Even robots can be thankful by Jan Thomas

I first met Jan Thomas as the creator of Rhyming Dust Bunnies and I, personally, feel she peaked with Can you make a scary face? Not that I haven't enjoyed her later books, but those will always be my favorites. In the past few years her picture books have been reformatted as early readers, which, to be honest, they really were all the time, and she went on to write The Giggle Gang and now an early reader series about robots. This is the second title in the adventures of Blue Robot and Red Robot; the robot series is specifically formatted as a graphic novel and as an early reader.

In three short chapters, the robot friends have an interaction that ends with a note on something they are thankful for. They have a scare about a robot-eating monster and are thankful to be "resting" under the blanket together; they learn a lesson about supporting each other and being kind in "Sorting Bolts" and the dangers of getting worried without talking something over in "The Train Trip." Blue Robot is a worrier, nervous about mysterious sounds, a bit noisier than Red Robot likes, and prone to exaggeration and panic. Red Robot is the calm, logical one (most of the time) who keeps their friendship running smoothly and takes time to reflect before making a decision.

The stories are illustrated with Thomas' blocky art and simple colors, with the colored robots against simple backgrounds. They have a Bert and Ernie vibe, with Blue Robot showing the most human emotions and feelings, with a flexible mouth, and Red Robot generally keeping a straight expression with a slight upward or downward curve.

Verdict: While these are unlikely to garner the dedicated following of Elephant and Piggie, they're an excellent addition to the growing field of simple comics for kids and also offer some additional social-emotional learning examples. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781665911672; Published September 2022 by Beach Lane Books; Review copy provided by publisher