ROSIE & REX
A Nose for Fun!
by Bob Boyle ; illustrated by Bob Boyle
Two very different friends have a bit of trouble deciding what to do together in this simple story about finding common ground.
Rex wants to play with robots. Rosie wants to play “princess ballerina tea party,” repeatedly declaring that “robots are not fun” as Rex entreats her to join in all things robotic. When they find a mysterious discarded object and try to figure out what it is, Rex offers many robot-related possibilities. Rosie becomes disconsolate upon discovering that it is the nose of a giant, jovial, animate robot. Then, much to her delight, the robot suggests that the trio have a “PRINCESS BALLERINA ROBOT TEA PARTY!” This punch line comes a few pages before the conclusion, leading to something of an anticlimax that may leave readers wishing it had ended with the threesome at tea. Minimal background detail and tidy speech balloons present an uncluttered design, and Boyle’s background in television animation is apparent throughout the colorful, digitally illustrated story. Rosie, Rex and the robot even bear stylistic resemblances to the characters populating his Emmy-winning television series, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! But despite this common ground, the final product doesn’t have much of a wow factor.
In the end, this is a simple friendship story with pictures that will likely grab attention but won’t stand up well to multiple readings.
(Picture book. 3-5)