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9th out of 326 books
—
304 voters
Robot Dreams
by
Sara Varon
Richly endearing and full of surprises, Robot Dreams follows an ill-fated friendship between a dog and robot. After a Labor Day jaunt to the beach leaves Robot rusty and immobilized in the sand, Dog, unsure what to do, abandons him. As the seasons pass, Dog tries to replace his friend, making and losing a series of new ones, from a melting snowman to epicurean anteaters. M...more
Paperback, 208 pages
Published
August 7th 2007
by First Second
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If you read this book, you might start to think it's about relationships or the inevitability of loss and how people deal with it. you might begin to empathize with a robot or a dog. you might gasp out loud and you might feel like crying at some points. you might recognize that people change people unintentionally and that few interactions go by that don't form some new reality. you might feel equally hopeful and sad when you close the last page. and then you might over use the word might becaus...more
What a surprise this book turned out to be. It looks like a charming little story for kids about a dog and his robot best friend, told all in pictures without any dialogue. And sure, it works on that level. But there is a real emotional depth, too.
I sat and flipped through it with my 2-year old nephew before really reading it and pointed out to him some of the cute pictures. "Look at the robot swimming," I said. "Look at the dog flying a kite." I'm glad we stopped before I got to "look at the te...more
I sat and flipped through it with my 2-year old nephew before really reading it and pointed out to him some of the cute pictures. "Look at the robot swimming," I said. "Look at the dog flying a kite." I'm glad we stopped before I got to "look at the te...more
i was excited to read this book because it is about robots and dreams which are some of my favorite things. the book would receive five stars if dinosaurs had been somehow incorporated. one of the best scenes is when the robot is turned into a radio
and then he and the repairman start dancing.
most people can identify with the gain and loss of friendship that is the theme of this book. you always remember the people were great friends but for whatever reason you stopped talking. you still wonder w...more
and then he and the repairman start dancing.
most people can identify with the gain and loss of friendship that is the theme of this book. you always remember the people were great friends but for whatever reason you stopped talking. you still wonder w...more
Recommended for anyone who ever read and loved The Little Prince but secretly thought there was too much text. And not enough robots.
There's something so irresistible about a wordless graphic novel - you take a peak at the first page, and before you know it you're halfway through the book. And while reading a wordless book might not count as reading to some picky people, I firmly believe it does. Even though it doesn't require you to read words on a page, you are still reading a story - reading the pictures, individually and in sequence, to piece together what is happening. The reader might start to narrate it internally, and...more
Read the full review here.
This short and sweet graphic novel will touch anyone's heart. I picked it randomly off a shelf at my school library, not expecting much, and ended up spending the rest of my lunch period reading it. I finished it as the bell rang, and checked it out, telling myself that I needed to reread it when I got home and eventually review it here.
This is the kind of book I would love to write. Actually, if I wrote something this good, I'd consider my life complete. Very well done...more
This short and sweet graphic novel will touch anyone's heart. I picked it randomly off a shelf at my school library, not expecting much, and ended up spending the rest of my lunch period reading it. I finished it as the bell rang, and checked it out, telling myself that I needed to reread it when I got home and eventually review it here.
This is the kind of book I would love to write. Actually, if I wrote something this good, I'd consider my life complete. Very well done...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Robot Dreams is a graphical novel about unrequited friendship. Through the allegory of a dog creating and being separated from its toy robot, Sara Vernon explores the joys and sorrows of friendship. Despite the simple graphics, this is no book for kids (the reason is in the actions of the dog, which I would prefer not to spoil for you).
