Zip, the world's greatest robot

PreS-Gr 1--In this board book series opener, Purcell introduces Zip, a genial robot resembling the offspring of R2-D2 and a cartoon bunny. Each page features the same layout: Zip on the left, displaying his mechanical features, and a skeptical white cat on the right, sporting a matching pink dress and purse. The compositional repetition and simple figures--paired with dialogue-only text--lend the board book an attenuated comic strip vibe with each page as a panel. The story also recalls an offering from the funny pages, pleasant and benign: Zip shows off his gadgets and the cat secretly wishes for cookies, and the narrative wraps up with a friendly affirmation. While the simple forms and exuberant robot will engage young kids, the language points to a slightly older audience than the board book format suggests, as words like "retractable" and "fraud" appear with little or no visual support. VERDICT A mild robot story with cheerful appeal, perhaps better suited to a picture book audience.--Robbin E. Friedman, Chappaqua Lib., NY

A charming look at the distinction between "perfect" and "perfect for you." This clever meditation on the power of friendship is simply told, simply rendered, and amusingly rooted in a subtext about truth in advertising. On the cover, a gold seal proclaims Zip, the world's greatest robot, the "#1 Best." Meanwhile, an asterisked disclaimer acknowledges that the claim "World's Greatest" is "not scientifically proven." Zip introduces itself as "the world's GREATEST robot" to a kind-looking kitty in a dress, whose immediate response is, "How can you be sure?" "It says so in my user manual," Zip replies, producing a copy of the Official Zip Guide. When the dubious kitten points out that the world is, in fact, a very big place, Zip proceeds to show off some admittedly amazing features: retractable arms and legs, a turbo booster, and a drawer of warm cookies. But after Zip claims to be able to read minds, it turns out the new friends are perhaps not on the same wavelength after all…or are they? After the kitten consoles Zip for incorrectly guessing what its new feline friend was thinking, the robot offers exactly what the kitten wanted: more cookies. Plain, sky-blue backgrounds and green grass underfoot keep the focus on the compassionate kitten and the robot, which resembles a grinning Shop-Vac wearing a rabbit-ear antenna. Proof that being loved is better than being the greatest. (Board book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.