WHIRBY

The titular robot learns a lesson in balancing work with rest.

Although Whirby loves school and excels at subjects like magnetics, circuitry, and tinkering, he especially adores gadgeteering, because of the opportunities for “bot battles.” Whirby is so excited about competing in the next day’s tournament that he stays up all night practicing instead of plugging himself in and recharging his battery. The next morning, “his gears [feel] gritty, his buttons [feel] busted, and his cranks [feel] extra cranky.” At school, he experiences a major malfunction, and by the time he reaches the sporting ring, his battery has gone dead. His instructor, Dr. Whizbang, sends him home. Though devastated at missing his chance to go up against Dottie the Destroyer, Whirby makes a few observations about his body that night and “[codes] a new sequence” for himself, which little ones will recognize as a robot’s equivalent of bedtime rituals. Will Whirby feel ready tomorrow? Though older readers may find the tale a bit didactic, with its clearly telegraphed lessons, younger ones will be charmed by Whirby. Harris employs well-flowing sentences that make effective use of alliteration while playfully incorporating technical jargon. Featuring bright, eye-catching backdrops, Souva’s whimsical, blocky depictions of automatons pair well with the text.

Cleverly reinforces the dangers of running on empty.