Robobaby

by David Wiesner

Robots are much more than machines in the emotionally resonant world of Robobaby, where the arrival of a new baby in a robot family is a festive occasion. Iconic picture book creator David Wiesner captures the excitement as Lugnut (father), Diode (mother), and big sister Cathode (Cathy) welcome the newcomer. Cathy, with her handy toolbox and advanced knowledge of robotics and IT, is ignored while the adults bungle the process of assembling baby Flange, with near catastrophic results. As the frantic, distracted adults rush about aimlessly, Cathy, unobserved, calmly clears up the technical difficulties and bonds with her new baby brother. Robobaby is a shout‑out for girl scientists and makers, and a treat for all young robot enthusiasts.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2020

About the author

During David Wiesner's formative years, the last images he saw before closing his eyes at night were the books, rockets, elephant heads, clocks, and magnifying glasses that decorated the wallpaper of his room. Perhaps it was this decor which awakened his creativity and gave it the dreamlike, imaginative quality so often found in his work.

As a child growing up in suburban New Jersey, Wiesner re-created his world daily in his imagination. His home and his neighborhood became anything from a faraway planet to a prehistoric jungle. When the everyday play stopped, he would follow his imaginary playmates into the pages of books, wandering among dinosaurs in the World Book Encyclopedia. The images before him generated a love of detail, an admiration for the creative process, and a curiosity about the hand behind the drawings.

In time, the young Wiesner began exploring the history of art, delving into the Renaissance at first — Michelangelo, Dürer, and da Vinci — then moving on to such surrealists as Magritte, de Chirico, and Dalí. As he got older, he would sit, inspired by these masters, at the oak drafting table his father had found for him and would construct new worlds on paper and create wordless comic books, such as Slop the Wonder Pig, and silent movies, like his kung fu vampire film The Saga of Butchula.

Wiesner has always been intrigued by and curious about what comes before and after the captured image. His books somehow convey the sequence of thoughts leading up to and following each picture, and that quality explain why they are frequently described as cinematic.

At the Rhode Island School of Design, Wiesner was able to commit himself to the full-time study of art and to explore further his passion for wordless storytelling. There he met two people who would figure prominently in his life: Tom Sgouros, to whom Tuesday is dedicated, and David Macaulay, to whom The Three Pigs is dedicated. These two men not only taught Wiesner the fundamentals of drawing and painting but also fostered his imaginative spirit and helped him comprehend the world around him. Sgouros's and Macaulay's artistic influences were vital to Wiesner's development into the acclaimed picture-book author he is today.

David Wiesner has illustrated more than twenty award-winning books for young readers. Two of the picture books he both wrote and illustrated became instant classics when they won the prestigious Caldecott Medal: Tuesday in 1992 and The Three Pigs in 2002. Two of his other titles, Sector 7 and Free Fall, are Caldecott Honor Books. An exhibit of Wiesner's original artwork, "Seeing the Story," toured the United States in 2000 and 2001. Among his many honors, Wiesner holds the Japan Picture Book Award for Tuesday, the Prix Sorcières (the French equivalent of the Caldecott Medal) for The Three Pigs, and a 2004 IBBY Honour Book nomination for illustration, also for The Three Pigs. Flotsam, his most recent work, was a New York Times bestseller and was recently named winner of the 2007 Caldecott Medal, making Wiesner only the second person in the award’s long history to have won three times.

Wiesner lives with his wife and their son and daughter in the Philadelphia area, where he continues to create dreamlike and inventive images for books.

Reviews

[La Coccinelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I expected more from David Wiesner. This is chaotic, messy, and somehow boring. A whole bunch of characters are dumped onto the page, and we're expected to care. I'm afraid I don't.

Basically, a family of robots is welcoming a new addition. In their haste to assemble their new baby, they neglect to install the updates. The thing goes haywire and the family has to call in the experts. The daughter, Cathode (Cathy), saves the day with her tinkering skills.

The illustrations are skillfully done. But the text almost seems like an afterthought. And there was so much going on in some of the pictures that I was a bit overwhelmed.

I might recommend this to fans of robots, but that's about it. The story isn't anything special.

[Suebee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Look, I know David Wiesner is a genius. As a librarian turned homeschool-mom-and-art-teacher-at-homeschool co-op, I appreciate his intricate, clean watercolor work more than ever before.

