Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots

"Do you know the difference between a fact and an opinion?" Rex (Eat Pete!) creates an essential picture book for the times, with a cast of digitally rendered robots as his eager-eyed, rambunctious object lessons. First introducing a yellow, a red, and a blue robot, each with two eyes, the text asks some follow-up questions ("Do any of them have three eyes?... Is there a green robot?") by way of introducing facts as "anything that can be proven true or false." Which robot is more fun than the other two, however, is an opinion--"something that you feel and you believe but you cannot prove." Though opinions are excellent expressions of individuality, they differ from facts. Wading out into the murky waters of discourse, he offers more tips. Listen to other opinions (one robot declares that another who doesn't like scary movies is "a big baby"), reboot the dialogue ("BEEP!"), and find common ground ("I do like space movies!"). Rex and his robots ultimately make a fun, cogent argument for informed and civil conversation. These robots could teach grown-ups a thing or two. Ages 5-8. (Feb.)

K-Gr 3--In this informative picture book, a group of robots teach kids about the differences between facts and opinions. Starting with the basics of discerning facts from opinions, the discussion becomes surprisingly complex, as Rex explores the times when we have to wait for more information in order to claim something as a fact. Most important, he finishes up by explaining the importance of respecting the opinions of others. Rex's word choice and sentence structure make this title ideal for a young audience, while his critical thinking questions and repetition of concepts ensure that this text will be a useful purchase for any teacher. Rex's large, vibrant robots add whimsy to the discussion. Their goofy, solid-color frames pop against the white background, making it ideal for large group sharing. VERDICT: A must-buy for most collections.--Peter Blenski, Hartland Public Library, WI