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A girl's efforts to build a robot friend go comically awry when the robot attempts world domination in this witty metaphor for the ups and downs of friendship.
Ever wish friendship came with an instruction manual? A resourceful youngster follows step-by-step directions for constructing a robot to be her friend. The instructions make it sound so simple! But they also caution that sometimes a friendship doesn't turn out as hoped for, as the girl discovers when her new friend unexpectedly unleashes an evil robot army on the city. Now she has to stop the robot and seriously reevaluate their friendship! In the end, the resilient heroine of this comical and clever tale not only saves the city, she finds a real and lasting friend where least expected.
About the author
Stephen W. Martin is an award-winning writer and director and the author of the picture books Charlotte and the Rock and Stewart's Best Pen. He lives in Los Angeles.
Website: stephen-w-martin.com
Twitter: @Stephen_W_M
Olivia Aserr is the illustrator of How to Make a Friend by Stephen W. Martin, Astronaut Training by Aneta Cruz, and more. She graduated from Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Los Angeles. You can learn more about her at www.oliviaaserr.com. Twitter: @oliviaaserr Instagram: @oliviaaserrillustration
Summary
A girl’s efforts to build a robot friend go comically awry when the robot attempts world domination in this witty metaphor for the ups and downs of friendship.
Ever wish friendship came with an instruction manual? A resourceful youngster follows step-by-step directions for constructing a robot to be her friend. The instructions make it sound so simple! But they also caution that sometimes a friendship doesn’t turn out as hoped for, as the girl discovers when her new friend unexpectedly unleashes an evil robot army on the city. Now she has to stop the robot and seriously reevaluate their friendship! In the end, the resilient heroine of this comical and clever tale not only saves the city, she finds a real and lasting friend where least expected.
Additional text
"The visuals feel like a 1970s cartoon, jaunty and geometric, creating an upbeat vibe from which one can almost hear the silly sound effects....With deadpan delivery, Martin’s humor is well balanced and fast paced, and it has at its core some very real advice accompanying the exuberant visuals....So entertaining that the good advice slips right in."—Kirkus "The perky text and retro-futuristic visuals drolly depict the girl’s adventures in vibrant, slick cartoon artwork, including plenty of classic robots. The tongue-in-cheek humor and hyperbolic elements add levity to this story interweaving an adventuresome plot with supportive, practical friendship advice."—Booklist "The poker-faced treatment of the sci-fi disaster will ensure giggles, and viewers will appreciate the comic irony of the brisk how-to tone ('Ask your parents before handling plutonium')....Youthful friends of disaster and destruction will find this a refreshing alternative to more staid tales of friendship."—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books "A clever self-help parody bolstered by real-life-applicable advice."—Publishers Weekly
