Rosie Revere, Engineer

Rosie Revere, Engineer

by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Rosie Revere, with her hair tucked into a red polka dot kerchief, has a secret. In her spare time, she's constantly on the look out for discarded trash that she can use in her latest invention. She builds delightful things like snake repelling hats and helium pants (my personal favorite), but she mistakes delighted laughter for contempt.

When her great-great-aunt Rose (also in a polka dot kerchief) comes to visit, Rosie is inspired by their common love machines and adventures (hint: great-great-Aunt Rose used to be a riveter, during the war). With the following Seussian words from great-great-Aunt Rose, Rosie learns that every apparent failure is just an opportunity to learn something new and try a different approach.

Life might have its failures, but this was not it.
The only true failure can come if you quit.

By the end of Rosie Revere, Engineer, Rosie's entire class has become a community of makers, working and learning together, building great gizmos, gadgets, and doohickeys.

Andrea Beaty's lyrical poetry is reminiscent of Dr. Seuss and is an absolute delight to read. David Roberts fantastically expressive illustrations make this a very visually pleasing book, with plenty of laughs. Enjoy!

Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts

Boy + Bot

Boy + Bot

by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

One day, a boy and a robot meet in a forest, while each is exploring. They immediately become friends and start playing.

When the robot is accidentally switched off, the boy becomes deeply concerned and tries everything he can think of to save his sick friend. When nothing works, the boy tucks the robot into bed and hopes for the best.

Late that night, the robot turns back on. Startled to find the boy asleep,  everything he can think of to save his malfunctioning friend. He's just about to replace the boy's battery (!!!) when the boy wakes up.

In the end, all is sorted out and the boy's parents and robot's inventor allows them to play together. The boy even learns to talk like a robot.

Ame Dyckman's light prose is well paired with Dan Yaccarino's bright and cheerful illustrations. This is an excellent book for any aspiring roboticist. Affirmative!

Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Dan Yaccarino