Robot SMASH!

by Stephen W. Martin, Juan Carlos Solon (Illustrator)

Overview

Here’s a book about a robot who likes to ... SMASH! He’ll smash the usual things, like flowers and soda cans, but that’s just the beginning. This smash-happy guy crushes everything from pirates, ninjas and zombies to Brussels sprouts and all-talk radio. Whatever it is, he’ll gleefully SMASH it to smithereens. One day, he finally meets something he doesn’t feel like smashing: a stylish, super-smashing girl-robot four times his size with sledgehammer hands as big as garbage trucks. Instantly, he’s smitten. But while he’s deep in daydreams about their robot romance—SMASH! The oblivious girl robot crushes him flat. It might just be the beginning of a perfect relationship. Minimal text and retro-style 8-bit illustrations lend this story the characteristic feel of an old video game, with each smashed object yielding a bright burst of pixels. Joyful destruction takes center stage in this fun, unique play on what it means to suffer your first crush.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771470674
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	04/14/2015
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Stephen W. Martin is a genre-filmmaker, specializing in blood, gore and whimsical storytelling. His award-winning short films have been presented at international festivals such as Vancouver International Film Festival, Screamfest in LA, and Raindance in London, England. His most recent short film "Dead Friends" won the World Kids International Film Festival, where it was selected for screenings in classrooms all across India. Robot SMASH! is Stephen's first children’s picture book. He is a proud Newfoundlander who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Juan Carlos Solon is a game artist whose illustrations have appeared in UTNE Reader, Runner’s World, the National Post, Financial Post and Pylon as well as in a book for adults (The Geek’s Guide to Dating). This is his first children’s book. Born in the Philippines, he currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"With demand for STEM-themed books for toddlers at an all-time high, this will undoubtedly prove popular with both ends of its intended audience."
— Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2015-01-20
The title sums it up: This mechanical man is a total wrecking machine. Anything is fair game for the spherical hands that carry out this automaton's single-minded mission—petunias, toilets, Brussels sprouts and (presumably included for adults) "All-talk radio." At the culmination of his rampage, scores flash on the page, as in a video game. Solon's designs are intentionally pixelated, so that nearly every shape has a zigzag contour, appropriate for his subject. The look lends energy and a sense of movement to the robot as he crashes his way against solid, changing background colors. He is accompanied by a spare—but bold and exclamatory—text. (Warning: Repeated readings may lead to an enthusiastic young listener's first spoken or sight word being "SMASH!") The protagonist's life changes when he catches sight of a gigantic, purple robot destroying skyscrapers and automobiles. It is love at first sight for the twosome: Her thought bubble displays the proverbial baby carriage; his depicts a shared meal. Although the method that "Super-SMASHY girl robot" chooses to show affection gives new meaning to the term "crush," the two appear to be made for each other. They definitely have a lot in common. With demand for STEM-themed books for toddlers at an all-time high, this will undoubtedly prove popular with both ends of its intended audience. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Review