Power Down, Little Robot

by Anna Staniszewski, Tim Zeltner (Illustrator)

It's time to power down for the night, but Little Robot isn't ready! He quickly opens his stalling program. Luckily, Mom Unit knows exactly how to get him into his sleep module.From a debut picture book author and the illustrator of Little Boo, this funny twist on a familiar nighttime routine will click with bedtime avoidance experts everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Robots, Childrens, Family, Fiction, Technology, Humor

37 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 3, 2015

About the author

Anna Staniszewski lives in the Boston area and teaches in the MFA Writing for Children Program at Simmons University. She's the author of over twenty books for young readers, including the The Dirt Diary series and Clique Here series, the picture books DOGOSAURUS REX and BEAST IN SHOW, and the Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book series. You can visit Anna at www.annastan.com or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/annastanisz.

Reviews

[starryeyedjen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading at the Kids Table. Thanks to Macmillan for the review copy.

Katie (age 6): The robot never wanted to go to sleep...kinda like me. :) I think it was a pretty book and a good bedtime story. I thought the little robot was cute compared to his mom.

Jen (Katie's mom): We both enjoyed reading this one, I think, because we can both relate to it. Bedtime is always a battle, even when Katie is zonked, but there are nights like the one depicted in this story where she'll fight tooth and nail to keep from going to sleep. I think some of the language in this book was a bit hard for Katie to understand because it tended to be on the technical/robotic side, but she's probably closer to understanding that jargon than I was at her age. We've come a long way since then! :P Overall, it was a really cute story and probably our favorite in the bunch. Definitely a perfect bedtime story.

Aubrey (age 6): I thought it was so funny that the robot would not power down, and he kept giving him mom trouble about going to sleep. This was my favorite.

April (Aubrey's mom): I have to agree with Aubrey, this was my favorite too. It's funny, because I've never had a problem with Aubrey going to bed. She's always the one to tell me she's tired. She really enjoyed watching the robot give him mom a hard time though. What I liked most about this one was the play on words. I loved when he said he wasn't tired because he was only on yellow. It made me think of all the times I probably should have plugged my phone in, but played with it till it was completely dead.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as the words are uttered by an adult, the children show an unprecedented genius. Plans worthy of a seasoned general are put into place. It's a battle of strategy and wits. Even if the guys and gals previously seemed to be slowing down, the sound of "It's time for bed" will energize them into action.

They will develop a thirst similar to an individual wandering the Sahara for days without a drop to drink. A need for clean pajamas, the brushing of teeth, another trip to the bathroom, forgotten homework needing to be completed by morning, and please, pretty please, just one more story will be only a few of their moves for avoiding the dreaded bedtime. Power Down, Little Robot (Henry Holt and Company, March 3, 2015) written by debut picture book author, Anna Staniszewski, with illustrations by Tim Zeltner gives a unique spin to the nuts and bolts of a daily ritual.


My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...

[Britt Freeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mom units, stall programs, errors= nightmares, reading manuals, dream mode initiated. Too cute!

[Amy Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so glad I finally read one of Anna's books!  She was one of my professors, and it was so cool to be taught by a published author.  That being said, she clearly knows what she's talking about!  She has a great mastery of humor and of sweet, childhood rituals, and proves it with Power Down, Little Robot.  When a young robot doesn't feel like powering down, his mother-bot has to step in and make sure he tires himself out.  

And those illustrations!  Ugh.  I'm in love.  This was such a wonderful, sweet book, and I'm so glad to have read it.

Review cross-listed here!

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute twist on an age-old problem of getting little ones to settle down for sleep. Little Robot tries all he can think of to stay up when he opens his stalling program, such as a can of oil to drink and getting his Mom Unit to read him a manual, especially the part about when he was manufactured.