BUT the difficult part about this book is it's not that accessible for kids. Older kids will get it, especially the punch line on the last page - the robot family ordered a robo-baby and have trouble assembling it, and hidden in the box is another robo-baby, "Twins!"

Because he used the same color palette for all the members of the robot family, it's a bit difficult to differentiate who's who. (Is that the Uncle? Or the Dad? and the robot daughter (we thought it was a son) Cathode being called "Cath" sometimes, and "Cathy" others was a bit confusing.)

The illustrations are also really really busy so it takes some time to figure out what's going on. It's not a story that I enjoy reading aloud either, because the only text is many different speech bubbles from various characters, including Clank the "dog." It's chaotic.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cathode (Cathy for short) is about to become a big sister when her parents order a new baby robot. The baby arrives in the mail, but requires some assembly. Mother tries to put the baby together, and Father tries to read the instructions, but they can't get the gears to attach to the clockwork innards of the child. They call for help! What can Cathy do to help save the baby?

The cuteness level in this book is through the roof! The story is so clever and original, and I adore all the funny characters. There's Uncle Manny who tries to help assemble the baby. The neighbor brings her little twins to meet the baby. And of course, Sprocket the dog will help big sister Cathy to save the day!

The world-building is brilliant and fun! It's interesting to see what sort of food a robot would bring to welcome a new baby (sludge cake and rust soup with toasted zinc). The robots call for tech support during a crisis, or call a robot doctor with a toolbox and screwdriver. It's so imaginative!

I love Cathy's character, and how she cuts through the chaos of the adults, and trusts herself and her own abilities and know-how. She goes on a mission to save that baby, and with her trusty dog Sprocket at her side, they defy the adults and Cathy becomes the hero of the hour.

I find it very interesting how the emotions of the robots are expressed in the illustrations. The emotion is in the expressions on their metal faces and the way they hold their robot arms and how they stand with sassy robot posture. You can feel the action and energy on each page!

I just adore the colorful artwork and the way the book is organized in panels that lead the reader through the story. There are so many cool details in the background of each scene that really bring the story to life.

I am completely enchanted with everything in this sweet picture book! What a treasure!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a really cute idea, and it's Wiesner so you know the art is great!! But Wiesner likes to tell the story with his pictures. I want my picture books to be a beautiful pairing of art AND words, so I always feel a bit disappointed by Wiesner's books.

Robobaby is not one of his wordless books, but the words here are all dialogue, which means if I were reading this aloud, I would need to add in descriptions of who is talking and what they are doing. There's no fun rhyming or rhythms, it's just: "Go, Sprocket!" and "Let me!"

It's really cute that the robots all have "machinery" names, like Flange and Cathode (nickname Cathy) and Diode (nickname Di) and Manifold (nickname Manny). I get the joke, but will kids? Do preschoolers know what a cathode is?

In short, this is a cute story, and I giggled a bit at the robot's difficulties, but in the end I felt it was just ok.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good deal of the humor will fly over kids' heads, and the dialogue balloons will make it a hard read aloud. None the less, adorable in the best sense of the word.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if babies arrived liked amazon packages; by FedEx or UPS or thru the mail? You wouldn't know what to expect. That's the premise in this highly creative story about a robot family's new arrival. Like previous books by Wiesner, you'll want to pay at least as much attention to the illustrations as the text.

[MeganRuth - Alohamora Open a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another cute story by Wiesner. Love the illustrations, and I love the idea of Robots having babies. I also loved that Cathy is the one fixing the baby as well as the surprise ending.

Super creative, super fun, and a simple read.

I see this better suited for a parent/child reading.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny comedy of errors trying to put together a baby robot.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Sisters are the best!

[Jared White · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love some of Wiesner's books, Flotsam in particular, but I was not a big fan of this one. I think I tend to prefer his books which are wordless or almost wordless, the text in this one was just off a bit somehow...maybe it was supposed to be that way since the characters are robots?

[Elizabeth S · Rating 2 out of 5]

The robot names were fun. However, there were too many characters, too much going on on each page, I found it impossible to keep track of who was which. And that made the story almost impossible to follow. Disappointing.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Clarion Books through Edelweiss+.
Wiesner again creates highly detailed illustrations that tell so much of the story beyond the easy to follow text. The new baby arrives and everyone has difficulty assembly Flange. Finally, the older sister, Cathode, gets a chance to assemble her sibling and everything works fine. I chuckled at the surprise ending and so will young readers.
As is also the case, there's so much more than the surface fun to a Wiesner book. In this case, discussion will pull out several themes including not ignoring someone because they're younger and following directions when needed.

