Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1--3--Inventor and rock star Layla and her three robot friends are excited about their upcoming performance at their local amusement park. A wrench is thrown into their plans when they learn that the park is going to be closed for good! Rather than dwell in disappointment, Layla and the bots launch into problem-solving mode. They engage in an inquiry-based process to determine why people are no longer coming to the park. Then, Layla and the bots collaborate to design new park features to meet the needs of customers. This transitional chapter book is ideal for emergent or early fluency readers. It includes charming illustrations to assist with decoding, and interesting STEM themes. VERDICT Though not essential, this bright, inventive title would make a nice addition to a library's early chapter book collection.--Tiffany Davis, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Meet Layla and her Bots--Beep, Bop, and Boop--stars of this new, STEM-centric series. Beep is the knowledge manager, Boop is the engineer, and Bop is the software developer. The quad resides happily in Blossom Valley, working tech by day and then moonlighting as rock stars performing in "all sorts of cool places." A gig at the Happy Days Amusement Park presents their first challenge, when Layla and her mechanical friends learn that the park may have to close down due to low patronage. Naturally, Layla and the Bots decide to investigate. Layla discovers that her Blossom Valley neighbors all appear to be hanging out with their dogs at the local dog park. The team utilizes the skills of the bots to research the number of families in Blossom Valley and brainstorm reasons why they may all be going to the dog park. After talking to the owner of Happy Days, Layla concludes that to bring back the park's customers, it needs to become a place where people and dogs can have fun together. This easy-to-predict story, told in a mix of text and speech balloons, will give new readers confidence while imparting solid STEM lessons of research and implementation, and it's great to see a young girl of color portrayed as a confident inventor (and rock star). A solid introduction for an appealing new chapter-book character. (Graphic science fiction. 5-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
