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Rusty The Squeaky Robot ISBN: 9781910277515
Clark, Neil
Published by words & pictures, 2018
Rusty is quite a sad little robot because: 'With every nod of his head and tap of his feet, he didn't much like the way he went squeak.' And this constant squeakiness has led to his not liking himself much at all. Is there anyone who can help? Well, yes there is because this is Planet Robotone and there are lots of other robots around who, it develops, make their own particular noises too. There is Belle, who has a bell set into where her stomach would be, and she goes 'Ding' as she moves on her single wheel. There is Hoot who makes a honking sound, and Boom-Bot, who is extremely loud and looks like a large loudspeaker. Twango 'twangs' when he moves, and it is he who suggests to Rusty that: 'We all have funny sounds, but if we add them together...we can make brand new sounds. It's really rather clever!' And so they go merrily on their way, making their noises and enjoying themselves as a group. Rusty learns that it is good to be as he is, that his squeak is what makes him himself and special, and that he has no need to worry. The pictures are huge fun, the robots highly imaginative, designed in flat colours and with lots of possibility of talking about what makes each one special. The rhyming text and a certain amount of repetition will appeal to children too, and altogether this is a highly successful picture book.
Age: 5+