[Kris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tough to read aloud- clipped dialogue in speech bubbles feels choppy. Too many names and characters with little to no plot. Lesson: Read and follow directions. Not a first purchase. Maybe borrow from public library for child obsessed with robots. They may enjoy illustrations.

[Alana Abbott · Rating 5 out of 5]

My six year old has recently fallen in love with Wiesner’s Tuesday, so when I was provided a review copy of Robobaby to share, I was tremendously excited. The book did not disappoint. In the story, a young sibling robot, Cathode, welcomes a new baby, Flange to the family. But while the adults are all trying to put Flange together—without following directions—they won’t let Cathode help. Finally, after getting the family “dog” involved, Cathode manages to get all of Flange’s pieces, the instructions, and her tools together so she can bring Flange to life. But wait, there’s one last twist, so be sure to read to the last page!

My six year old enjoyed all the robot antics, and especially loved how all the adults are making mistakes—and it’s the kid robot who has to come to the rescue. (In one moment of sheer chaos, Flange lifts off with booster rockets that a helpful uncle adds to the original design; that was the favorite moment!) The one-eyed robot dog was another favorite character, and—in working on good storytelling and reading skills—my child had no trouble identifying the beginning problem, the middle action, and the end sequence, picking up examples of what was going on from both text and illustrations.

As an adult reader, I was reminded how easy it is to sink into Wiesner’s gorgeous illustrations. The world of the story is rich, and the differently designed robots all have a personal flare that gives them individuality beyond their clever names. The detail on the very first page, where the kit for the new baby is wrapped in the swaddling cloth common in American hospitals, is representative of the kind of attention that Wiesner gives every moment of the story. Cathode (nicknamed Cathy) is a fantastic protagonist, whose confidence in her abilities is not misplaced, and she absolutely proves herself to the adults. As a robot, her gender in the illustrations is ambiguous—we learn her pronouns later in the book—and I love that the tool-wielding problem-solver of the story identifies as female. (I also thank Wiesner for avoiding the awful trope of giving female characters eyelashes to identify their gender.) The speech-bubble text and sound effects are all easy to follow, and the sheer chaos when all the neighbor robots come to celebrate the baby’s “birth” is both familiar and exactly the kind of community moment I’ve missed in 2020, even with all the stress those moments cause.

This is a wonderful picture book for the budding engineers and robot lovers in your kid-circles, and highly enjoyable for adult readers, too!

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A comedy of errors and puns galore in this out-of-this-world tale.

When the robot parents open the box and begin assembling their new baby robot, problems ensue. Calls for help bring on more complications, until finally the solution springs from an unlikely source, she also delivers a big surprise at the end.

Caldecott Award Winner Wiesner has added another stellar work to his oeuvre. It is excitement and chaos when the new 278-pound baby arrives. Wiesner superimposes the events surrounding a newborn baby with this robot family, focusing on the humor and making it into a comedy of errors. Mother Diode can't deliver/assemble Flange herself, she calls for Uncle Manifold's help. Uncle Manny, disregarding instructions, makes his own "improvements". When those are a bust, big sister Cathode sics the robot dog Sprocket on the rogue Flange and brings him back home all done.

Wiesner's watercolors are stunning in their "other worldliness". Though most of the robots use the same color schemes (golden yellow, steel gray/gray, and red orange) their bodies are all unique shapes. It may take readers a time or two of reading this closely and decoding the illustrations to see all of the detail and to really get the humor. Close your eyes and read this one aloud; it sounds like the confusion surrounding a live baby birth.

Not for storytime, best reserved for laptime or individual reading. A great gift book for parents of newborns...

Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of robots, a family gets a new delivery. Cathode has gotten a new baby brother called Flange. The baby comes in a box, advertising it as a new model. Quickly, Cathode’s parents start to assemble the new baby, but it seems that babies have gotten more complex since Cathode was assembled. The parents call on an uncle to come and lend a hand in building Flange. Though Cathode offers to help, she is pushed to the side as Uncle Manny starts to work. But he doesn’t follow the directions and with some “improvements” and a lack of software updates, it all goes wrong. With help from her dog, Cathode steps in, follows the directions, and does the software updates. Finally, there is a newly assembled baby in the family. But wait, there might be another surprise for this family!

