Little Robot Alone

by Patricia MacLachlan, Emily MacLachlan Charest, Matt Phelan (Illustrator)

In this charming picture book by Newbery winner Patricia MacLachlan, Little Robot is lonely—until he has an inventive and creative solution. Little Robot’s life is peaceful—yet maybe it’s a little too peaceful. But wait! He has an idea. With a little hard work, perseverance, and resourceful thinking, can Little Robot build his way to the perfect cure for loneliness?

Genres: Picture Books, Robots, Childrens, Friendship, Dogs, Science Fiction, Fiction

40 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and always carried a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind her of what she knew first. She was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lived in western Massachusetts.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious as to why this picture book has such a low Goodreads rating, I decided to give it a try. It's a very simple story about a little robot who's lonely, so he decides to build himself a friend. I suppose it might be too simple for some people, but I thought it was pretty charming. Little Robot saw a problem, and then set about fixing it. Even when he didn't get it right on the first try, he kept going, and eventually his efforts paid off.

I liked how his daily routine was set off by the rhyming text, and the illustrations--while just simple watercolours--perfectly fit the gentle feel of the story.

Quotable moment:

[KC · Rating 2 out of 5]

A robot builds himself a pet.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leading a peaceful and quiet life in his small white home, Little Robot maintained a routine that looked pretty much the same every day, from getting up and putting on his rollers, to refueling with oatmeal and oil, and rolling down to the pond. Eventually though, he became lonely and decided to construct a little canine companion. It turned out that Little Dog was just what he needed...

Co-authors Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest spin a poignant tale of a lonely creature who needs a companion in Little Robot Alone, which combines two popular picture-book story types - the robot tale and the new puppy narrative - and uses both prose and poetic forms in the telling. I found the story here engaging, and thought the little rhyming refrains worked quite well. The accompanying artwork from Matt Phelan, done in pencil and watercolor, was cute and expressive. Recommended to young children who love robots and/or puppies, and to readers looking for picture-books about feeling lonely.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

First sentence: Little Robot lived in a white house on a green hill by a blue pond.

Premise/plot: Little Robot is lonely. Can Little Robot make himself a friend so he won't be lonely?

My thoughts: I am sure there will be plenty of readers--of all ages--who will not overthink Little Robot Alone. I can at times overthink picture books. For example, who made Little Robot? Somebody had to have made him? Where is his creator? He is obviously self-aware and intelligent. He is contemplative. He has feelings. YET. He is a machine. He needs to charge his battery and take care of his tracks. SO WHY DOES HE EAT OATMEAL?! WHERE COULD THE OATMEAL POSSIBLY GO? DOES THIS MEAN THE LITTLE ROBOT USES THE BATHROOM? Once the questions started, I couldn't stop them.

The friend Little Robot creates is a Little Dog--a robotic dog. One of the first things Little Dog does is LICK his creator. How does a robot lick? And how does a robot feel the lick? The licking makes no sense whatsoever.

The book is supposed to be a book celebrating FRIENDSHIP. And also creativity, I think. I hope readers will be able to appreciate that simple message.

Text: 3 out of 5
Illustrations: 3 out of 5
Total: 6 out of 10

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Robot Alone by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, illustrated by Matt Phelan. PICTURE BOOK. Houghton Mifflin, 2018. $18. 9780544442801

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – OPTIONAL.

Little Robot lives a sweet, quiet life in the white house at the top of the hill. Until the day he realizes that he is lonely. But he knows a way to fix that! With some elbow grease and ingenuity, he can make himself a new friend for company.

While we humans can’t make our own friends, Little Robot’s story is still a sweet recognition that everyone really does want a friend for good company. This could be a nice segue into a discussion about what it means to be a friend, what friendship looks and sounds like, and what to do when you are not friends any more.

Cindy, Library Teacher
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Miranda Reads (back from hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read (and loved) a lot of MacLachlan's books and while this one had a cute plot, I wasn't really compelled like I have been for her other books.

[Scooter Reads]

See, when lonely, dog always best thing. Even robot needs dog. Robot dog also best dog.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story of a lonely robot who changes his situation with the tools at hand: he makes himself a robot dog! We all have times of feeling lonely and many times that won't change until we do something about it. It took me (as an adult) a long time to figure that out and I appreciate that this book is helping to give kids the tools to understand that through another character's struggle. Plus, Matt Phelan is one of my favorite illustrators and I enjoyed his creations for this story.

