And the Robot Went…

This cumulative tale begins with a winsome little fox carrying a clumsily taped-up box containing, it turns out, a round-eyed robot's head with a spring uncoiling from the top and a variety of wires and extra parts. "The Nosy Fox looked in the box, and the Robot went..." A page-turn reveals the answer: "BOOOO." Next, the "Eager Beaver pulled the lever, and the Robot went ...BANG! BOOOO." By story's end, a Wicked Witch, Bear in a Blazer, Crocodile, and others have flicked a switch, fired a laser, turned a dial, etc.--causing the robot to make a new sound each time, but that's all. It's not until a little pigtailed girl comes along and uses the key she found ("KRANK! KRRRANK!") that the Robot actually speaks. The mechanical situation is ingeniously matched with pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations featuring a goofy, friendly cast of characters in a quaint, fairy-tale setting that stands in comical contrast to the high-tech topic. Preschoolers will love shouting out all the sounds, and a partly poignant, partly funny ending provides opportunities for discussion. susan dove lempke