by James Yang
Kirkus It's a quiet day, until."I have a bot!" An excited child's happiness is short-lived, for the remote-controlled toy escapes its wireless tether and begins an ascent up the side of a skyscraper. The building's doorman launches a race to recover the bot, and soon everyone wants to help. Attempts to retrieve the bot, which is rendered as a red rectangle with a propeller, arms, and a rudimentary face, go from the mundanity of a broom to the absurda bright orange beehive hairdo and a person-sized Venus' flytrap are just some of the silly implements the building's occupants use to try to rein in the bot. Each double-page spread reveals another level of the buildingand further visual hijinksas the bot makes its way to the top, where an unexpected hero waits (keep an eye out for falling bananas). The tall, narrow trim size echoes the shape of the skyscraper, providing a sense of height as the bot rises. Text is minimal; short declarations in tidy black dialogue bubbles with white courier-style typeface leave the primary-colored, blocky art to effectively carry the story. Facial expressionsboth human and botare comically spot-on. The bot-owning child has light skin, and there are several people of color among those trying to rescue the bot. One person wears a kufi.The visual details invite interaction, making it a good choice for storytime or solo inspection. (Picture book. 2-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission. Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission. Horn Book After a child's remote-control robot flies away in front of an apartment building, the building's residents try to help retrieve it (‘My broom may reach that bot!’). The book's tall trim size reflects the building's narrow verticality. Yang's blocky, mid-century modern art aesthetically complements this dynamic, easy-to-read story that's half wonderfully wacky caper and half salute to community. (c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Book list The residents of a tall, narrow apartment building, the shape of which is mirrored in the book's trim size, band together to try and catch a young boy's runaway bot. Technically more of a drone, this red, rectangular bot is topped with a black propeller that is taking it ever higher into the sky, despite cries of Stop! Bot! As the bot passes each floor's windows, the building's tenants lean out and try to snag it with everything from a giant spoon and long-handled broom to a baseball glove to a hungry-looking Venus flytrap. The illustrations resemble cut-paper collages, made with basic shapes and muted colors. Kids will have fun spotting the different apartment residents and guessing how they'll try to help the boy. Word repetition and short sentences, appearing exclusively as speech-bubble dialogue, make this picture book a great choice for beginning readers. An unexpected rooftop surprise will leave youngsters with a happy resolution and smiles on their faces.--Julia Smith Copyright 2019 Booklist From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. Publishers Weekly The action in this urban interlude unfolds in front of a city apartment building whose narrow shape is echoed by the book's tall, thin trim size. Yang (Bus! Stop!) constructs his spreads using a palette of brick red and sandstone, slate and cornflower blue. A family strolls by the building's entrance, the younger brother flying a remote-controlled toy. "I have a bot!" he announces to the doorman. Suddenly the bot starts rising: "Stop! BOT!" the family cries. The doorman leaps into action and heads up the apartment steps. Outside the building, neighbors peer out of their windows, proposing ideas: "My broom may reach the bot!" one apartment dweller cries, poking a push broom out his window. The bot flies higher. "Can my fork and spoon snag your bot?" a cook says, making a grab with impossibly long implements. The camera angle rises from story to story; at the very top, the bowed legs of a large, furry creature come into view, the family's unlikely rooftop savior-so long as there are bananas to trade. Yang works within the constraints of the building's form to generate intriguing possibilities presented with clarity and wit. Ages 2-5. Agent: David Goldman, the David Goldman Agency. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved School Library Journal PreS-Gr 1—In this book, a boy is enjoying flying his robot outside. He suddenly loses track of the flying bot and desperately wants to get it back. The residents of a building attempt to help him get his robot back as it sails higher and higher alongside the building. Each neighbor uses a unique method to try and stop the bot. These include a trombone, a brush, and silverware among others. These varying methodologies embody the diversity of the hobbies and identities of the people living in the building. The childlike nature of the book's illustrations make them visually inviting for young children. Geometric shapes are used to illustrate the buildings and windows, and bright pastel colors are blended with vibrant primary colors to create a soft and pleasant look. VERDICT Yang depicts a group of people from different backgrounds working together to complete a task in this eye catching text; a solid title on teamwork and unity.—Deanna Smith, Pender County Public Library, NC (c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
