Little Robot

A double-page, full-bleed illustration depicts a starlit highway in an industrial town. An inset frame focuses the reader’s attention on a truck. The truck hits a rock, the back door slides open, and a box falls out, bouncing until it lands (“SPLOOSH!”) in the river. A young girl then mirrors the box’s trajectory, wriggling out of the window of her trailer home, bouncing off the oil tank under the window, and landing dizzily on the ground. Wearing only a long white T-shirt, the little girl runs barefoot out of the trailer park, passing children getting on a school bus, and slips into the woods. There she finds a tool belt and a mysterious, very soggy box. Inside is an adorably uncoordinated robot, just the right height and temperament to be a companion. Unfortunately for the two of them and their burgeoning friendship, the warehouse notices that unit 00012 is missing, and a large, menacing robot with one red eye is sent to reclaim it. Unframed panel illustrations lend an expansive quality to this lively, mostly wordless graphic novel for younger readers. The absence of defined frames allows the watercolor to bleed out into the plentiful white space between panels, giving the girl and the robot space to move and even allowing the characters and dialogue to break the pattern in organic ways. And the roundedness of the frames’ corners, paired with the robot’s cylindrical body and the (brown-skinned) girl’s oval face, relieve the tension and add a sense of comfort for young readers. Well-plotted and -paced, this engaging story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship builds to a satisfying and sweet conclusion. siân gaetano

Ben Hatke is alert to the pleasures-and the complexities-of new friendship. Both the girl and the robot are spirited but sensitive, a combination that creates conflict early on. But the two are also brave and willing to put aside hurt feelings when the other is in danger. The story becomes a fast-paced adventure after a gargantuan retrieval bot is sent in pursuit of the eponymous little robot. As scenes cuts back and forth, readers will enjoy the mounting suspense. The curly-haired, brown-skinned protagonist is admirably resourceful, finding creative and surprising ways to outsmart her friend's pursuer. Humor and whimsy infuse Hatke's illustrations. The girl and her robot friend have toddler-like proportions: her limbs are as short and round as drumsticks, and he's all head and torso. But the artwork also strikes a darker note when needed; the retrieval bot, scuttling through terrain like a tank-sized spider, is convincingly menacing, especially when the layouts' panels grow to accommodate his monstrous size. While the story is mostly wordless and encourages visual literacy, each robot has its own distinct and expressive vocabulary ( "ZOM!" "Xox?" "MOORP!"), making this an equally fun choice for reading aloud or independent reading.

A box falls out of a truck; a young girl wriggles out of the window of her trailer home and into the woods, where she finds a mysterious box. Inside is an adorably uncoordinated robot, just the right height and temperament for a companion. The lively, mostly wordless graphic novel's engaging story of loneliness, bravery, and friendship builds to a satisfying, sweet conclusion.