Cosmo and the Robot (Library Binding)

by Brian Pinkney (Author, Illustrator) "Rex was a gentle robot, afraid of his own shadow, and Cosmo liked him that way..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This fanciful flight whisks readers to Mars, where a human boy lives with his parents and bossy older sister, Jewel. Cosmo is dismayed when his best friend, a robot named Rex, bumps his head and begins "acting like a monster." In compensation for having to dispose of Rex in the asteroid dump, his parents give Cosmo a Super Solar System Utility Belt containing 10 "supersonic attachments" with which the child dismantles several objects, including Jewel's Easy Bake oven. But the lad puts these tools to constructive use as well: with them he reassembles Rex and restores him to his former, friendly self. Pinkney's (The Adventures of Sparrowboy) trademark art, created on scratchboard with dyes and acrylic paints, presents a barren planet in the slightly kitschy tradition of '50s science fiction. Even with the outlandish plot and extraterrestrial setting, the author/artist lets ordinary family dynamics shine brightly. Ages 4-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-When Cosmo's best friend, Rex, a gentle robot who's afraid of his own shadow, bumps his head and starts acting like a monster, he's relegated to the asteroid dump, leaving Cosmo bereft. To cheer him up, Cosmo's parents (scientists who have brought the family to live on Mars) give him a Super Solar System Utility Belt, complete with 10 supersonic attachments. He uses one to take apart his sister's Easy Bake oven, causing a squabble that prompts their parents to send them to Zone 5 to collect rocks for an experiment. However, Cosmo becomes distracted, applying the various attachments to take apart an abandoned terrain rover, and when his sister fails to return to where she impatiently left him, he puts his tool kit to good use, rescuing her from a menacing Rex-who, despite his ferocity, is still afraid of shadows. All ends well as Cosmo reconstructs Rex, restoring him to his former benign self. Pinkney's signature scratchboard style is used to good effect in creating a Martian landscape in eerie tones of peach, pink, purple, and yellow; some imaginative space equipment; and two appealing children. Topping off the fun is a glossary with whimsical definitions of the 10 "state-of-the-art" features of the Super Solar System Utility Belt-batteries not included.
Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (April 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688159419
• ISBN-13: 978-0688159412
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,575,871 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)