Customer Reviews

The Saddest Little Robot

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Brian Gage's The Saddest Little Robot is an impressive work of children's literature about an ordinary little Drudgebot, unhappy in his endless labor in the depths of the Cylinder that powers the light in the great Dome City. Curious about what lies outside his world, he journeys outside, makes unlikely friends, and meets with a great Makerbot who inspires him to return to his home and liberate his fellow Drudgebots. A moving story, told on a grand scale and wondrously illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi, The Saddest Little Robot will prove a welcome and much appreciated addition to school and community library science fiction collections for young readers.

I ordered this book for my kids on the recommendation of a friend. Although it wasn't as "classic literature" as I was expecting - I found the book to be one of the best offerings for children I've read in a long time. Gage really does a fantastic job of exploring a vast sociological allegory within an interesting and fast moving plot. But that's an adult talking - my kids just loved the book and really related to the ugly duckling premise centered around the misfit robot Snoot. Very entertaining for the whole family, and highly recommended.

my whole family: me, my 2 kids, and husband have throughly enjoyed it. even my eldest who's 11 and doesn't read all that much really loved the book. it's very charming, has a great story, and a great main character. I think the last time my kids were this excited about a book was when I first read them Harry Potter.

This is one of the best kid's books I've read in a long time. Great for kids and interesting enough for adults due to deeper themes the author is using.

I heard about this book through a great review in last week's LA Times and decided to pick up a copy for my 11-year-old brother. However, when the book arrived, I couldn't help reading it myself! It's a really fantastic story - something both kids and adults would enjoy. In addition to the great illustrations (think Star Wars meets Harry Potter), the story itself has really fun and interesting characters, a suspenseful plot, plenty of twists and turns, and a really sweet ending to tie it all together.
What I liked most though was the message. Whereas some kids books are so over-the-top preachy that you want to roll your eyes, this one has a much more subtle and intelligent analogy... it's actually quite relevant to today's issues!
Apparently, this book is the first in a series, with another book coming out in a couple years. I'm looking forward to it!

This is a fantastic fantasy book for children (and big children like me too). It's funny, and charming, and thematically it's also very compelling. Very much the George Orwell for children that it's being touted as. And the illustrations of Snoot are so cute! My two kids (9 and 6) loved this book and I've read it almost twice to them before bed. It's full of some great plot twists and surprises too! I recommend it highly for parents to give to their children. The story has a great moral too!

As as educator, I bought this book to read to my students for "read aloud". I couldn't believe how excited they were about the book! They couldn't wait until the next "read aloud" to see what was going to happen next. The book is well-written, beautifully illustrated, and a MUST read to educators who are involved in any character education program. The storyline shows that it is NOT what is on the outsite that counts,, but rather is what is on the inside! The characters are rich as is the storyline! It is a MUST read for any educator, any parent or any student who enjoys an exciting, suspensful plot! Hats off to the author! Can't wait until the next book in the series arrives!