From the endpapers to the interior spreads to the structure of this imaginative offering, I felt like I was a child again, longer ago than you can imagine。 The seemingly simple story moves along at a steady but engaging clip, provides balanced time and heroic center-stage status to both the brother and the sister, allows each to showcase a single-page series of titles adventures as if chapters or potential other stories for kids to imagine (or write) for themselves。A fun offering that hit me mor From the endpapers to the interior spreads to the structure of this imaginative offering, I felt like I was a child again, longer ago than you can imagine。 The seemingly simple story moves along at a steady but engaging clip, provides balanced time and heroic center-stage status to both the brother and the sister, allows each to showcase a single-page series of titles adventures as if chapters or potential other stories for kids to imagine (or write) for themselves。A fun offering that hit me more on the nostalgic side, but I've been reading rave reviews by others, so be sure to give it a close look and read。 My favorite: the resident bugs in the wooden-robot brother。 。。。more
Jeimy,
This is perhaps the best picture book I have ever read。
Karen,
An utterly delightful book。 Now I want him to write another 12 telling us what happens in the adventures mentioned in passing but that were too many to recount e。g the robot's encounter with the Queen of Mushrooms。 There can never be too many Tom Gauld books in the world。 An utterly delightful book。 Now I want him to write another 12 telling us what happens in the adventures mentioned in passing but that were too many to recount e。g the robot's encounter with the Queen of Mushrooms。 There can never be too many Tom Gauld books in the world。 。。。more
Shane Harcombe,
Absolutely charming modern fairytale。 The story itself is quite simple, with themes of loyalty and kindness。 The illustrations are old fashioned, charming and wonderful。 One of the most interesting things I found were the "other adventures" the characters had which the author said there was no time to recount。 What great writing prompts they would make for young readers! Absolutely charming modern fairytale。 The story itself is quite simple, with themes of loyalty and kindness。 The illustrations are old fashioned, charming and wonderful。 One of the most interesting things I found were the "other adventures" the characters had which the author said there was no time to recount。 What great writing prompts they would make for young readers! 。。。more
Olive,
Instantly beloved。 Read multiple times a day since we first got it。
Brian,
This is a fun fairy tale type story with unique ideas and fun illustrations。 It is on the longer side of things, but it was a good read。
Dave Schaafsma,
Tom Gauld is described as the master of stripped-down storytelling in his books for adults such as Mooncop and Goliath, but in his first picture book he goes a different way, with more words than he has ever used in any project to tell a story。 The art style is simple and recognizably Gauld-ish-- meticulous, engaging, beautiful, but the story is elaborate, a fairy tale of a king and a queen that wanted children, so they contracted an inventor to make a wooden robot, and a witch to make a log pri Tom Gauld is described as the master of stripped-down storytelling in his books for adults such as Mooncop and Goliath, but in his first picture book he goes a different way, with more words than he has ever used in any project to tell a story。 The art style is simple and recognizably Gauld-ish-- meticulous, engaging, beautiful, but the story is elaborate, a fairy tale of a king and a queen that wanted children, so they contracted an inventor to make a wooden robot, and a witch to make a log princess。 All good, but here's the hitch: When the log princess falls asleep, she becomes a log, and the robot must wake her for her to become human again。 One day, he is distracted, he fails to wake her, and a servant throws the log out the window, it rolls down a hill, gets taken to faraway lands, which sets up an adventurous rescue。 I think the story and the number of words make this a three star book for me, but the artwork is five stars。 There are a couple of pages of panels suggesting other adventures too many to recount。 I thought that was weird, though maybe kids could write them? There is no reason to believe Gauld, a tongue-in-cheek ironic illustrator (he's done eight New Yorker covers) would make a picture book appealing for children, but it looks like he may have done it。 。。。more
Kris,
A fantastic and delightful fairytale gone wrong。 This is sure to be a crowd pleaser as a read-aloud。
Lisa D,
Loved it!
Clmelvin60gmail。Com,
Very cute picture book about two very different “children” of a King and Queen。 One a robot and the other a princess who returned to her original state when she slept, who love each other despite their differences and would do anything for the other。 This comes into play when a maid unknowingly tosses the princess out a window。Known for his graphic novels, this is Gauld’s first picture book for children。 I hope we see more soon。
Holly,
WHY do illustrators have to live in the US to be eligible to win the Caldecott?!? This one woulda been a contender!
Chris,
One of the best fairy tales I've read in a while, and it's a new, original one。 One of the best fairy tales I've read in a while, and it's a new, original one。 。。。more
Lauren,
Amazing! Easily one of the best picture books I've read in the last several years。 Story, illustrations, layout - perfect! Amazing! Easily one of the best picture books I've read in the last several years。 Story, illustrations, layout - perfect! 。。。more
Lea,
Aaah, what a lovely tale written and illustrated by Gauld。 I've been a fan before, but I like this even more。 ^_^ Aaah, what a lovely tale written and illustrated by Gauld。 I've been a fan before, but I like this even more。 ^_^ 。。。more
Beverly,
Reading for the Mock Caldecott Awards for January 2022。
Katrina,
Sweet little adventure。
gina,
It's the size of a picture book but feels more like a early level graphic novel on some pages。 My son (7) is anti picture book at this age but when he saw this one he immediately wanted to read it, I think because of its graphic novel picture style but also because of its art。 I LOVE THE ART IN THIS BOOK。 Make sure to pay close attention to the front and back inside covers。 There are a lot of little items that are part of the story。 Very entertaining just to look at! The art is gorgeous enough t It's the size of a picture book but feels more like a early level graphic novel on some pages。 My son (7) is anti picture book at this age but when he saw this one he immediately wanted to read it, I think because of its graphic novel picture style but also because of its art。 I LOVE THE ART IN THIS BOOK。 Make sure to pay close attention to the front and back inside covers。 There are a lot of little items that are part of the story。 Very entertaining just to look at! The art is gorgeous enough to be framed。 Much mom love to this book! 。。。more
Tabrizia,
Very adorable! A nice and different spin on a fairytale!
