Maker Comics: Build a Robot!

Maker Comics

by Colleen A.F. Venable, Kathryn Hudson (Illustrations)

Inside this volume of Maker Comics, First Second's DIY comic series, you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to construct six different robots!

The family toaster is preparing to take over the world with an army of evil robots, but he needs your help to build them! Several obstacles lie in his path: your homework, a pesky little sister, and even a dastardly kitty cat. Just follow his instructions to build a series of robots, and world domination is within reach!

With Maker Comics: Build a Robot! written by Colleen AF Venable, featuring illustrations from Kathryn Hudson, you can create a bunch of (non-evil) robots of your very own! All you need are a few everyday items you can find lying around the house and some simple components you can order online. With the easy instructions in this book and you can build a robot that can move on its own, sound an alarm, and even use a sensor to respond to the outside world!

Follow the easy step-by-step instructions inside this book and you can make these robots!

Brush bot
Art bot
Scare bot
Noisy bot
LED throwie
Remote controlled car bot

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Middle Grade

128 pages, Hardcover

Published March 30, 2021

About the author

You might know me from such films as "Colleen's Fourth Birthday Party" and "Colleen Falls Down Over and Over Again While Ice Skating."

Fun facts!
-I have a huge connect-the-dots tattoo.
-I accidentally started an international holiday.
(See National Pancake Day or Lumberjack Day, every Sept 26)
-I once sang back-up on an album nominated for the Polka Grammy.
-I can't sing.
-When I was 18, I broke a national coed jump-rope record.

My debut YA graphic novel Kiss Number 8 was a National Book Award Longlist title, an Eisner nominee, and a Prism award finalist.

My graphic novel series Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye (illustrated by Stephanie Yue) was nominated for an Eisner for Best Publication for Kids and awarded “Best Book” recognition from Kirkus Reviews, NYPL, Bank Street, and the Junior Library Guild.

I grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since I always got scared, but I did carve my name in a lot of low hanging boughs. I had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket!

I went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of “biggest dork” (aka first in my class)

I love graphic novels more than I love having feet and I really do love having feet. They keep my shoes on.

Pssst My name is actually spelled Colleen AF Venable. No punctuation. My birth name was Colleen Ann Venable, but in 1994 I asked to change my middle name to Felicity, because that's the sort of thing you do when you are 14. So I started to go by Colleen AF...mostly because I was bad at typing periods. The internet either ruined my name or made it SO MUCH COOLER. You can decide.

Reviews

[Krysti Kois · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an adult, I found this to be a fascinating book. I thought the step by step how to robots were cute and I liked how intent the family toaster was on escaping the house to fulfill his dream of world domination. Two of my children, who were part of a robotics club a few years ago, (were forced to) listen(ed) to me read. The older one is in eighth grade and thought it was pretty cool and recognized most of the parts that were used. My sixth grader wanted to go to sleep after the first two robot projects. I think trying to explain a breadboard in a graphic novel is pretty difficult if you’ve never used one before. I did think that they explained the arduino board and open source material pretty well. Unfortunately, where you could make the first couple robots with things most likely lying around your house, unless you were already into making robots, you had to order most of the parts for the later ones. There were also quite a few typos, but I was reading an arc (advanced reader copy) that I received through Net Galley. All in all, a good book for the older elementary school student, or one who has experience with robotics, but probably not for the super novice. Our library will be purchasing this title.

[Carl D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated Maker Comics: Build a Robot! by Colleen A.F. Venable five stars because it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t put it down. Set in a house, the story follows Toaster as he set out on a quest to take over the world with an army of evil robots. I discovered this book when I was scrolling through graphic novels on goodreads. What I really liked about it was when Toaster bot showed the reader his instructions on how to build robots. This event was explored as part of the plot. When Toaster bot described it made me imagine of what I could do with these robots and because of this experience it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t put it down. I also liked when Toaster bot’s plans keep failing. This topic was explored as part of the plot. When this was described it made imagine how it would be to have all your plans fails constantly and because of this idea it exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t put it down. This book teaches the reader how you can build robots with household items and what to do with them. I would read another book by this author because there is a lot of stuff you could learn from these books. If you read any hands on activity books and liked them, then you would really enjoy this book.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

In its quest for world domination, the household toaster tutors the reader in how to make a few different levels of robots out of common household items (or cheap maker items) to help it get out of the house.

