I’m a big fan of Dan Yaccarino’s artwork (ever since I discovered Trashy Town), so when I saw the cover for Boy + Bot, a new picture book by Ame Dyckman, I just had to pick it up. Boy, am I glad I did. This is a sweet, heartwarming story about an unnamed boy who meets a robot while out collecting pinecones in the woods. The boy and robot quickly become friends and have fun playing games like skipping stones in a lake and rolling down a hill. But during one of these games, Bot’s power switch is accidently turned off and the boy assumes that the robot is sick. Concerned about his new friend, the boy brings the robot home, feeds it applesauce, reads it a story, and puts it to bed. In the middle of the night, Bot is turned on again. When it has trouble waking up the boy, who is sound asleep, the robot assumes that the boy has malfunctioned. Now it’s Bot’s turn to take care of his human friend. The robot takes the boy to his house (a fortress-like structure on top of a hill), pours oil in his ear, reads him an instruction manual, and is about to try and put new batteries in him when his inventor walks in. (“‘Stop!’ the Inventor shouted. ‘That is a boy!’”) The commotion wakes up the boy and the two friends are both relieved that the other is fixed/cured. The last couple of pages depict scenes of Boy and Bot happily spending many more days hanging out together.

One half of this odd pair may be made of metal, but thanks to Yaccarino’s bright, cheery illustrations, these two best buds exude warmth and a deep affection for each other. Reading this charming story (Dyckman’s first children’s book), I’m reminded of an animated film, The Iron Giant. Simpler and more straightforward, Boy + Bot is clearly for a younger audience (ages 3 to 5), but it too reminds us that friendship can bridge all sorts of differences, even those between a boy and his robot.

Can you suggest other books for kids who love robots?

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