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BILLIE BUILDS A ROBOCORN

Name: BILLIE BUILDS A ROBOCORN
Author: José Lourenço
ISBN: 9781774884041

by José Lourenço ; illustrated by James Braithwaite ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2026

Friendship made easy—and fun.

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A science-minded child discovers that friendship is often found when you least expect it—and when you most need it.

Billie never met a problem she couldn’t solve through resourcefulness and a can-do attitude. When she and her dad move, however, her upbeat perspective is put to the test. Dad suggests visiting the local playground to find some potential new buddies, but Billie’s got a better idea. Why make a friend when you can make one—literally? She designs a glitzy robotic unicorn with a magic horn, kind (and deadly) laser eyes, and rocket hooves. But once complete, RoboCorn looks more like a garbage can with tubes attached. And her new companion can’t do anything magical (or nonmagical, for that matter). Billie proposes going to the park so RoboCorn can meet some new pals (Billie insists that she’s doing fine). The trip is a bust for RoboCorn, but Billie befriends another young bot enthusiast, and just like that, she’s got two friends in her new town. Throughout, Billie doggedly attempts to include RoboCorn in a range of activities, from dancing the limbo to putting on makeup—all of which fail, hilariously, as the automaton slumps over wordlessly. The “ink, watercolor, sweat, tears, and blood” that (per the copyright page) went into Braithwaite’s playful, scribbly artwork shine, as do the abundance of visual gags and turns of phrase that’ll make even grown-ups reading aloud chuckle. Characters are pale-skinned.

Friendship made easy—and fun. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: April 14, 2026

ISBN: 9781774884041

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Tundra Books

Review Posted Online: Oct. 10, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2025

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
SPIT
by Mary Batten ; illustrated by James Braithwaite

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ON THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Laura Hughes ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2016

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of...

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Rabe follows a young girl through her first 12 days of kindergarten in this book based on the familiar Christmas carol.

The typical firsts of school are here: riding the bus, making friends, sliding on the playground slide, counting, sorting shapes, laughing at lunch, painting, singing, reading, running, jumping rope, and going on a field trip. While the days are given ordinal numbers, the song skips the cardinal numbers in the verses, and the rhythm is sometimes off: “On the second day of kindergarten / I thought it was so cool / making lots of friends / and riding the bus to my school!” The narrator is a white brunette who wears either a tunic or a dress each day, making her pretty easy to differentiate from her classmates, a nice mix in terms of race; two students even sport glasses. The children in the ink, paint, and collage digital spreads show a variety of emotions, but most are happy to be at school, and the surroundings will be familiar to those who have made an orientation visit to their own schools.

While this is a fairly bland treatment compared to Deborah Lee Rose and Carey Armstrong-Ellis’ The Twelve Days of Kindergarten (2003), it basically gets the job done. (Picture book. 4-7)

Pub Date: June 21, 2016

ISBN: 978-0-06-234834-0

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 3, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S CONCEPTS | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
A PERFECT PLACE TO PLAY
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Jim Valeri

- BOOK REVIEW
ON THE FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Sarah Jennings

- BOOK REVIEW
FIVE LITTLE BUNNIES
by Tish Rabe ; illustrated by Dan Yaccarino

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING A GHOST

From the It's Not Easy Being series

by Marilyn Sadler ; illustrated by Stephanie Laberis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 13, 2024

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet.

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A ghost longs to be scary, but none of the creepy personas she tries on fit.

Misty, a feline ghost with big green eyes and long whiskers, wants to be the frightening presence that her haunted house calls for, but sadly, she’s “too cute to be spooky.” She dons toilet paper to resemble a mummy, attempts to fly on a broom like a witch, and howls at the moon like a werewolf. Nothing works. She heads to a Halloween party dressed reluctantly as herself. When she arrives, her friends’ joyful screams reassure her that she’s great just as she is. Sadler’s message, though a familiar one, is delivered effectively in a charming, ghostly package. Misty truly is too precious to be frightening. Laberis depicts an endearingly spooky, all-animal cast—a frog witch, for instance, and a crocodilian mummy. Misty’s sidekick, a cheery little bat who lends support throughout, might be even more adorable than she is. Though Misty’s haunted house is filled with cobwebs and surrounded by jagged, leafless trees, the charming characters keep things from ever getting too frightening. The images will encourage lingering looks. Clearly, there’s plenty that makes Misty special just as she is—a takeaway that adults sharing the book with their little ones should be sure to drive home.

Too cute to be spooky indeed but most certainly sweet. (Picture book. 4-6)