Robot Dreams is brilliant at raising feelings: Do you remember your first best friend Joe (or Jane)? Do you remember how it felt when you lost them? Sara elicits...more
Robot Dreams is brilliant at raising feelings: Do you remember your first best friend Joe (or Jane)? Do you remember how it felt when you lost them? Sara elicits...more
Oct 09, 2012
Erin Mccall
added it
An affectionate wordless graphic novel, Robot Dreams is the story of a dog who buys and assembles a robot to be a friend him, but abandons him during a trip to the beach when the robot, needing to be oiled, becomes immobile. While the years goes on, Robot remains on the sands of the beach, dreaming of what he’ll do when he can magically move again and be reunited with Dog. All the animals are very much humanized. Varon does a great job at expressing what is a dream and what is not by using stra...more
Wordless (mostly) comic, that myself and my twin 10-year olds read and enjoyed. One plus is that it never takes a cliche'd turn, and indeed like most adults here we read into it about moving on from friendship and a relationship of two equals, I think my boys thought of the robot as a plain ol' robot a bit more... Not quite a toy, but something that can and will be replaced. Indeed the robot and the dog's ex-robot are both assembled by the dog in the story. Of course maybe my kids are just tough...more
Robot Dreams tells the story of a dog who finds a best friend in his new Robot from a boxed-robot-kit. They share fun times together, culminating in a trip to the beach- where Robot unfortunately decides to join Dog in the water. Because of this, Robot rusts and is left on the beach. Dog tries to rescue him, but the beach closes for the winter. Over the next year, dog tries to fill the void in his life that Robot left- by making friends with others or visiting the old places he and Robot used to...more
Robot Dreams is a jolly good book! Every picture tells a story worth 1000 words, the plot is heart warming yet devastating and reflective. A humanoid dog is waiting for a delivery in which robot parts are being delivered. once the dog makes the robot they are best friends instantly. they do every thing together, one day they travel to the beach, they they play with sand and in the water. once done they bask in the sun only to find out once they have to leave robot is immobilized by his own rust....more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Title - Robot Dreams
Author - Sarah Varon
Release date- August 7 2007
Publisher - First second
Summary -This moving, charming graphic novel about a dog and a robot shows us in poignant detail how powerful and fragile relationships are. After a Labor Day jaunt to the beach leaves the robot rusted, immobilized in the sand, the dog must return alone to the life they shared. But the memory of their friendship lingers, and as the seasons pass, the dog tries to fill the emotional void left by the loss o...more
Author - Sarah Varon
Release date- August 7 2007
Publisher - First second
Summary -This moving, charming graphic novel about a dog and a robot shows us in poignant detail how powerful and fragile relationships are. After a Labor Day jaunt to the beach leaves the robot rusted, immobilized in the sand, the dog must return alone to the life they shared. But the memory of their friendship lingers, and as the seasons pass, the dog tries to fill the emotional void left by the loss o...more
I've seen reviews claim that this is a depressing book, too much so for children. I've seen reviews claim that it is an amazing story that parents could definitely share with children. I am pretty sure that the mixed feelings on this come from the fact that your view will depend on whether you're a pessimist or optimist.
I'll try not spoil the story but I will say this book has basically no words (there is only the occasional word on a postcard or product, etc). It's about a dog and his friends,...more
I'll try not spoil the story but I will say this book has basically no words (there is only the occasional word on a postcard or product, etc). It's about a dog and his friends,...more
SUMMARY: A dog makes himself a tin robot from a mail-order kit. After the robot is complete, they quickly become pals. They check out movies at the library and watch them while eating popcorn. They investigate which beach is the best for dogs, and then take a bus trip to get the beach. The dog and robot have a wonderful time frolicking in the water all day, and then they lay on their towels, basking in the sun. At nightfall the dog discovers that robots and water do not mesh well--his robot has...more
This was my first experience with an almost wordless graphic novel. There is more text on the inside jacket flap than in the rest of the book. I like that simplicity with the storytelling being carried by the illustrations alone. Several times throughout the book, there is only one panel on an otherwise blank page spread. The illustrations are simple, but carry a lot meaning and emotion, matching the thoughtful tone of the narrative.
Several other reviewers talked about the poignant tone capturin...more
Several other reviewers talked about the poignant tone capturin...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
All dog wants is a friend. When we meet him in the beginning of this graphic novel, he is patiently waiting for the mailman to deliver an EZ to assemble robot. Once built, dog and robot become fast friend setting off on adventures. One adventure leads them to the beach where, after a day in the water and sun, robot is unable to move: he has rusted. Dog, sad and desperate, has no choice but to leave his friend. Time passes, robot gets weathered by the seasons, and both friends imagine reuniting....more
I like this book it was a all picture book it had on a few word.This was about a dog that got a robot in the mail. The dog then put together the robot they were the best of friends.The dog took the robot to the libraryand then they got on the bus and went to the beach.The robot then was afarid on the water then overcame his fear and when in it.Then him in the got start playing together.Then it was time to get out the robot and the dog taned for a little. when it was time to go the dog pat the ro...more
Robot Dreams by Sara Varon is a warm and touching book about friendship. This book follows a robot and a dog who become great friends. They eventually go to a beach were the dog realizes that robots and water do not mesh well, and the robot rusts. This causes the dog to have to leave the robot on the beach by himself. The book shows the emotions that come with losing a friend. I think children would really enjoy this book, because often times when you are young when friends have to move away you...more
This book is a graphic novel thats talks about how a robot and a dog became friends. The dog recieved a package of how to make your own robot that's comes to life! When he finished making it, the robot became the dogs best friend. They head off to the beach and plays, the robot was scared to the water but the dog said that it's okay. The robot ended up having a great time.... But when they we're going to go home, the robot made a weird sound and the robot ended up broken so the dog leaft him the...more
Billed as the story of a friendship that falls apart, this is much more a story of a relationship and its aftermath. Though I don't doubt that tweens and teens could very easily get this book, I would say it would take a somewhat advanced child reader to get more than basic plot, here (I don't mean that in any way as an insult--I just think that the narrative progresses very quickly, and requires a bit of world experience to understand because of the lack of dialogue and explicit narrative prose...more
This little book by Sara Varon is a charming, poignant look at the nature of friendship. After a fun day playing at the beach, the robot ends up rusted stiff in the sand, and the dog, unsure of what to do, leaves the robot lying alone on the beach. The story follows the two of them as the dog tries to replace his robot friend with duck friends and snowman friends and anteater friends, and the robot dreams about escaping the beach.
