Please join me in welcoming CLINK to the world! To read an interview about how this book was born, go here (Bookin' With Bingo), and check out the April 5th entry.
Clink
Kelly DiPucchio, illus. by Matthew Myers, HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-06-192928-1
Though this is his picture book debut, illustrator Myers's vision of the robot Clink's world is fully developed. It's a place where toy stores sell shiny, talented robots who do homework and make chocolate chip cookies, while the chunky outdated robot Clink--much cuter than the others, of course, with a toaster head and blocky red feet--only plays music and makes toast. Kids line up for the cookie-making robots and wave lonely Clink's burnt toast away: "He hadn't been programmed to cry, but somehow he leaked rusty tears every time." Finally, a boy named Milton appears, who "likes burned toast, is great at fixing things, and... loves to dance." DiPucchio's (Grace for President) text percolates with plenty of humor, and the inevitability of the plot provides security for smaller readers. Myers has a wonderful time drawing gems like the victim of Clink's disastrous haircuts (the unfortunate girl looks like a trimmed hedge) and the polka-dot underpants a fellow robot offers to Clink as consolation. Extra marks for the distinctive combination of geek elements with a dash of sentimentality. Ages 4–7. (Apr.)
I love this book so much! I use it in my pre-K science class each year on Invention Day. It shows examples of lots of cool robots with amazing capabilities, and it's also a story of friendship, uniqueness, acceptance, and self-worth. Everyone has something to offer!
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