Robo-Sauce

Is there an award for best gatefold ever? Then tell Rubin and Salmieri to get out their tuxes, because this book has the one to beat. Their premise is simple: a boy loves dressing up in a homemade robot costume and terrorizing his family ("robo-poke! robo-grab! robo-stomp!"). When the smooth-talking unseen narrator offers the kid a chance to become an actual robot by drinking the "Robo-Sauce" of the title, the boy can't resist; he then uses the sauce to engineer a full-scale robot takeover, which includes the very book readers hold. A gatefold late in the story can be extended and wrapped all around the book's facade, transforming it into a metallic, orange-accented "Robo-Book." Grownups who hate fun may question the staying power--not to mention physical resilience--of the book's novelty element. But rest assured that it's a very funny story, too, as the narrator finds out that he's inadvertently brought about a robot apocalypse. The Robo-Times's critical assessment (as blurbed on the robo-story's new back cover) says it best: "Beep Boop!" Ages 4-8. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (Oct.)

A boy and his dog dress up in robot costumes and proceed to annoy everyone with "ROBO-POKES," "ROBO-STOMPS," and "ROBO-GRABS." Tired of these antics, his family leaves the scene, and the narrator tries to convince the boy how wonderful life would be if he were a REAL robot. The narrator gives him the ingredients to "ROBO-SAUCE," a magical elixir that changes humans into robots, and the boy makes and drinks it. He is transformed into ROBO-KID and goes on to blast his way through the town. After much destruction and fear is fomented, the narrator acknowledges that life was actually better when the boy was a human and not scaring everybody. Alas, when the ROBO-ANTIDOTO recipe is destroyed, the robot instead turns everything and everybody into a robot. Rubin and Salmieri, creators of Dragons Love Tacos (Dial, 2012) and Those Darn Squirrels (Clarion, 2008), have joined forces again to bring another quirky tale to life. The stylized cartoons are quite clever and engaging, an appealing mix of retro pen and ink drawings, fun typography, and touches of neon orange. The book even has shiny, foldout pages that transform the cover from ROBO-SAUCE to ROBO-BOOK. Unfortunately, the art is stronger than the storytelling. VERDICT While the concept is fun and will appeal to many children, the action feels stilted and there is little humor to be found. Only for the most avid robot lovers out there.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI