ROBOT BURP HEAD SMARTYPANTS!
by Annette Simon ; illustrated by Annette Simon
The mechanical rivals of Robot Zombie Frankenstein! (2012) go for the full “alphabelch” in this effervescent return.
Fueled, as it were, by cans of tasty motor oil, the friendly burp-off begins with polite apologies, then escalates into cumulating strings of numbers, followed by numbers and letters and finally a full chorus of “Old-MacDonald-had-a-farm-E-I-E-I—rrrp!” Simon adds visual funny business by depicting her belching ’bots skateboarding across the plain white pages while balancing teetering piles of apples atop their heads. She brings the romp to a climax with a humongous, full-spread-filling “Brrrrrp” emitted by a tiny human baby passing in the background. Remarks one robot admiringly: “Her database needs work, but her speakers? A-1!” Complementing an opening spread filled with numerals from 1 to 10 and then by 10s to 100, an equally colorful set of the 26 letters in the “REAL alphabelch” closes this minimalist crowd pleaser with further opportunities to help the diapered set leave pre-numeracy and preliteracy behind.
A lot of eructation, with a little education.
(Picture book. 2-4)