Kirkus Reviews

Teamwork + trial and error = a happy robot and an ear-splitting racket. A curious fox starts the proceedings when it looks in a box and a robot head inside says, "Boooo." In cumulative fashion, the Nosy Fox's tinkering sets off a chain of events in which it is emulated by other creatures, such as a Wicked Witch who "flicked a switch," a Crocodile who "turned the dial," and a Blue Gnu who "twisted the screw." With each modification the robot emits wilder and wackier sounds. Adults reading to large groups will get great mileage out of this uniquely mechanical medley, which cumulates on verso following each interaction: "Clang! Flash! Tippa-tappa! Ooh! Zap! Click! Bang! Boooo." Finally nothing works, until a small white child arrives, armed with a skate key. The kid quickly takes charge, instructs the others what to do, and after a cacophony of clinking and clanking, a grateful, tearful robot takes its leave. Gentle rhymes add a great deal of pleasure to the reading, and most scan beautifully, though some American readers may stumble over "the Eager Beaver pulled the lever." The conclusion too is not free from confusion. Was this reconstruction the point all along or a happy end product of these creatures' collective curiosity? Ruzzier's art, given free rein, offers no answers but enlivens the fiasco, unapologetically ratcheting up the chaos. Satisfying robot high jinks. (Picture book. 4-6)

School Library Journal (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 1Nosy Fox looks in a box and starts off a chain of repeated attempts to rebuild a disassembled robot. As new characters are introduced, they add new parts, but the robot still sputters and fails to function. Finally, "Me," a young blonde girl, appears with the key and cranks the robot to life, and off it goes. The text is playful and creative and a great way to introduce challenging vocabulary and the concept of rhyming words (eager beaver pulls a lever, blue gnu twists a screw). The repetition is reminiscent of that of "The House That Jack Built." The story is a mouthful but fun to read aloud. Ruzzier's illustrations are exciting and enticing. VERDICT An excellent selection for any collection, especially those with fans of robots and noisy interactive stories.Kaitlin Malixi, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In this cumulative, rhythmic tale, a growing group of endearingly oddball characters tries to put together a robot; for every action, there is an equally evocative noise. -The Eager Beaver pulled the lever,- writes Robinson (Odd Socks), -the Wicked Witch flicked the switch, the Bear in a blazer fired the laser, and the Robot went... -Zap! Click! Bang! Boooo.- Their efforts don-t come together until the narrator, a girl in blonde pigtails, shows up with a big windup key and a take-charge attitude. Under her confident management, the robot fully animates, thanks everyone, and walks into the sunset, giving a final twist to the title and refrain. Ruzzier-s (This Is Not a Picture Book!) watercolor-and-ink scenes have a winsome silliness, although the actual assemblage of the robot isn-t as easy to track as the text. But it-s easy to forgive these moments because the cast is so delightfully unpredictable (such as the King of Dogs, wearing a crown of bones), and because of the almost parental pride that emanates from this motley crew. Ages 4-7. Author-s agent: James Catchpole, Catchpole Agency. Illustrator-s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary. (May)

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

In this cumulative tale with a surprising ending, Fox, Wicked Witch, Bear, Crocodile, and others pull levers, flick switches, and turn dials in an attempt to activate a robot. Each time, the robot makes a new sound ("BANG! BOOOO"), but it doesn't speak until a pigtailed girl uses a key. Pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations stand in comical contrast to the high-tech topic. Preschoolers will love shouting out all the sounds.