little boy helps his robots get ready for bed. First, they are herded into the bathroom where they brush their rotors and clean their shields. One robot even tries out the toilet. Then down the hall and into the bedroom they go, each one on a shelf with a blanket. It is quiet until Beep! Beep! The robots all want things like drinks. Then back to their beds and quiet again. It goes on and on, quiet and then beeping until finally the boy loses his temper. In the end though, one bedtime book is all it takes to get the boy off to sleep.

Tarpley has created a modern twist on the normal bedtime ritual. Here a boy takes the place of the parent, keeping his robots in line and moving towards bed. The complaints of the robots are lovely, each a riff on a classic bedtime request for more water, more light, and finally a story. The book is told in rhyme, one that is quiet at times and then other times filled with zing and snap. The most snap comes when the boy loses his temper.

Rocco’s illustrations are gorgeous. The three robots, each a primary color, all have distinct personalities and the ability to show some emotions on their metal faces. The boy is a throwback to an earlier age in his classic striped pajamas, evoking the fifties along with the classic robots. The entire house too has a vintage feeling to it, providing a clever backdrop to the very modern robot theme.

A perfect bedtime tale for robot fans, this picture book is sure to have even the sleepiest robot or child giggling. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin

| Tasha

Robo Sauce by Adam Rubin

Robo-Sauce by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri (InfoSoup)

Everyone knows how cool playing robots is! Except sometimes your family doesn’t think it’s quite as cool as you do. So what if someone offered you a magic and scientific potion that would let you play robot in a new way? Would you make it? Well, the boy in the book does and turns into a giant robot. But even then, none of the humans want to play with him. But the boy has a solution, more sauce! Very quickly, the story goes out of control as robo-sauce makes its way through the entire book, transforming everyone into robots. Readers can even change the book itself into a robot theme.

The collaborators of Dragons Love Tacos return with this striking robot-themed picture book. Rubin has created an adult narrator who sets things into motion by providing the robo-sauce recipe. The book feels traditional and readers will be fooled into thinking that the boy will soon realize that he doesn’t want to be a robot but a real boy. Happily, the book takes an unexpected twist and becomes something altogether different. The narrator is along to voice their objections to the changes, making it all the more delightful.

The art by Salmieri is done in subtle colors except for the robot lights and sauce which are a vivid neon orange. They are friendly and cartoon-like, filling the book with a sense of merriment. Even the transformation into a robot is a grand adventure filled with wild noises. When the book transforms into a robot book, the pages have already been doused in neon sauce and the pages have a completely different feeling about them. Very cleverly designed, this picture book embraces transformation at a whole new level.

A great read-aloud, this robot picture book will transform your story time! Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Dial Books.

Review: Little Robot by Ben Hatke

| Tasha

Little Robot by Ben Hatke

Little Robot by Ben Hatke (InfoSoup)

The author and illustrator of the Zita the Spacegirl series returns with a lovely graphic novel that is nearly wordless. A little girl climbs out of her bedroom window and heads out into the nearby junkyard where she discovers a strange round object. Upon pressing the button on top, the object transforms into a small robot that has trouble even staying on its feet. But the little robot has been missed in the factory and a huge robot is coming to reclaim it. Meanwhile, the girl and the robot make friends with cats, discover flowers, skip rocks, and play tag. That’s when they realize that another robot is on its way. Now the girl has to figure out how to keep the robot safe while she is also learning the skills of being a good friend.

Hatke has a wonderful sense of story in this graphic novel. The fact that he can tell such a varied story with so few words is testament to the power of his artwork. The story moves from quiet moments of connection between the girl and the robot to times of fast action and chases. Those little quiet moments are presented with a gorgeous solemnity that is occasionally made even richer by moments of humor. The action is riveting and sharp, contrasting beautifully with the quieter moments. The pacing is dynamic and energetic, creating a book that can easily be devoured in mere minutes.

Yet the book is also worth lingering over. The connection between the two main characters is told in such a shining way that this is not a book to rush through. The balance of the book is so well done, from the design of the pages to the skill used to keep readers fascinated and also touched by the budding friendship. Hatke should be congratulated for creating a book with an African-American girl as the one who is drawn to tools and robots. She often uses her tools to fix things, showing that she has knowledge as well as interest. The incorporation of STEM is done with subtlety and yet is also pervasive through the entire book.

Strong and lovely, this graphic novel for younger readers will entrance lovers of robots and science fiction. It’s also a great pick for those ages that are a bit young for most graphic novels but still long to be reading them as well as for young reluctant readers who will enjoy the illustrations and the little bit of text. Appropriate for ages 4-7.

Reviewed from digital galley received from First Second and Edelweiss.

Review: Hilo by Judd Winick

| Tasha

Hilo by Judd Winick

Hilo: The Boy Who Crashed to Earth by Judd Winick

DJ isn’t good at anything in particular. His siblings are good at sports or ballet or school, but DJ doesn’t have anything on the family calendar because he doesn’t do anything much. The one thing that DJ had been good at was being best friends with Gina, but then she moved away. Just as DJ thinks things can’t get any more dull, something crashes down from the sky. It’s a boy in silver underwear. He can’t remember anything at first, but then he puts more and more together. His name is Hilo and DJ gets him clothes and feeds him. The two head to school together and that’s when DJ realizes that Gina has come back. She’s different though, interested in new things, and DJ assumes that she is being friendly just because of Hilo. Soon the three friends though will be facing a huge enemy that is falling to earth one piece at a time.