Great illustrations.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute book was included in our "Science Fiction Isn't Just Outer Space" BYL Family Reading Crate. It's a fun story and might be helpful if you have a child who fights bed time...but on the other hand it might give a child who goes to bed easily bad ideas! ;)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super sweet bedtime book starring a robot and his Mom Unit. Little Robot is exactly like any kid who stalls at bedtime, trying all the same tricks. And Mom Unit knows what's coming. It's really a fun little book.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite of our son. We discovered when he was 4 years old, and it has been on heavy rotation for a read aloud bedtime book.

[Jenniferh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for my Robot storytime. Little robot is stalling beforebedtime.

[Jackson Lago]

I liked the pictures, but I did not understand a lot of the words.

[Karla Rodgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book at least 20 times to my 4 year old. This is her favorite bedtime story.

[Mama Bearian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but gimmicky - an older child would understand the terms but it is over the head of a toddler or preschooler, which would be the ideal audience.

[Lynnette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one unsettling for some reason, but my toddler loved it and often requested it for bedtime. the illustrations are cute.

[Cathy Mealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a pale green, star-filled cosmos, a little red robot is relaxing with snacks and television when his mother announces that it is time for bed. With a reluctant frown, he turns on his stalling program. Little Robot will do anything to avoid powering down! He lingers by the pantry, hoping for a can of oil. Then he dallies at the sink, brushing his cogs at half his normal rate. When he asks Mom Unit to read him a bedtime manual, she chooses the thinnest one on the shelf. She even has the nerve to fast-forward!

Parents and kids will relate easily to this tale of bedtime resistance, told with pitch-perfect flair in Anna Staniszewski’s debut picture book. She has charmingly translated every kooky but common human toddler complaint about slumbertime into sweet, humorous robot-ese.

Mom Unit, firm but ever-patient, maintains her slight smile and weary half-lidded eyes as Little Robot moves into stalling phase part two. He needs his favorite toy -a riveted, antennae-sporting teddy. He wants to whisper secrets about the hummingbot. And Mom Unit must not forget to check the closet for rust monsters!

Little Robot resists and resists, but Mom Unit is determined to tuck him into his sleep module so he can power down and recharge for the next day. Can he continue battling bedtime, or will his programmed resistance to the fluffy pillows and soft blankets finally wear down?

Illustrator Tim Zeltner depicts an ultra modern, space age robot home with crisp, metallic elements. He balances the stark interiors with soft-eyed, expressive characters that gently gleam. Zeltner’s images are created with acrylic on plywood using unique combinations of stains and glazes. The colorful boy bot and his purple-pink mother pop against the muted backgrounds.

If your young cyborg fights sleepytime with a vast array of ruses and excuses, this is the book for you! POWER DOWN LITTLE ROBOT will tame toddler tuck- in troubles and delight parents at the same time.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Happy International Literacy Day, everyone! Our pick today is Power Down, Little Robot, written by Anna Staniszewski and illustrated by Tim Zeltner. This is a fun spin on the typical bedtime book using robots as the main theme.

Mom Unit says that it’s time for Little Robot to power down, but his energy levels are still in the yellow, so he initiates his stalling program: “One more can of oil?” “Read me a manual?” Fortunately, Mom Unit knows how to get him into his sleep module so that he can initiate his dream sequence.

This was a really cute bedtime book! The text really runs with the robot theme, which makes it fun for kids and highly amusing to any parent or caregiver who has been through the bedtime “stalling program.” The length was fine for Baby Bookworm, and the pictures are charming. This would be great for any little one, but especially for the one who loves anything robot. Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Christine Turner]

It's time to power down for the night, but Little Robot isn't ready! He quickly opens his stalling program. Luckily, Mom Unit knows exactly how to get him into his sleep module.
From a debut picture book author and the illustrator of Little Boo , this funny twist on a familiar nighttime routine will click with bedtime avoidance experts everywhere.

Notes
Anna Staniszewski is the author of teen books such as My Very UnFairy Tale Life and The Dirt Diary . She lives near Boston with her robo-husband and their dogbot, Emma.

