ROBOT'S FIRST SNOW
by Billy Sharff ; illustrated by Hannah Abbo
Automatons working in a factory learn the importance of taking a break to have fun.
Our intrepid hero, a tiny robot with a domed head, spindly arms and legs, and a light on top, finishes work for the day and looks longingly at the stars. The other robots—the Multibots and the Vacuumbot—are still busy clanging away at their tasks. The next morning, an unknown substance has fallen from the sky. “Robot, Robot, wake and stare. / What is falling through the air? / Beep, beep. Whirr… / Detected: SNOW. // What’s it like? / You do not know.” The tiny robot cautiously steps outside and begins to play, instinctively knowing how to throw snowballs and make a snowbot. In the distance, a family of pale-skinned humans are having a good time. Can our hero get the other bots in the factory to join in on the fun? They are programmed to help humans, after all. Some may find the melding of artificial intelligence into family life a bit disconcerting, given recent headlines about the threat of AI, but watching these humans and bots build a joyous snow slide together is truly heartwarming. Images of silver-colored machinery and short staccato text make for an enchanting tale.
A satisfying wintry story about the delights of curiosity, connection, and play.
(Picture book. 3-6)