Winick has created a graphic novel that is a winning mix of child-friendly art and dramatic adventures filled with battles and explosions. Hilo is a great protagonist, a child who has super powers that he discovers over the course of the book. He delights in the small things, like burping over and over again, eating dinner with the family, and attending school. Everything is an adventure for him and a chance to learn more about the planet earth. DJ too is a strong hero, a boy without Hilo’s powers but also a boy who is far from ordinary thanks to his bravery and his decided ability to be a great friend.

The art is approachable and funny. From the way that Hilo falls asleep to the way that he burps gleefully, this book is filled with humorous moments. Happily this is a book with a three-person team where one character is Asian, one African-American and the other a white alien. The female character is the one into science and sports too, which is also very refreshing.

This is the first story in Hilo’s journey to earth and it ends with a cliffhanger that will lead right into the next. Appropriate for ages 8-11.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Random House Books for Young Readers and Edelweiss.

Review: Junkyard by Mike Austin

| Tasha

junkyard

Junkyard by Mike Austin

Two huge robots are in a junkyard where there is garbage that goes on for miles.  Then the robots start munching, eating cards, buses, planes and more.  They devour trains, chains, tires, and bicycles.  They drink paste, goo and toxic waste.  Then the story changes and the robots clean up the few things that are left behind, just one little stack.  And it’s time for something new.  The robots dig holes in the ground and plant trees and flowers.  They build a playground and dig out a lake.  They have gardens and dirt piles.  And now what once was a junkyard is a place just for you!

Done in a romping rhyme, this picture book has the appeal of huge robots and destruction.  I must admit that I was completely disarmed by the change of tone in the book when the robots changed from destruction to creation.  It was a striking choice to make in the book and one that will increase its appeal.

Austin’s art is vibrant and colorful.  He uses deep colors that are rich and pop against the white background.  The robots are friendly even as they devour planes and buses.  With the rhyme, the entire book has a playful feel that makes it work well.

A celebration of robots, destruction and making something of nothing, this is a bright and fun joy of a book.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Beach Lane Books.

Review: Robot, Go Bot! by Dana Meachen Rau

| Tasha

robot go bot

Robot, Go Bot! by Dana Meachen Rau, illustrated by Wook Jin Jung

In this most simple of graphic novels, a little girl builds a robot and when she presses the big red button, it comes to life.  The robot happily plays with bubbles with her, plays ball and floats in a boat.  But then, the little girl gets more demanding and has the robot sewing, being a horsie, planting a garden, and mowing the yard.  Finally, the robot has had enough and leaves.  While the girl searches for him, she realizes that she has to be a good friend in order to have a good friend. 

Rau has written a very simple book here with only minimal words that often rhyme for even simpler reading.  It is the pictures that really tell this story completely.  Done in comic style, they have rounded panels.  Yet they also have the feel of picture book illustrations with their bright colors and playful feel.  The softness of the illustrations also invite very young children to read.  I appreciated the choice to have the main character a girl, since so many robot books have male characters.

Simple and playful, this most beginning of graphic novels is inviting to little children and has the appeal of robots as well.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from digital galley received from Random House.

Review: Boy & Bot by Ame Dyckman

| Tasha

boy bot

Boy & Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

One day when out collecting pinecones in the forest, a boy meets a robot.  The two of them play together and have a lot of fun.  But then when rolling down a hill, the robot’s power button gets pressed and he turns off.  The boy thinks the robot must be sick, so he takes the robot home and feeds him, reads him a book and puts him to bed.  When the boy’s parents look in at him before going to bed, they press the switch on the robot.  Now the robot notices the sleeping boy and thinks that he has malfunctioned.  Bot takes the boy to his home, gives him oil, reads him an instruction manual and is just about to replace his battery, when the Inventor arrives.  Soon all is straightened out and the two continue their grand friendship.

Dyckman’s story has a wonderful symmetry that works well.  With the two friends and their misunderstandings of one another, the story mirrors itself in a delightful way.  Both instances have their humor, as does the rest of the book.  It is this wry sense of humor that carries the story forward and makes it a pleasure to read.  The book is written in a straight-forward way, making it a great read aloud.

Yaccarino’s illustrations are very successful.  They have a wonderful sort of fifties vibe to them, while at the same time being modern.  The large robot is never frightening, thanks to his permanent smile and his care for the boy.  Yaccarino plays with bright colors throughout the book, keeping his art simple and dynamic.

Robot fans will rejoice at this fresh new take on friendship and embracing differences.  Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Reviewed from copy received from Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Review: Robot Zombie Frankenstein! by Annette Simon

| Tasha

robot zombie frankenstein

Robot Zombie Frankenstein! by Annette Simon

Two robots who are friends try to out-do each other as they dress in costumes.  It starts out with Robot Zombie and goes on from there, until they each have pirate hats, eye patches, capes, chef hats, space helmets, and much much more.  By the end, the two of them look very silly, dressed in all of that gear.  The competition continues until one robot pulls out a cherry pie and the two friends decide to drop the costume competition and share a treat.

A large part of the appeal of this book are the illustrations.  They have white backgrounds that really make the bright-colored shapes pop against them.  Simon uses simple shapes, wild colors and lots of creativity to make costumes for these characters.  Along the way, she shows just how little it takes to evoke a character, sometimes only a few stitches on the head, or a cape around the shoulders.

The writing takes a backseat here, simply supporting the wild antics in the images.  Its use of popular subjects like zombies and robots will get young readers to pick up this book.  The cover completely drew in my son, who just had to read this book immediately.

Halloween story times can be tricky, and this is just the right story to add to your not-scary-at-all version for the youngest listeners.  It’s also a book with plenty of humor and zip that will appeal to any youngster who enjoys a good giggle and a great costume.  Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Reviewed from copy received from Candlewick Press.