A Case of the Zaps: A Picture Book

by Alex Boniello, April Lavalle, James Kwan (Illustrator)

Overview

From Tony Award winners Alex Boniello and April Lavalle, A Case of the Zaps is a charming, heartfelt picture book that will spark a conversation about anxiety and mental health with readers of every generation, illustrated by James Kwan.

Meet 3.14159265358979323846264338327950 . . . or Pi, for short.

Pi’s just like any other kid robot: They love to listen to music, play with their dog, and hang out with their friends. And when their teacher announces a field trip to Olde Silicon Valley, Pi couldn’t be more excited! They daydream of all the awesome things they want to see and do there––but also begin to worry about all the things that could go wrong. . . . Then, on the way home, Pi feels a ZAP! They try to avoid the strange feeling, but the Zaps keep happening. Pi doesn’t understand. They have a firewall installed! What could be going on?

A tale with equal parts humor and heart, A Case of the Zaps is a great way to begin talking about mental health and anxiety for readers of all ages.

Includes a note from the authors and resources to help readers talk about anxiety

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419756726
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	285,029
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Alex Boniello is an actor, musician, singer, writer, and Tony Award–winning producer from New York City. Most recently, he starred as Connor Murphy in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen, and has also appeared as the voice of Moritz in Deaf West’s revival of Spring Awakening, and in numerous TV shows and films. Alongside April Lavalle, he’s also a producer on Hadestown, for which they both received Tony Awards. Boniello is a passionate advocate for mental health, having worked closely with some of the most prolific organizations in the country. A Case of the Zaps is his first book. April Lavalle is an actor, comedian, writer, and Tony Award–winning producer living in New York City. As an actor, Lavalle has appeared on television and on stages throughout the world, and as a writer, she has been featured in publications such as Reductress, McSweeneys, Medium, and Vulture. She is also a director for the Story Pirates, which celebrates the imaginations of children worldwide. A Case of the Zaps is her first book. James Kwan is an animator and illustrator with a BFA from Pratt Institute. His picture books Dear Yeti and How It Feels to Be a Boat received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and were featured in the New York Times. He was a character artist on BoJack Horseman and has also done animated, illustrated, and directed work with many clients, including Microsoft and LEGO.

Editorial Reviews

"Readers of a carbon-based sort can learn more about. . .anxiety issues in general, from the authors’ closing note and the trio of online resources they supply."

Booklist

A Case of the Zaps is a clever and charming way to help kids understand anxiety and feel comfortable talking about it with friends and the adults in their lives. It does a good job explaining how therapy works and giving children confidence that it can work for them. And it's fun!

Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz

A Case of the Zaps is a clever and charming way to help kids understand anxiety and feel comfortable talking about it with friends and the adults in their lives. It does a good job explaining how therapy works and giving children confidence that it can work for them. And it's fun!” —Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, President, Child Mind Institute

"With their expressive blue and yellow face, Pi is a charming young protagonist who provides a welcome introduction to the normality of the Zaps—or nerves—along with some coping mechanisms and words to boot up a conversation with friends or caretakers."—Kirkus Reviews

"Readers of a carbon-based sort can learn more about. . .anxiety issues in general, from the authors’ closing note and the trio of online resources they supply."—Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-05-11
A young robot experiences the system malfunctions associated with anxiety.

Pi is a young robot who loves all the usual things young robots on Robot-Earth enjoy: sipping DW-40, spending time with their Parental Units and friends, and playing music. Unfortunately, their imagination kicks into overdrive when their teacher announces an upcoming field trip to Olde Silicon Valley, and their excitement turns into a case of the dreaded Zaps. Feeling afraid, overheating, and running on low batteries, Pi tries and fails to carry on as usual until they crash. A hard drive–to–hard drive conversation with Mother-Board and Father-Board prompts a trip to the doctor for some advice, which helps Pi on their field trip and beyond. With their expressive blue and yellow face, Pi is a charming young protagonist who provides a welcome introduction to the normality of the Zaps—or nerves—along with some coping mechanisms and words to boot up a conversation with friends or caretakers. While many of the puns, real-world references, and computer terms may be lost on a young audience, the story and accompanying backmatter—a note from the authors on coping with anxiety and a list of resources—will be helpful add-ons to any system update.(This book was reviewed digitally.)

A solid selection to spark up a dialogue on anxiety. (Picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews