The next instalment involving Roz the Wild Robot, this one shows more of the world that Roz inhabits. The story itself, while exciting, is not quite aThe next instalment involving Roz the Wild Robot, this one shows more of the world that Roz inhabits. The story itself, while exciting, is not quite as interesting as the previous two, as Roz is more of a spectator in the climax of the story, but the ending is nicely done.
In this story, Roz's island is engulfed in a 'poison tide' that forces the inhabitants inland, and fight for their survival. Roz discovers that her new body has abilities the previous one did not, and sets out to find the source of the poison and stop it. To do that, she will first have to journey to the far north to find the Ancient Shark and get its advince.
The long journey reveals a world already in the grip of climate change, with scenes of flooded towns that Roz journeys through. As before, the journey will also find Roz making new friends with animals. After she finds the Ancient Shark and the source of the poison, Roz will try to stop it in her own way. But in the end, she discovers the way to stop the poison tide may be out of her hands....more
Following the events in the first Wild Robot book, Roz, the wild robot, has been taken back to civilization, interrogated, repaired and is now tasked Following the events in the first Wild Robot book, Roz, the wild robot, has been taken back to civilization, interrogated, repaired and is now tasked as a robot on a farm. Roz has been able to hide her 'wild side' during her repairs and on the farm. But she continues using her ability to talk to animals to find out information, especially on whether they have seen her adopted gosling son.
Word gets around, and eventually her son finds her on the farm. Roz's secret wild side is also discovered by the farmer's children, and they decide to help her escape the farm. That, she does, but now she has the difficult task to getting back to her island home. Getting there would involve her evading detection by other robots, travelling through farms and wild areas and eventually through a city. Dangers happen along the way, but Roz also makes new friends among the animals, who all try to help her. But it may not be enough, unless she can convince one important person in charge of robots, that she deserves to live and not be destroyed.
In this book, more of the world that Roz lives in is revealed. Robots are a part of daily life, but there is always the fear of a robot going rogue, hence Roz's efforts to evade detection. As with the previous book, this one is aimed at early readers but doesn't sidestep violence. It also gives the reader time to pause to consider what to do if faced with whether to allow Roz to live or be destroyed as a rogue robot, dangerous to civilization....more
A robot gets washed up on the short of an isolated island and get activated. The robot, known as Roz, is designed to learn and serve humans. But on an
A robot gets washed up on the short of an isolated island and get activated. The robot, known as Roz, is designed to learn and serve humans. But on an island with no humans to serve, Roz does the only thing she can do, learn about the animals, communicate with them and serve them.
It doesn't go well at first, as the animals all avoid Roz. But then an accident lands Roz in the role of a mother to an orphan gosling. Now, Roz asks for advice on how to become a mother, and the animals are more forthcoming and helpful. The gosling thrives and grows up to love Roz.
Roz, in return, has turned into an asset for the island, especially during a very cold winter, where she helps some of the animals survive. But with the return of spring, Roz is finally discovered by humans, and there will be conflict between humans who want their robot back, and the animals who now consider Roz one of them. In the end, Roz has to decide what to do. And thus begins a new adventure for the Roz.
Written in a simplified manner for young children, the book is no 'Disney' version of the wilderness: there is some violence and death on the island. But the heart of the story is Roz's development from a robot built to serve humans into one that serves and help animals instead, and even develops a loving relationship as a mother to a gosling.
Looking forward to reading the further adventures of Roz. ...more
Tom Gauld's cartoons in The Guardian and New Scientists are well known to me as hilarious commentary on the book and scientific fields (in the respectTom Gauld's cartoons in The Guardian and New Scientists are well known to me as hilarious commentary on the book and scientific fields (in the respective news media). So reading a Gauld tale longer than a standard comic panel aimed at younger children is a different experience. Can his art and storytelling abilities still be interesting. For me, the answer is yes.
The book is a fairy tale about a King and Queen who, lacking children, decide to go and make some. The Wooden Robot was created by the royal inventor, the Log Princess by a clever old witch. And they were happy together. The Log Princess turns back into a log when she goes to sleep and turns back when awaken with some magic words, which the Wooden Robot does each morning.
But one morning, the Wooden Robot was distracted, and before he could say the magic words, the Log Princess (in the form of a log) was accidentally discarded. Thus starts the adventures of the Wooden Robot to rescue the Log Princess and then return to the Kingdom. Which, of course, they do, with the help of some little friends.
The story is simple, the adventure is mostly linear (with some quick diversions caused by other adventures) but Gauld's intricate yet simple art holds it all together, together with more words than he usually uses in his weekly comics. Little Ones (and adults) who re-read the story will probably keep finding new things in the art.
All in all, a good first outing for Gauld in the field of art and fairy tale storytelling. Hopefully, there can be more in the future....more
An interesting little book about the letters Father Christmas would write to JRR Tolkien's children. The true author is not mentioned but a look at thAn interesting little book about the letters Father Christmas would write to JRR Tolkien's children. The true author is not mentioned but a look at the script of the letters, included in the book, hint at who actually wrote them.
The letters tell of the various adventures and mis-adventures of Father Christmas and other folk at the North Pole, mainly involving the Polar Bear with occasional bouts of fighting with goblins who are mainly after Father Christmas' mechanical toys.
Polar Bear would occasionally write a letter, but he is more usually interjecting comments into the letters, leading to some humourous back-and-forth commentary between Polar Bear and Father Christmas as they both give their sides of the story.
The letters reproduced in the book are excellent, showing the colourful script used as well as the sketches and drawings that accompany the letters. Hobbits do get a mention in one letter.
A nice look at the fatherly side of JRR Tolkien....more
A little girl loves to explore the world. But one day, she finds a little lost robot and befriends it. As they explore the world together, she shows tA little girl loves to explore the world. But one day, she finds a little lost robot and befriends it. As they explore the world together, she shows the robot the wonders of the natural world. But the robot's loss is noticed and hunter robots are out to get back the little robot, and nothing is going to stop them.
It would need all the mechanical skills of the girl to save her robot friend from the hunters and to teach them the meaning of friendship and looking after each other.
Another interesting comic or graphic novel by Ben Hatke....more
In this second book of Zita's adventures, she is now famous. But she finds fame boring and yearns to return home. Then, an encounter with a robot thatIn this second book of Zita's adventures, she is now famous. But she finds fame boring and yearns to return home. Then, an encounter with a robot that can look like her gives her a chance to escape fame for a while. But that encounter would lead to danger for a planet looking for a hero to save it and to Zita being labeled a criminal.
Initially, Zita is selfish, only thinking of freedom. But when others act to sacrifice themselves to save her from capture, she finally decides to become the hero that others want her to be. But that act itself may be the end of Zita. And even if she survives being a hero, there is still the criminal act hanging over her. That will only be resolved in the third book.
Once again, another exciting book by Ben Hatke on the adventures of Zita....more
The second book in the series, this one starts off where the first one left off, with the kids faced with a programming challenge. When they succeed, The second book in the series, this one starts off where the first one left off, with the kids faced with a programming challenge. When they succeed, they learn more about the history of the school and that the janitor is not just a janitor but a hidden programmer and creator.
But things take a sinister turn when Hopper uses a robot to complete her homework, leading the sinister school principal to become interested in her activities. He then get the school rugby team to ambush her and her fellow coders and, later, the janitor. Once again, the book ends on a cliff hanger and the challenge is for you to help them save the janitor.
Picking up programming where it was left off in the first book, the reader is now introduced to additional programming concepts, like variable assignments. The book challenges the reader to complete the programming examples before finding out how Hopper does it, even if it not done in quite the same way.
Another interesting book on programming. Looking forward to what the Secret Coders get up to in the next book in the series....more
In this third book, Zita the Spacegirl is imprisoned and sent to the mines to hunt for a crystal that could lead to the warden's plan to invade the EaIn this third book, Zita the Spacegirl is imprisoned and sent to the mines to hunt for a crystal that could lead to the warden's plan to invade the Earth, or Zita's way to go home.
But when her escape attempts fail, she starts to lose hope; until hope returns in the form of the friends that she had made in previous adventures who all gather to free her, including one unexpected friend. But Zita herself is not through rescuing others.
In the end, it all works out but is this the final adventure of Zita? Only time will tell....more
An interesting book that starts with a mouse with a living problem and ends up involving intelligent rats that wish to live apart from humans and starAn interesting book that starts with a mouse with a living problem and ends up involving intelligent rats that wish to live apart from humans and start their own civilisation.
Mrs. Frisby is a widowed mouse with several children, one of whom is recoving from pneumonia. This prevents them from moving out of their current house in a farmer's field, for the child cannot be moved until weeks later when the weather is warmer; but the farmer plans to start ploughing the field the next day. In attempting to solve her problem, she saves a crow from the farmer's cat who returns the favour by bringing her to see the Great Owl. Initially reluctant to help her, the Owl changes his mind upon learning her name and tells her to go to the rats who live the rosebush on the farmer's land for help for moving her house to a protected area. It is here, that we discover about the intelligent rats and how they became intelligent, courtesy of NIMH and the rats' connection to her husband.
Initially starting from Mrs. Frisby's point of view, the book then changes to the rats' backstory as told by their leader, Nicodemus, who explains that they started off as normal rats, were captured and bought to NIMH for experiments. There, they became intelligent, even learning to read and learning how to escape from captivity, with the help of some mice, one of who would become Mrs. Frisby's husband.
This is a book that would still captivate readers today and, oddly, would have you rooting for the rats, which are usually portrayed as vermin, and hope that they manage to execute their Plan and build their own civilisation, separate from humans....more
One day, Zita and her friend find an unusual meteorite with a strange object. Upon pressing it, they are thrown far away to another world where Zita mOne day, Zita and her friend find an unusual meteorite with a strange object. Upon pressing it, they are thrown far away to another world where Zita must rescue her friend, make new friends, save the world and then return home. Quite a lot of things to do for a new space traveler.
An entertaining graphic novel about the adventures of Zita, although left unsaid is why the object was there in the first place to be found by her or why the aliens on the planet, despite their technological superiority to us, can't save their own planet the old-fashioned way (with technology) but must rely on a prophecy that her friend must somehow fulfill.
Perhaps future adventures of Zita will answer those questions....more
A nice story about Hiccup who takes part in a 'friendly' Viking swimming contest with a difference; the winner is the one who gets back last. But befoA nice story about Hiccup who takes part in a 'friendly' Viking swimming contest with a difference; the winner is the one who gets back last. But before starting, Hiccup is told by his grandfather that he must return in three months, five days, and six hours.
But as the race gets underway, cheating takes place, Hiccup and his friends Fishlegs and Camicazi are kidnapped and made to guide a ship to America. Hiccup also gets attacked by arctic dragons and is stalked by an ancient dragon just waiting to eat him.
Will he escape and get back at the time stipulated to win the race and save his father? Read the story to find out....more
It's the exciting end of the "How to Train Your Dragon" series. In it, Hiccup has to somehow defeat Alvin the Treacherous's ambitions to be crowned kiIt's the exciting end of the "How to Train Your Dragon" series. In it, Hiccup has to somehow defeat Alvin the Treacherous's ambitions to be crowned king despite having all the required items stolen from him by Alvin, figure out a way to negotiate with the Dragon Furious to stop the war between humans and dragons and then, most important to him, save the dragons themselves.
That he will somehow manage it shows how much Hiccup has grown since he was the awkward little boy who somehow manages to snag a toothless dragon at the start of the series. And his adventures show just how much he has learned about himself, his friends and the dragons that inhabit his world.
This last book is bittersweet, for while he does manage to save the dragons at the end, it was at a high cost to the Dragon Furious and to the dragons. For as the author consistently insists throughout the series, the dragons are still among us; and perhaps they are waiting for humanity to grow up before they will reveal themselves to us again....more
It's going to be a pretty exciting ending to the series. The dragon Furious wants to exterminate all humans, Alvin wants to be declared king of the ViIt's going to be a pretty exciting ending to the series. The dragon Furious wants to exterminate all humans, Alvin wants to be declared king of the Vikings and exterminate all the dragons and poor Hiccup is desperate to avoid them both.
But he is forced out of hiding by a call for help that turns out to be from somebody considered a traitor. Yet he decides to help and in doing so sets in motion a plan that just might end up making Hiccup being declared King instead of Alvin.
But in his desperate fight against Alvin, a traitor in his midst may yet undermine it all; and a fantastic fact about Toothless is revealed that will probably play a part in next, and last book of the series....more
What starts out as a search-and-rescue mission for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and the Vikings of Berk takes a twist when they end up being capturedWhat starts out as a search-and-rescue mission for Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III and the Vikings of Berk takes a twist when they end up being captured by the Uglithugs near the island of Berserk. And what the Uglithug leader, Ug, wants to know is: who has been writing love letters to her daughter. Hiccup discovers who it is and, to hide the culprit, says it was him.
From then, he has to take on an impossible task posed by Ug and ends up getting captured by the Berserks. And it is here that he once again meets his arch-enemy, discovers a prophecy that may be about him, barely escape being eaten by a Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus and ends up freeing all the prisoners.
But all is not well, for at the end of the story, Hiccup must prepare for what may be the ultimate battle of survival between humans and dragons; a battle he must somehow prevent....more
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