Yune,
I'm a fan of Gauld's comics, which can be sly and deadpan, but also magical and wrenching ( Goliath still haunts me)。 So of course I had to see what he would do in a children's picture book。I was utterly charmed。 When the otherwise happy royal couple long for children, the king visits an inventor and the queen a witch, and they end up with a little wooden robot boy and a little log princess。The king and the queen and the princess and the robot all loved each other instantly。The log princess w I'm a fan of Gauld's comics, which can be sly and deadpan, but also magical and wrenching ( Goliath still haunts me)。 So of course I had to see what he would do in a children's picture book。I was utterly charmed。 When the otherwise happy royal couple long for children, the king visits an inventor and the queen a witch, and they end up with a little wooden robot boy and a little log princess。The king and the queen and the princess and the robot all loved each other instantly。The log princess was bold and clever, but she had a secret: each night when she fell asleep, she turned back into a log and would stay like that until she was woken by the magic words "Awake, little log, awake。"Of course you can tell what happens when someone finds a log in the princess's chamber。。。As always, Gauld's art delights, and I was especially gleeful at his use of panels to illustrate a series of adventures, as that's a format I've often seen in his comics。 And this is a warm-hearted story, where there isn't strife so much as just circumstance, but kindness and bravery are called for and win out all the same。 。。。more
Francis S。 Poesy,
A sweet and funny first picture book from this king of understated humor。 The story and his richly populated illustrations do not disappoint。 Now I just need him to write all the adventures mentioned in the book that were too long to include (which in itself was a very funny bit)。
Kayla,
Love this new fairytale, reminds me a lot of the quirky, adventurous, nature based Hilda series。
Jamie Bills,
This is a WONDERFUL new fairytale!In the story, the king and queen do not have any children, so one night the king visits the royal inventor who crafts a masterful wooden robot。 At the same time, the queen visits a witch who uses her magic to turn a log into a little princess。“The king and the queen and the princess and the robot all loved each other instantly。”But the princess had a secret: every night she turned back into a log and could only be woken by the words, “Awake, little log, awake。”I This is a WONDERFUL new fairytale!In the story, the king and queen do not have any children, so one night the king visits the royal inventor who crafts a masterful wooden robot。 At the same time, the queen visits a witch who uses her magic to turn a log into a little princess。“The king and the queen and the princess and the robot all loved each other instantly。”But the princess had a secret: every night she turned back into a log and could only be woken by the words, “Awake, little log, awake。”It usually wasn’t a problem。 The wooden robot woke her every morning and they played all day。But one day the wooden robot got distracted, which set off a chain of events resulting in a goblin throwing the princess (who looked like an ordinary log) into a barge with hundreds of other logs。This sparks the wooden robot’s quest to save his sister。THE LITTLE WOODEN ROBOT AND THE LOG PRINCESS is so FULL of FUN and ADVENTURE, twelve adventures only have space to be hinted at (maybe my favorite pages…I would really like to hear more about “The Baby in the Rosebush” :))。With strong themes of sibling devotion and kindness, I can’t recommend this book highly enough! 。。。more
Peacegal,
A delightfully written modern fairy tale。 The story is big-hearted and entertaining, and the illustrations are a joy to look at。
Monica,
Such fun!
Aurora,
It was cute! Might be a good book for young siblings。
Alex Baker,
This was just adorable。。。
S Egli,
A new fairytale to hand to our teachers and an aspiring prince or princess。 The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess skillfully weaves themes of teamwork, self sacrifice, and family throughout the adventure。 The end pages alone will be a hit!
Carmen,
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a gifted copy of The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess。 Such a sweet and charming fairy tale about a little wooden robot and a log princess - the loveliest of siblings。 This story was filled with adorable characters, including a beetle family that resides within the little wooden robot。 My favourite part would have to be the snippets of the adventures that the little wooden robot had and then the log princess had。 I would love to see Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a gifted copy of The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess。 Such a sweet and charming fairy tale about a little wooden robot and a log princess - the loveliest of siblings。 This story was filled with adorable characters, including a beetle family that resides within the little wooden robot。 My favourite part would have to be the snippets of the adventures that the little wooden robot had and then the log princess had。 I would love to see more picture books that showed exactly what happened on those adventures。 In particular, the Giant’s Key, the Lonely Bear, the Mischievous Pixies and the Baby in a Rosebush。 Don’t those titles already sound so intriguing? Such magic and fantastic imagination from within this world in this picture book。 Readers are sure to fall in love with both the wooden little robot and the log princess in this charming new fairytale。 。。。more
Rebecca Hill,
When his sister goes missing, the Little Wooden Robot goes in search of her。 During their adventure of returning home, they must rely on each other to make it safely back。I enjoyed this story, as it was a great lesson in working together, and friendship - with some adventure along the way! Perfect for young readers!
Sarah,
EARC provided by Edelweiss Plus This is a great read aloud choice- there is so much to notice in the illustrations, and the text reads exactly like a traditional fairy tale。