Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover

Meet the newest odd couple in the early reader section: fussy, compulsive Rabbit and overly logical Robot. The book's four chapters, written almost entirely in dialogue, correspond to the plan for the friends' eagerly anticipated sleepover: make pizza, watch TV, play Go Fish, go to bed. But it's a list Rabbit generated without consulting his friend, so negotiations--delicate and otherwise--are the order of the day. The uni-wheeled, iPhone-shaped Robot wants to play Old Maid in addition to Go Fish; Rabbit insists it's "not on the list." Robot doesn't like the veggies that Rabbit offers as pizza toppings, and insists on taking apart Rabbit's furniture to get his favorite topping, nuts and bolts. But while Rabbit's hair-trigger temper and Robot's Vulcan mien seem like a recipe for disaster, each strong personality is willing to bend just enough--and even indulge in some comic self-reflection. Bell's (Itty Bitty) crisp, cheery cartooning adds visual punctuation and elaboration in all the right places, and she handles moments of both calamity and reconciliation with aplomb. Delightful. Ages 5-8. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Sept.)

Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

K-Gr 2--Rabbit has his sleepover with Robot perfectly planned; he has even made a list of the night's activities: make pizza, watch TV, play Go Fish, go to bed. Unfortunately, Rabbit didn't plan on a few circumstances, such as Robot's preference for nuts and bolts on his pizza, which he procures by dismantling Rabbit's table and chairs, or the temporary misplacement of the remote control. Robot tries to remedy each situation to a degree. He lays out a blanket on the floor for a picnic supper, though Rabbit's table and chairs are never repaired. He also finds the remote control, bizarrely located in Rabbit's ear. In the end, it's Rabbit who helps Robot by replacing his failing batteries with new ones. The story has a few loose ends, but hilarious details such as Rabbit telling Robot to turn down his Volume Knob anytime he yells, and the sight of Rabbit and Robot both wearing Rabbit-shaped pajamas-Robot forgot his and had to borrow a pair-will attract the adoration of early chapter-book readers, who will undoubtedly hope for more from this duo.--Amanda Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, Madison, WI

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Meet the newest odd couple in the early reader section: fussy, compulsive Rabbit and overly logical Robot. . . .Bell's crisp, cheery cartooning adds visual punctuation and elaboration in all the right places, and she handles moments of both calamity and reconciliation with aplomb. Delightful.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

The light ridiculousness of a machine and animal hanging out together provides plenty of yuks (Rabbit tops his pie with carrots and lettuce; Robot prefers bolts and screws), and Bell breaks up the easy-reading text with warm, goofy cartoon illustrations. Kids will welcome these new besties to their early-reading rotation.
—Booklist

Make way for another endearing, odd-couple pair of friends in beginning-reader land...A good choice for those ready to launch into more advanced texts.
—Kirkus Reviews

Hilarious details such as Rabbit telling Robot to turn down his Volume Knob anytime he yells, and the sight of Rabbit and Robot both wearing Rabbit-shaped pajamas-Robot forgot his and had to borrow a pair-will attract the adoration of early chapter-book readers, who will undoubtedly hope for more from this duo
—School Library Journal

The large font, simple, short sentence structure, and numerous attractive illustrations make this accessible for readers who are beyond Willems' Elephant and Piggie series but not quite ready for lengthier chapter books. There's plenty of humor, both in the text and the crisp and simply composed digital illustration.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

An engaging, well-paced story, told with simple (but not too simple) vocabulary is tough to write, but Cece Bell has nailed RABBIT AND ROBOT: THE SLEEPOVER. Let's hope it's the first of a series.
—BookPage