Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Discover the natural inspirations behind robotic creations.All engineers have to start somewhere, and this book may be the dawning impetus for future roboticists. The design is simple but effective: The verso page introduces a mammal, bird, aquatic creature, or insect and defines one of its notable characteristics in a sentence. The recto then provides more detailed information about a robot or robotic prototype influenced by that feature. Both pages present a photograph of the creature and robot, allowing readers to compare the animal and the machine. A plethora of vocabulary words fill each page: "Animals are motion masters. They skitter, scuttle, grip, glide, spring, cling, and more." The paragraph explaining the robotics provides opportunities for educators and caregivers to promote learning, in terms of current world events as well as the obvious information about animals and robotics. Why do we need robots that can inspect disaster sites or report on tides and weather? The bright, full-color photographs will play well to the back of a classroom or storytime, allowing a range of readers a chance to consider the robotic world. Impressive backmatter includes a glossary, additional information on biomimicry, and a current bibliography to guide further learning.Delightful, motivating, and thought-provoking-a winner for any bookshelf. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Horn Book (Sun Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2021)

Twelve double-page spreads feature a striking animal photo on the left-hand page and, on the right, an up-close photo of a robot designed to move like the featured animal. The verso's two lines of text focus on the creature's movements (e.g., "HOVER like a hummingbird, / FLYING overhead"); text on the recto offers a bit more detail about the corresponding robot and how its design is helpful to humans ("The Nano Air Vehicle (NAV)...was designed for spy missions in cities"). This is a straightforward and engaging introduction to the topic for early elementary-age readers; those who want to know more will find the final page's discussion of biomimicry and an appended reading list useful. A glossary is also included.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Discover the natural inspirations behind robotic creations.All engineers have to start somewhere, and this book may be the dawning impetus for future roboticists. The design is simple but effective: The verso page introduces a mammal, bird, aquatic creature, or insect and defines one of its notable characteristics in a sentence. The recto then provides more detailed information about a robot or robotic prototype influenced by that feature. Both pages present a photograph of the creature and robot, allowing readers to compare the animal and the machine. A plethora of vocabulary words fill each page: "Animals are motion masters. They skitter, scuttle, grip, glide, spring, cling, and more." The paragraph explaining the robotics provides opportunities for educators and caregivers to promote learning, in terms of current world events as well as the obvious information about animals and robotics. Why do we need robots that can inspect disaster sites or report on tides and weather? The bright, full-color photographs will play well to the back of a classroom or storytime, allowing a range of readers a chance to consider the robotic world. Impressive backmatter includes a glossary, additional information on biomimicry, and a current bibliography to guide further learning.Delightful, motivating, and thought-provoking-a winner for any bookshelf. (Informational picture book. 4-8)