Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The geometric robots from Robot Zombie Frankenstein! (2012) return, and their competitive spirit is undiminished. This time, they're embroiled in a motor oil-fueled belching contest, giving readers a crash course in numbers and letters as they cram as much verbiage as possible into their burps. "Brrr-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-20-30-40-50-A-B-C-D-rrrp!" booms the magenta robot at one point, juggling apples blindfolded while riding a skateboard, to boot. Simon's storytelling and artwork continue to be an unlikely (and effective) combination of pared-down restraint and hyperbolic spontaneity, and of course it's hard to go wrong with the subject of bodily emissions. Ages 4-8. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Adorable robots use motor oil to burp their way through recitations of the alphabet, a string of numbers, and "Old MacDonald." They crash and pause to hear the "Brrrrrp" of a passing baby. While the artwork is compelling and distinctive, the target age group for this book is more inclined to discover this process for themselves than to hear or read it in a book. Denise Fleming's rousing Shout! Shout It Out! (Holt, 2011) supports spirit with civility and Amy Dyckman's Boy + Bot (Knopf, 2012) is a clever celebration of robotics. Simon's book seems pointless and is a tremendous waste of beautiful illustrations.-Laura Scott, Farmington Community Library, MI (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this follow-up to Robot Zombie Frankenstein, two robots ingest some burp-inducing motor oil, and their counting--first by ones and later by tens--is punctuated accordingly. Readers will love the GI eruptions, but this seems like a cynical way to curry kids' interest in numbers. The bold geometric illustrations have airy white backdrops--a welcome respite in this loud offering. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
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)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