Tim Zeltner is an award-winning artist who has also illustrated Little Boo by Stephen Wunderli. He lives in Grafton, Ontario with his wife and dog.


Subject:
Bedtime -- Juvenile fiction
Robots -- Juvenile fiction

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great bedtime story featuring a robot child and mother. Typical bedtime behavior ensues as the little robot does not want to "power down" to recharge.

Great for storytimes!

[Kayla Gallagher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just adorable. This a bedtime book that I plan to read to my grandson. The story features a mother and son that are robots. The story, of course, using computer terms, i.e. power down for going to sleep, the robot sleeps in his sleep module and interfaces with his friends. It's done very well. The illustrations are so cute. It reminds me a little of The Jetsons. It's a story that would feature the maid, Rosie.

I enjoyed it and I know it will be a grandson favorite.

Thank you, Anna Starniszewski, for giving away this book in the Goodreads giveaway contests. I'm proud to have won your book.

[Alison Blythe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's time for Little Robot to power down for the night however he is'nt ready. He opens his stalling program and finds excuses why he's not ready for bed. As Little Robot goes through each excuse his Mom Unit knows what to do to get him ready for his sleep module.

This book is great for Pre-K and Kinder students ages 3 thru 6. This story is prefect to read when talking about routines. It is a good book for beginning readers and it can be used to predict what might happen next in the story.

[Ro Menendez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the common story of a child that makes up many excuses and pretexts to avoid going to sleep. The robot and mechanical references made will make this story hard to understand for young readers that are not passionate about robotics. The mom in the story is referred to as Mom Unit which disrupts the flow of the storytelling and an explanation of what a "unit" is would be necessary for inquisitive young readers. Illustrations are dreamy, the night sky is beautifully showcased through little robot's home's glass windows.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

The new spin of mombot and childbot on the classic theme of bedtime routine starts this picture book off in clever territory. At times the language becomes a little high level for an early reader in sticking to the robot theme, but children might be enthralled enough by the general idea to ignore this during a read-along. The illustrations were soft and pretty but there was something a bit odd about the font and layout of the pages...almost reminiscent of a smaller or less experienced publishing company?

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

When night falls, one little robot will do anything to avoid powering down. He turns on his stalling program. He brushes his cogs as slowly as possible. He asks Mom Unit to read him a manual. But, no matter what he tries, Mom Unit is there to brush off his excuses and tuck him tightly into his sleep module. Readers will surely relate to Little Robot and his earnest attempts to avoid powering down, making Power Down, Little Robot a perfect read for bedtime.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Little Robot attempts several evasive tactics to avoid going to bed, his mother lovingly but firmly thwarts him at every turn. This is a funny twist on the classic bedtime story, but I couldn't wait for the little guy to finally fall asleep. The illustrations, created with acrylic on plywood and then covered with stains and glazes, are interestingly surreal.

[N · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I'm not tired! Look my power level is still at yellow." A witty anthropomorphism of the bedtime resistant child that is heavy on technical terms that make it funny for adults, but may not compute with it's intended audience. The illustrations come off as amateurish, more like a self-published e-book instead of something put out by a major house.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

"I quickly open my stalling program."
"Look. My power level is still at yellow."
"What if my dreams have error messages again."

A little robot tries to avoid powering down for the night. A cute bedtime story.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute picture book about a little robot who doesn't want to go to bed at night. He has a really cute "robot bedtime routine." The illustrations are very colorful and fun to look at. This might be a fun bedtime read.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young readers will identify with the little robot who doesn't want to go to bed. Although this is a predictable storyline of a little one using every excuse to postpone bedtime, the robot setting with the robotic vocabulary gives this a fresh twist.

[Kelly]

Cute. About a robot who procrastinates going to bed. So, basically every kid on earth.

[Gail Pritchard · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all of us who have ever tried tucking a little one into bed....

[Marta Timbrook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet bedtime story with cute illustrations that your little one can connect with despite the tech jargon used.