My Little Blue Robot (Paula Wiseman Books)

“My Little Blue Robot is a great concept realized in 3-D.”

My Little Blue Robot is more than a book: it’s a robot waiting to be made! The blue sturdy cardboard pages contain all the necessary components as well as clear instructions for assembly. The flat pieces fit together with slots and tabs, which means there’s no glue and no mess.

My Little Blue Robot is not really a story but tells about how the robot is made with its various colors, shapes, and parts. Young children will use counting and the knowledge of shapes and colors as they make sure their robot has what it needs to be built.

The fun part is putting the robot together. As a child reads they learn how to join each piece until the robot is complete. The child can then play with the completed robot by rolling its wheels along a flat surface. The cardboard pieces are made of thick stock that will help it last for many hours of play.

However, the smaller pieces, like the screwdriver, are easily bent. The age for this book is four and up, but is more appropriate for older children if no adult is around to oversee the assembly process. The pieces can be difficult to maneuver; even older children have a slightly harder time doing it by themselves. The head is off center and if there were a piece at the bottom of the robot between its legs, it would be sturdier.

The book would be more fun and feel like the child was actually putting something together if the screws and pieces they had to turn with the screwdriver actually assembled it, instead of just turning them to pretend that they did.

This should be a supervised activity given the fact that if the child puts the wrong pieces together it is hard to dissassemble because it will fall apart, resulting in a struggle to putting them together again. Once it’s together the robot is a fun toy that children will be excited about playing with.

The concept for this book, as well as the other books the author has created that are similar to this like My Little Red Fire Truck, My Little Pink Princess Purse, and My Little Yellow Taxi are great concepts that make the books fun and truly interactive.

Children who like to build things will love the fact they can create something tangible while using their reading skills as well as their knowledge of shapes and colors.

Overall, children and parents will enjoy reading and building this thick 16-page cardboard robot book.