I first heard about this 2007 graphic novel by Sara Varon at ALA in Anaheim last summer. The cover looks so friendly, and I love bright crisp illustrations, so I decided to give it a try. Here’s the plot: Dog orders and builds Robot. They soon decide to take a trip to the beach, where Robot discovers he cannot move after playing in the water with Dog. Dog leaves Robot on the beach. Months pass, and they both contemplate what happened and experience separate things.
The plot of Robot Dreams seems like it would be sad and dramatic because of the ill-fated friendship, and occasionally it was, but for the most part, it mostly came across humorous and disturbing. There were several unsettling moments beginning with Dog abandoning Robot at the beach. I expected the book to be happy-go-lucky, but it certainly wasn’t. Maybe if you go into it knowing that, you’ll be able to appreciate the story for what it was.
I did enjoy the illustrations, and I would recommend it as long as you know what to expect. I know the book is very popular, and I’m interested to hear if anyone else agrees with me.
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