This gets more and more technical as you progress through the book. About halfway through you get into some pretty complex builds. For kids and teens who really want to try to build their own robot, the projects in here won’t cost them much and will really let them test their maker skills. This is definitely aimed at those who want to build stuff, not those just looking for something to read. It is entertainingly presented, but the step by step instructions are not riveting reading-wise unless you are actively trying to follow them. I loved the ending of this. If you have read anything about the limits of average robots today, it plays on one of the most classic issues they have in common functions.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[cauldronofevil · Rating 5 out of 5]

FINALLY! I’m going to be able to build my own B9! “Danger Cauldronofevil!”

“An AAA battery will fall out. Please save this so we may use it to change the channel on the TV the next time your mom watches that episode of Star Trek she loves.”

I’m actually enjoying this comic. I’m a long way from building B9 but it’s an amusing trip.

This comic is sometimes laugh out loud funny! I wish I’d had it when I was younger!

I think I’m going to abandon this comic but through no fault of its own. If I were younger and more ambitious I might actually attempt these projects and looking ahead I can’t believe how advanced they are actually going to get!

I can also see that the rest of the chapters are written with as much clever humor and it has been so far.

This is one of the coolest comics I’ve ever seen. I’m giving it 5 stars. I may not keep it but only because I think a younger, less lazy person could use it more than I can.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just not for me but I can see where it might be great for some kids. I don't like the comic format in general and the talking toaster annoyed me but I'm old and grouchy...

There's no table of contents and that's inconvenitent when your trying to plan the "6 robot projects."

The projects are:
1. bristle bots
2. Art Bots
3. Scare Bot - uses syringes and IV tubing to move with hydrolics
4. Noisy Bot - uses a mhaster ball and the music thing from a greeting card and gravity to move
5. Kitty Distracty Throwies = LED Lights, battery, and magnets (magnet not really necessary its just to stick the light to something magnetic)
6. Carbot - Arduino Uno Microcontroller, wheels, breadboard, 9V battery....this project is about 1/2 of the book and it there is some copy/paste code that doesn't look very fun.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping with the series, a reader learns how to do something (hence the maker comics series itself) while also being told a story in the graphic novel format. And building a robot is a bit misleading because while the robot is the storytelling element, it's more about building machines using things like mechanical toothbrush or batteries. Like the others, there are disclaimers about having adults help but also inspiration and motivation to build thing whether it's a hobby or more.

There are step by step directions for everything included, just not all the pieces which for some might not be accessible.

[amy boese · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a fan of comics *and* making, but this is an example of why making a successful non-fiction graphic novel is amazingly difficult. This one started off ok with the talking toaster, and immediately became unreadable with too much text and art that was background and not helping tell the story.

I'm so sorry, Colleen AF Venable. Your Pet Shop Private Eye books remain in the soft squishy part of my soul, and Kiss Number 8 was a delight, but this book is not great.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic Non-Fiction
I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
If you're not familiar with this series, it is a great way to introduce elementary level readers to a wide variety of topics. This book focuses on building robots. Venable offers directions to construct six different types of robots moving from the simplest to a more complex model at the end. She finishes the book with information on how to form a robotics club.
Readers meet the toaster who is actually a robot and follow their instructions to build each robot. Venable slips in enough humor to entertain readers while they learn. The brightly colored artwork both shows the intricate details of constructing the robots and creates the settings within their home. The supplies lists offer further needed information for each robot type.
A terrific read together book for younger readers and a great first step for those who want to explore this area.

[Meredith Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

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