Look at this cover! Who knew robots could be so adorable?

Title: BITTY BOT

Written by: Tim McCanna

Illustrated by: Tad Carpenter

Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016, Fiction

For Ages: 3 and UP

Themes/Topics: robots, bedtime, adventure, space travel

First page:

“In a busy robot town,

bots begin to power down—

all except for Bitty Bot.

Feeling sleepy? Maybe not.”

Summary (from publisher):

A little robot would rather go on an intergalactic adventure than go to sleep in this rhyming romp that breaks all the bedtime rules.

Why I Like This Book: I’m a big fan of anything robot-related, especially robot books. And Bitty Bot has got to be the cutest robot ever. I’m completely smitten with the way Tad Carpenter has powered up this wee robot. And the color palette he’s chosen is out-of-this-world! The purples, greens, pinks, and blue used for Earth at night have an appealing, Eighties sci-fi quality. On the moon, Tad switches to a warm, more manic, palette.

Tim McCanna’s fun rhyming text pulls us into Bitty Bot’s whimsical robot world where not-so-sleepy Bitty Bot doesn’t just stay up late, he pulls out the power tools, welds a space ship, and blasts off! But, not to worry, after his adventures on the moon Bitty Bot ends up “sound asleep and softly snoring.” Oh, and read this in your best robot voice to add extra fun!

Ideas for Teachers: Did you know that there’s a website devoted entirely to reading about robots? Well, there is! Check out http://readaboutrobots.tumblr.com/ to read interviews with several authors and illustrators and find a variety of kid activities. You can also find out how to participate with your class in Read About Robots Day (October 11)!

Author Tim McCanna has several fun videos (http://www.timmccanna.com/p/video.html) on his website that you might want to share with your class. Watching the rhyming song might be a fun way to kick off a unit on writing in rhyme.

(For a super-duper list of links to picture book reviews, along with resources, please visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s site: http://susannahill.com/for-teachers-and-parents/perfect-picture-books/.)