Published by Clarion Books
Summary: It’s a big day for the Robot family when their new baby arrives, boxed up and ready for assembly. Big sister Cathode (Cathy) is all ready to help out, but the adults are sure they can do it themselves. One after another they fail: Dad, Mom, Uncle Manifold, and even the Robobaby Emergency Hotline. Finally, with the help of her dog Sprocket, Cathy manages to get the Robobaby all to herself, and is able to get him up and running at last. Everyone’s ready for a nap when Cathy takes another look in the Robobaby box and makes a startling discovery…the new baby is a twin! 32 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: Caldecott medalist David Wiesner has another winning book with all kinds of interesting mechanical creations. Unlike his many wordless books, this one is told completely through cartoon-bubble dialogue, which will sure to be a big hit with kids. There’s lots of humor in the illustrations and robo-conversations.
Cons: This is probably not quite the Caldecott material of some of Wiesner’s other books. But since he’s won three medals and three honors, I guess he can afford to share the wealth.