There is no dialogue and almost no text (only things like tapping...more
There is no dialogue and almost no text (only things like tapping...more
Robot Dreams
Reading Level: K-5
Genre: Graphic Novel
This graphic novel is about a dog and a robot that become fast friends. One day in the summer the dog takes the robot to the beach. Unfortunately, the dog takes the robot swimming and later when it’s time to leave the robot has rusted and cannot move. At this point when it appears that the robot is not going anywhere the dog sadly leaves. Throughout the book the months go by and the dog tries to replace his robot friend with various other friends...more
Reading Level: K-5
Genre: Graphic Novel
This graphic novel is about a dog and a robot that become fast friends. One day in the summer the dog takes the robot to the beach. Unfortunately, the dog takes the robot swimming and later when it’s time to leave the robot has rusted and cannot move. At this point when it appears that the robot is not going anywhere the dog sadly leaves. Throughout the book the months go by and the dog tries to replace his robot friend with various other friends...more
What a lovely, bittersweet little book! I must admit, I didn't understand why Dog left Robot in the first place...they were such good friends, and the minute there was a little bump in their relationship, Dog just leaves! Which makes me think that Dog is kind of a crappy friend...but then he keeps thinking about Robot, which redeems him a little bit. I was glad that they both found new friends (and thank goodness someone rescued Robot from the junkyard!), but the fact that they never met again g...more
A wordless tale of a dog and his robot friend. I swear if you read this book and don't cry, you may not be human...um...or maybe you are because robots have a heck of a lot of emotion.
I've read a wad o' graphic novels and this has just knocked down all of the others in my mind. Just writing this short review makes me want to read it again.
I've read a wad o' graphic novels and this has just knocked down all of the others in my mind. Just writing this short review makes me want to read it again.
This is a cute book, and the ending is bittersweet. After I finished it, I felt like I may have actually read this already and never added it to Goodreads. I use the term "read" loosely, since this is actually a completely visual graphic novel, with the use of words limited to onomatopoeia and the environment (store-fronts, books, signs). The lack of dialogue is put to powerful use by Varon, who communicates myriad emotions through her images alone (many of which are dream sequences). It's a poe...more
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I just "read" this to Jesse for the second night in a row. It doesn't have many words, but it was such an unexpected story. It tugs at the ole heart strings.
Poor dog isn't much good at maintaining friendships. And when an unexpected issue comes up, he abandons his friend robot. Robot waits and waits, and is eventually rescued, while dog tries to make new friends, but never forgets.
The only problem I have with this story is that one anthropomorphic stories often generate, where one dog is build...more
Poor dog isn't much good at maintaining friendships. And when an unexpected issue comes up, he abandons his friend robot. Robot waits and waits, and is eventually rescued, while dog tries to make new friends, but never forgets.
The only problem I have with this story is that one anthropomorphic stories often generate, where one dog is build...more
This has the feel of a true story. Not true in the sense that one time a dog built a robot friend. True in the sense that friendships change and a re detroyed and like can be terrible. The dog here is the first book character with whom I have been angry in a long long time. Things I want to say to this dog include:
"Why would you even do that!?!?!"
"That is not how you treat people you care about!!!!!"
"You don't even know how terrible you've been, do you?"
This impressive part of this book is that...more
"Why would you even do that!?!?!"
"That is not how you treat people you care about!!!!!"
"You don't even know how terrible you've been, do you?"
This impressive part of this book is that...more
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Apr 11, 2008 07:47am
updated Sep 23, 2008 09:43pm