  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 12/01/2013 K-Gr 2—Ben doesn't like to play dolls with his sister. His favorite toy is a robot, so Alice requests a Roboy 2000 for her birthday, figuring that if she has a robot too, her brother will play with her. Ben is astounded. A robot like that should be his! Just before her birthday party, he is told to place the box with the Roboy 2000 on the present table, but instead he unwraps it and takes the toy out. The radio-controlled robot zips around the room and crashes into the wall. Ben panics and hides the broken gift in a chest before the guests arrive. After all items are opened, Dad notices that the family's present is missing, and Mom asks Ben to get it. The guilty boy reluctantly reveals the smashed toy. He feels bad about ruining his sister's birthday, so he presents his own robot to her. Alice is pleased and asks if he'll now play with her, and Ben promises that he will. The title ends with all the partygoers having fun. Illustrations, which vary in size from vignettes to full spread, are done using graphite, gouache, and colored pencils. The party is shown in all its appropriate messiness. This is a book with a moral that readers can't miss.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 01/01/2014 Ben’s “No dolls allowed” rule bans little sister Alice and her toys from joining in the games Ben plays with his toy robot. Alice therefore requests the new Roboy 2000, which Ben also covets, for her birthday, but when Ben sneakily opens and plays with the gift before Alice’s party, he breaks it. To atone, Ben gives Alice his own beloved robot toy, and this time when Alice asks if he will play with her, Ben warmly assents. Valentine’s clear, succinct text is effective at conveying the complexity of some sibling interactions: it is clear that Alice chooses the Roboy because she desperately wants to play with Ben, even though he takes it as a taunt. Additionally, the brevity of the text will put this within range of kids who can work their way through primary-level easy readers. The graphite, gouache, and colored pencil art on watercolor paper is warm and affectionate, and the simple figures resemble Schultz’s early Peanuts characters. Freckled Ben’s apprehension, shame, and regret are palpably communicated through his facial expressions and body posture. This would be a strong family readaloud, an excellent partner for Hoban’s classic A Birthday for Frances (BCCB 1/69), or even a useful classroom story to share, as the relationship and jealousy issues easily transfer to friendships as well. JH - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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