Varon, S. (2007). Robot
dreams. New York , NY
Reading Level: NA (wordless graphica)
Interest Level: Grades 5 – 7
This almost wordless story follows an anthropomorphic dog as he seeks out authentic friendship. One day, Dog buys a friend - a
robot, who becomes his constant companion. That is, until he foolishly takes the bot swimming. Poor Robot immediately suffers sever damage, to Dog's surprise and dismay. Bizarrely, Dog cruelly abandons Robot at the beach,
where Robot lays immobile. Throughout the book, the reader returns to Robot's lonely place on the beach, and we watch his dreams of reuniting with the only friend he has ever
known. Meanwhile, Dog spends the seasons attempting other
friendships, which all fail.
The Robot is abused by passersby and eventually
sold for scrap, but he is later purchased by a raccoon to use as part of a radio
rebuild. Finally happy and secure with a friend who can always fix him, Robot
glances out the window one day to see Dog walking alongside a new robot.
Instead of reacting with sorrow, Robot cranks up his song so Dog and his friend
can hear and enjoy it as they stroll away. Students could write the text to
accompany this wordless story, or they could enjoy the bittersweet tale during
a free read.
