Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fun is in the eye of the beholder in this story about two best friends with very different notions about what constitutes a good time. When Rosie, a pink squirrelly critter with bright eyes, says "Let's do something fun today!" what she really means is "Let's play princess ballerina tea party!" Her pal Rex, a blue fellow who looks to be in the dragon family, would rather reenact a robot invasion, an idea Rosie quickly shoots down, repeatedly insisting that "Robots are not fun." When the pair stumbles upon a mysterious funnel-like object, their imaginations kick into high gear and lead them to a new friend who helps them find a common ground between robots and high tea. The bold lines and colors of Boyle's (Hugo and the Really, Really, Really Long String) digital artwork provide a verve that matches the distinctive and boisterous personalities of his protagonists. With interplay that's both silly and sweet, Rosie and Rex are primed for further adventures-and readers will want to follow. Ages 4-8. Agent: Jennifer Rofe, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Rex and Rosie are ready for some fun, but they can't agree on what to do. Rex is willing to play anything, as long as robots are involved, but Rosie insists that "robots are not fun." The debate escalates when the friends find a mysterious, funnel-shaped object. Rosie suggest that it might be a bird feeder or a flower vase, but Rex thinks it would be more interesting if it were a robot rocket or robot telescope. The digital illustrations feature exaggerated characters, and the text, all dialogue, uses speech bubbles to great effect. The drama intensifies as the friends become more convinced that their ideas are the best, making this an engaging read-aloud. However, although this book has broad appeal, the gender stereotyping is concerning. The story ends with the friends compromising to play together, but for most of the time, Rex, a blue male, is interested only in robots, while pink Rosie prefers princesses, tea parties, dresses, and ballerinas.-Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library (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
Girl-boy besties Rosie and Rex can't agree on an activity, but with some creativity and the help of a robot, the creatures reach a pleasing compromise. The persistent gender stereotyping ("How about robot invasion?"; "Let's play princess ballerina tea party!") detracts from the otherwise universal story about imagination. Cartoonlike illustrations and the use of panels and character-specific fonts provide a comic-book feel. (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
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)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