Wiesner has won multiple Caldecott Awards and Honors. This picture book is a bit of a departure from his more serious books, offering a merry look at a robotic land where families are much the same as they are now. Cathode is a great character, undaunted by being ignored and willing to make her own choices. The text is strictly speech bubbles, allowing the illustrations to shine and the pacing to be wonderfully brisk.

The illustrations are done in watercolors that glow on the page, filled with the light of robot eyes and a white glowing floor that lights everything. The comic book framing of the illustrations works well as the action picks up, offering glimpses of what is about to go wrong before it actually does.

An engaging look at robots, STEM and sisterhood. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Lyric · Rating 3 out of 5]

One day, there's a delivery in this robot suburb, to a robot family. In the box is a new Robobaby. Mom and Dad are confident they can build the baby since they built their first daughter with ease. Their daughter warns them that technology has changed and that there would be updates, and other hardware they might have never encountered. Her parents ignore her and attempt to build the Robobaby all by themselves. After struggling and failing over and over, they call a couple of different people to come help assemble the Robobaby, but each attempt is worse than the last until finally the daughter is fed up, and devises a plan with their robot dog. While the daughter creates a distraction, the robot dog steals the Robobaby and runs around and around with all the family chasing him. The daughter gets her tools and heads into the house, and the robot dog brings her Robobaby sibling in. She gets to work, installing updates, and putting the Robobaby together. Her family comes into the house just as she is finishing, and they see how good of a job she is doing, and they say they are very proud of her. The twist, in the end, is very cute, and the whole book has very minimal words, only dialogue, so a lot of the illustrations contribute meaning to the dialogue and to the plot. If you're using this book in a classroom, I might recommend having the illustrations very large and spending a lot of time analyzing the little details in each corner of the illustration. In an interview, David Wiesner said the book drew inspiration from real life about how his kids have become more tech-savvy than him, and this could be a powerful message for children to hear and share with their parents.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family receives a fresh delivery in a robot-dominated society. Flange is Cathode's new baby brother. The infant arrives in packaging that touts it as a new model. Cathode's parents quickly begin putting together the new baby, but it appears that newborns have become more sophisticated since Cathode was put together. The parents enlist the help of an uncle in the construction of Flange. Cathode volunteers to assist, but she is shoved to the side as Uncle Manny gets to work. But he doesn't follow the instructions, and everything goes wrong as a result of certain "improvements" and a lack of software updates. Cathode steps in with the assistance of her dog follows the instructions and does the software updates. Wiesner has received numerous Caldecott Honors and Awards. This picture book is a fun diversion from his more serious works, depicting a robotic world where families are much the same as they are now. Cathode is a fantastic character that is unafraid to make her own decisions despite being disregarded. The language is limited to speech bubbles, enabling the images to take center stage and the pacing to be delightfully quick. The graphics are done in watercolors that glow on the paper and are illuminated by the light of robot eyes and a white lighting floor. As the action ramps up, the comic book framing of the drawings works nicely, providing glimpses of what is about to go wrong before it actually occurs.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

When robots have a baby it’s a bit different than humans. Robot babies are shipped to the home and put together by following the instructions that are enclosed. The only problem with that is it may not be as easy as you think.

In this story readers will find a robot family attempting to put together a new robobaby. There are plenty of obstacles in the way and they are forced to call on others to help them get the robobaby up and running. After some time the task is complete, but another surprise shows up at their doorstep. Do you know what it could be?

This delightful story of family has soft hues of yellow, orange, gray and green. The robots are various geometric shapes making them cute, lovable and even huggable. Cartoon bubbles are what readers will see to follow the story and the action. This is a perfect read for any beginner. Parents and teachers can use this book as a tool to discuss technology, following directions and what it would be like to have a robot baby.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We think adding a baby to a household is complicated but what if the new addition had to be assembled?

Cathode's baby brother has just arrived in a box but no one can seem to figure out how to put him together. One disastrous attempt after another makes for a truly "screwy" read as a malfunctioning Baby Flange wreaks hilarious havoc across the brightly colored panels. It takes a clever big sister and her pet Sprocket to finally read the directions correctly and get baby Flange cooing correctly. Peace returns to the household - but wait! What's that box on the doorstep?

