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Cover of The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess

Tom Gauld (2021-08-24)

Subgenre
Age groupChildren 5-8
Content ratingG
Pages41 (Quick Read (<250))
Setting
CSM age5

Content levels

ViolenceNone
Sexual contentNone
LanguageNone

Trigger warnings

Abandonment

Protagonist archetypes

Robot CompanionDuo / Partners

Synopsis

A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of the Year In this fresh new fairy tale, a wooden robot embarks on a quest to find his missing sister-- making for a memorable contemporary bedtime story in acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld's first picture book for children. For years, the king and queen have tried desperately to have a baby. Their wish was granted twice, when an engineer and a witch gave them a little wooden robot and an enchanted log princess. But there's just one catch: every night when the log princess sleeps, she transforms back into an ordinary log, and can only be woken up with magic words. The princess and her robot brother are are inseparable, until the sleeping princess, mistaken for lumber, is accidentally carted off to parts unknown. Now it's up to her devoted brother to find her, and get them safely back home. They need to take turns to get each other home, and on the way, they face a host of adventures involving the Queen of Mushrooms, a magic pudding, a baby in a rosebush, and an old lady in a bottle. This is acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld's first picture book for children, inspired by a bedtime story he made up for his daughters. In his words, "I was trying to make a book inspired by three different sets of books: The books that I remember enjoying as a child, the books that I watched my daughters enjoying, and the books I enjoy now as an adult. I wanted the book to have its own quirky feeling but also to function like a classic bedtime story." An ALSC Notable Children's Book A Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title A People Magazine Best Kids Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year A Financial Times Best Book of the Year An NPR 'Book We Love!' A Booklist Editors' Choice A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book! A Publishers Lunch Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection An Evanston Public Library Great Books for Kids pick! A CCBC Choice A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year

Tags

Fairy TalePicture BookGraphic NovelBedtime Story

Is The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess appropriate for my child?

Suitable for most readers 5 and up.

A gentle, whimsical fairy tale about a wooden robot searching for his enchanted log princess sister. Features quirky adventures with magical creatures but no scary elements or peril.

What to know going in

This book has no graphic violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include abandonment.

Who'll love this

Kids will love following the brave little robot on his quest to rescue his sister through a world of magical creatures and strange encounters.