Little Bot and Sparrow

by Jake Parker, Jake Parker (Illustrator)

Overview

A little robot and a sparrow learn about friendship and saying goodbye in this sweet and moving picture book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626729612
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	09/27/2016
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	93 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Jake Parker is an illustrator and cartoonist whose picture books include The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair, The Tooth Fairy Wars, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Little Snowplow. He also created the Missile Mouse graphic novels, published by Scholastic. He lives in Utah with his wife and their five children.

Jake Parker is an illustrator and cartoonist whose picture books include The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair, The Tooth Fairy Wars, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Little Snowplow. He also created the Missile Mouse graphic novels, published by Scholastic. He lives in Utah with his wife and their five children.

Editorial Reviews

★ 06/13/2016
“One day Little Bot wasn’t needed anymore. He was thrown out with the garbage.” That’s all Parker (The Little Snowplow) has to say about his droid’s backstory as he shows Little Bot tumbling through the air and landing unceremoniously on Earth, suggesting extraterrestrial origins. A bird named Sparrow spots the robot, whose face is an oversize monitor with doll-like features, and decides he “needed to be taken under her wing”; she schools him in the joys and pitfalls of life on Earth (Little Bot learns the hard way that “robots shouldn’t fly”). Parker chronicles the relationship between quirky master and student with velvety textures and idyllic settings that make the incongruous robot even more adorable. Then winter comes and Sparrow must leave. Little Bot doesn’t try to stop her or extract any promises of returning or lasting friendship; their time together has been enough. It’s a moment of profundity and emotional ambiguity that may surprise and even sadden readers, but the discussions this story will spark should prove as rewarding as the happiest of endings. Ages 3–6. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Parker’s gorgeous art captures the beauty of spring and the melancholy of winter, and he’s able to evoke a wealth of feeling in his miniature subjects . . . Readers might be reminded of Charlotte’s Web.” —USA Today

“Parker tells his story with humor and tenderness . . . Dreaming keeps memories alive for a very special robot in this sweet, quiet tale.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Parker chronicles the relationship between quirky master and student with velvety textures and idyllic settings that make the incongruous robot even more adorable . . . The discussions this story will spark should prove as rewarding as the happiest of endings.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A gently thoughtful picture book that got me just a little choked up . . . Parker's illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, with a soft edge that echoes the story.” —Books 4 Your Kids Blog

“A sweet, sweet story of friendship and dreams, and the powerful connection between the two . . . The spare but lovely narrative [is] made all the more sweet by Parker's adorable illustrations.” —Happily Ever Elephants

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—When a motherly Sparrow sees a discarded Robot, a friendship begins. In the spring, Sparrow teaches Robot how to have fun outside. In the summer, she shows him how to be curious (but safe). And before she has to fly south in the fall, she teaches him how to live without her. The warm illustrations capture the beauty of the changing seasons, during the day and the night, and the power of friendship. At the end of the tale, Robot is seen doing two things he thought impossible—dreaming and flying—all made possible because of Sparrow. The differences between a metallic robot and a feathery sparrow show friendships can happen between any two individuals. VERDICT A sweet additional purchase for friendship storytimes.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta., Canada

School Library Journal

★ 2016-06-01
A mechanical-avian friendship is an endearing one.When a robot is tossed into the garbage, he finds himself in a strange new environment in the outside world. Birds perch on him, and Little Bot greets them. Never having been greeted by a robot before, the birds fly off, except for one named Sparrow. She is observant and sees that Little Bot needs help figuring out nature, plants, and animals. And a good guide she is, warning him to avoid bees that sting and bears that are big. Little Bot is also a good observer and learner. When he asks his bird friend about sleeping and dreaming, Little Bot decides that dreams are "best left for the birds." Unfortunately for their friendship, the seasons are changing and winter is coming; Sparrow will fly away and leave Little Bot alone. He is pensive, but he has learned how to do something new to him that is wonderful and that will delight readers. Parker tells his story with humor and tenderness, while his digital illustrations warmly portray a small mechanical object and even smaller bird in the forest. The contrast in size between Little Bot and his new world is never scary but rather dreamy and poetic. Softly hued colors follow seasonal changes beautifully. Dreaming keeps memories alive for a very special robot in this sweet, quiet tale. (Picture book. 4-6)

Kirkus Reviews