'Unplugged' by Steve Antony
I picked 'Unplugged' up at the library recently after seeing lots of reviews from fellow picture book bloggers. It's a really charming story about Blip, a robot who spends all day plugged into her computer until one day a power cut forces her into the great outdoors, where she discovers a whole new world of fun to enjoy.
I love how Blip is a female robot with no qualifying reasons or gender signifiers in the way she's depicted. No reason is given for her being a girl and there are no bows or long eyelashes - she just is. This is so rare in picture books, especially ones about stereotypically 'boyish' topics such as robots, and it's so refreshing to see.
I also like how the book doesn't rubbish screen activities - while it does use colour to suggest that being outdoors is preferable, it still shows the variety of things you can do on a computer. Having been very anti-screens in the past, I've seen how much online games and apps have helped my daughter in various ways, so I like that the book recognises the value in computers, while still hinting that getting out and making friends is perhaps better!
It's a very simply written book and the adorable illustrations convey a lot of the emotion, so it's a really good book for sharing with little ones who don't have a long attention span, but there's still enough to talk about with a slightly older child too.
'Robots Don't Say Please' by Lucy Keeling and Kris Smith
I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of this book from Tiny Tree Children's Books. It's a funny story about a robot who lives with Barney and his parents, and who doesn't understand humans' social rules about saying 'please' and 'thank you' - until a fondue disaster strikes and he shows that he has learnt human manners after all.
The story is told in rhyming text which is always a big winner in our house - Toddler is always more engaged with a rhyming book and Girl Child enjoys rhymes and word play too. The rhythm is sometimes a bit clunky but overall it is fun to read aloud, giving lots of scope for funny robot voices! I love the cartoon-like illustrations and the quirky details to spot, the pictures are really fun for little ones to study.
I really enjoyed these robot stories and so do the children - perhaps they'll prepare them for life with AI when they're older! Do you have any favourite stories featuring robots?
DISCLAIMER: I was provided with a copy of 'Robots Don't Say Please' by the publisher for the purposes of this review. 'Unplugged' was borrowed from our local library because libraries are awesome.
Linking up with #ReadWithMe hosted by Mama Mummy Mum.
I love that in picture books the images of robots tend to stay the same, something we can share with our children!! A lovely couple of books #readwithme
ReplyDeleteI know, it's nice to have a bit of continuity in our changing world!
DeleteI really love the look of these. #readwithme
ReplyDeleteLovely books. I can't remember the titles now, but my boys had some nice robot picture books when they were small. And you're so right about the advances. Only today, I was listening to an article on the radio about robots doing keyhole surgery #readwithme
ReplyDeleteUnplugged is a real favourite! We read it yesterday! #readwithme
ReplyDeleteOur copy has sadly gone back to the library but we might get a copy for Christmas ... for the kids obviously ... ;)
DeleteI've heard a bit about Unplugged on Twitter, this is a great review, I like that the book shows screens can be good when used in moderation. #Readwithme
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