Robot Dreams

Varon, Sara. Robot Dreams. First Second, 2007. ISBN: 1-59643-108-3


Plot Summary

A dog gets a robot kit in the mail and builds a robot friend. The pair go to the beach and have a grand day swimming and lounging on the sand. But at the end of the day, the robot realizes that he has rusted and can't move. Sadly, the dog goes home without his robot. With great effort, the robot closes his eyes and dreams. The dog goes about his life, but the robot is stuck on the beach as the snow piles around him and scavengers pick over his metal body for scrap. Nonetheless, the robot has magical dreams of far of places.


Critical evaluation

Told entirely through pictures, with no words at all, the story of the robot is amazingly vivid. Varon imagines what a robot would dream about if he was stuck on a beach unable to move. The story is divided into months and takes place over a year. The robot's dreams are told in gray to differentiate them from reality. On one hand, since Robot Dreams doesn't have any words, it is approachable to those who have difficulty reading. On the other hand, Robot Dreams uses sophisticated graphic story telling techniques and could be a gateway to more graphic novels.



Readers Annotations

Dark. Alone. Sandy. A beach. A beach towel. Two eyes wide open in fear. Two eyes belonging to a robot. The robot is stuck, rusted in place. He can't move. He only watches as critters come and go. Passersby poke and prod. But the robot doesn't move. Finally, and with great effort, he closes his eyes. The robot dreams.

If you were a robot , stuck in one place for a whole year, what would you dream about? Would you dream about being made? About escaping? About your friends? Or would you dream about the things you see in your tiny world?

What does the robot dream about? Read Robot Dreams to find out.

Information About the Author

Sara Varon has written three graphic novels to date. She is originally from Chicago and now lives in Brooklyn.


Genre

Graphic novel


Curriculum Ties
none

Booktalking Ideas

POV of robot


Reading Level/Interest Age

Grade 3+


Controversial Subject Matter and Defense of Ideas
none

Why Book Included

 Truly all ages graphic novel that is enjoyable to kids and adults alike.