David Wiesner's latest picture book is a delightful romp and a salute to Robot-girl power. Each page is loaded with clever details including a few for the adults helping with the reading. This terrific tale is designed for repeated use and non-stop smiles.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wiesner bring his usual tongue in cheek humour this futuristic tale of a robot family and the arrival of the new baby - complete with assembly instructions. Of course, everything mechanical that can go wrong does go wrong, but also the mixed messages and expectations of the various family members. It is big sister, Cathode, ignored throughout, is the only one with the skill set to read and follow instructions and she saves the day until the unexpected and laugh out loud unexpected conclusion.

Great fun with a story told in comic panels and speech bubbles and littered with technical terms and language. I think much of the humour would go over the heads of younger readers but there is much here to amuse and engage with opportunities to explore a future where robots have feelings and personality traits and live in communities.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mother, father, and soon to be big sister robot are all excited for the arrival of their robobaby. But the assembly proves a bit difficult until an unexpected hero steps in to save the day.

Cute, but not my favorite Wiesner. This one is unusual for the amount of words in it, and I found the text sometimes a little hard to follow (you need to read the text bubbles in the middle sometimes before the text bubbles on the left, but there's not visual clue as to which to read first). Still, I can see some huge robot fans adoring this book and helpful big sisters too.

[raccoon reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son (7) immediately nailed what the ending of this story would be by the first time they told Cathy "no" (around page three). And while the plot might be predictable, I've always felt that one way to tell if a story is a good story is when you know how it ends, but want to read it anyway. And we wanted to read it anyway. Wiesner is a master at drawing a story with few words. The pages explode with action and you really do need to take a moment to take it all in before flipping the page. Also, Sprocket is my favorite.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lugnut and Diode are expecting. Cathode (Cathy) is excited too.
When Flange arrives, all 278 pounds of him…according to the box, Lug and Di are in a hurry and do not assemble him correctly.
Uncle Manifold (Manny) and others put in their two cents but it is finally Cathy who puts Flange together and they all live happily after.

Why did I read this, you might ask? I saw a book called “Tuesday” by the same author and was interested. However, my library only had this book online so I read it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cathode's robot family is excited when baby brother arrives. However, the grownups are having trouble assembling baby Flange and are too busy to listen to Cathode's advice. Fortunately, big sister, Cathode, and her pet, Sprocket, save the day and the baby. A mixture of large two page spreads with comic-book panels and balloon dialog make this a fun, kid-friendly celebration of family. This zany picture book with be especially appreciated by young science fiction readers as well as DIY fans.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possible contender for the Mock Caldecott Awards in January. This book is adorable!!! A robot family whose names are all the same as various parts of a robot. Their new baby, Flange, arrives in his box and all they have to do is assemble him. This turns into a family event where they eventually have to call in Uncle Manny to help!! Great story, great characters and a great ending...your children will love it!!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The new robobaby has arrived! Of course, it must be assembled. It's a new model and doesn't seem to be built the same way Cathode was. Cathode wants to help, but the adults think they should be the one to assemble the baby. But they keep getting it wrong, partly because they're not reading the instruction manual. But when Cathode finally gets a chance, she proves that she's a pretty good big sister!

Delightful illustrations 😊

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Robot family orders a robot baby (from baby supplier Robobaby). The adults struggle with assembling their new family member, but big sister knows what to do.

This felt a bit chaotic. I wasn't entirely sure what was happening on most spreads involving the extended robot family, and I'm not sure how easily kids will be able to follow along. For kids who like robots, the story may not matter as much as the cool robot illustrations (there are plenty).

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love David Wiesner so I was excited to read this book. This book was a little confusing for me and I had to go back to read it a few times. I love the premise; little Cathode is excited about his new sibling but when it comes time to assemble the baby robot, no one listens to Cathode’s offer to help.
The illustrations are beautiful but the colors used and many different robots in the family were hard to follow. Going back to read it again really helped.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oliver gives this story of robots and their siblings 100 stars out of 5. I disagree. But he's the target audience, lol. I think this story is a bit confusing and probably designed to be, but I had a hard time keeping all the robots straight. I did get a chance to explain that the mommy can build the baby -- a person grows the baby using building blocks from their body. Other than that this was kind of forgettable and very weird.