[Mary Bilbrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Little Robot Alone" by Patricia Maclachlan, is a wonderful book that is at a 1st or 2nd grade level and explains the concept of having an idea and using that idea to create a product/solution. What really sells this book for me is the fact that it includes the robot trying, failing, and then finding an answer to his problem.

The book kind of reminds me of "What do you do with an idea," except it is presented in such a way that even younger readers can identify with the problem or the idea, and ultimately finding a solution through trial and error process.

[Mala Ashok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot lived alone. His peaceful existence is marred by only one thing - loneliness. But, not for very long. Little Robot gets an idea and he works hard at building a little robot dog. This is the perfect solution to his loneliness. A perfect book with a happy ending. The Pictures are very nice and the verses in the writing add charm to the book. You will enjoy reading this book to a child and the child will love it.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every morning Little Robot sings a song as he puts on his tracks, charges his battery, and eats breakfast as part of his peaceful—but lonely—daily routine. One morning, inspired by a dream, he creates a perfect companion in his workshop, Little Dog, a robotic pet. A lyrical narration with Little Robot’s cheery song and soft watercolor-and-pencil illustrations make this gentle story perfect for reading aloud.

[Mikel Flatley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows an imaginative little robot and his journey to make a friend. The book has a rhyming toon within in that I think children would very much enjoy. The illustrations are very smooth and light in a youthful way. The robot makes a dog robot friend and is very happy to have someone to share his simple life with. This book is very exciting for children who want a dog or love their dog as much as little robot does.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute story about a Little Robot who goes about his daily routine until he realizes that he's lonely. So, he starts building himself a friend. Little readers will have fun guessing what Little Robot is making and have fun reciting his little song. I think this one will have a hard time staying on my library shelf. Wonderful illustrations as well!!

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, rhymes, and artwork are all very charming. The fact the robot's head was made from a toaster cracked me up.

Because I overthink things, I just could help but wonder who made the robot and how he came to live in a house by himself. It kept distracting me because the plot of the story really hinged on this being the case, but no answer was ever presented.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot has a peaceful life but he's lonely. He watches the birds, squirrels, and fish, but he dreams of having his own best friend. Then one morning he wakes up with a wonderful idea. Little Robot decides to build his own best friend... a dog.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot Alone is a lovely story about a Robot who decides to make himself a friend. Repetitive segments and sing-song elements make this a wonderful read-a-loud. My four year old has requested it several times.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Robot lived all alone and had a peaceful lifestyle of daily routine. Then he thought maybe his life was a little too peaceful, so he was determined to change it. So he decided to build something to cure his loneliness, and it was a perfect fit for him.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Robot enjoys his peaceful life in his little white house by the blue pond. But he's lonely. But one night he has an epiphany. The next day he creates a new friend!

A great choice for storytime with gorgeous illustrations by the award-winning Matt Phelan.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot has a peaceful life, but he feels lonely. Then one night he dreams of a shape that is smooth and shiny, and he awakens with an idea. He begins to build a dog. And with persistence, he is successful. “Welcome home, my friend.”

A simple friendship story with a STEM theme.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The little robot lives in a remote cabin. We have emphasis on the colors white (house), green (hill), and blue (pond). The little robot is lonely.

The little robot decides to build a pet. It doesn't immediately go right, but he sticks with it and has a companion.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with fun rhymes (his oatmeal song is a little reminiscent of Winnie the Pooh). Little robot is lonely and he builds himself a robot dog. A sweet story about friendship and the need for companionship. Don't overthink it.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Artificial intelligence is improving circa 2023. Yet I'm still unconvinced that a robot could create a friend and bring it to life.

However, sure, FIVE STARS awarded, just in case any young readers will find this sort of tale inspiring. Who knows the role that AI will play in their futures?

[Mama Bearian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot is lonely, so he dreams up a friend and then builds him. This is a sweet book with soft, pretty illustrations that are not typical of a robot book. I loved the little rhymes that Little Robot says too.

[Ampersand Inc. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quiet Roly Poly Olie.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. Good read-aloud for 4-7 y/o.

[Mary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little Robot is lonely so he makes a robot-dog.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining for children, I think. Didn't impress me much.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lonely robot creates a companion.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gentle and sweet

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Robot is alone. And lonely - until he makes himself a robot dog! So cute!