Bella Built a Robot
Bella decides to build a robot but things don’t go quite to plan! Bella soon realises that there’s one thing her amazing robot cannot do; play pretend. Riley, her new next door neighbour, joins Bella and together they build an even better robot, but soon they run up against the same problem again – Red Robot has no imagination either! Finally, Bella thinks of something the robots can do; build a wonderful treehouse where the children can have magical adventures.
This book could be read aloud or read by a young reader as the words and sentence construction are simple. It’s not lyrical prose by any means and the story meanders a little, but the illustrations are the real star here. They are wonderfully detailed and colourful, using a palette of blues and greens which is a delight for the eye. The imagery captures the busy nature of Bella’s home – Granny’s shed is full of all the odds and ends that make sheds so irresistible to children and Bella’s cat is busy too, it is up to mischief on almost every page!
Children with a curious streak will enjoy this story. They may even be tempted to build their own robot (or tree house!). It gently covers real situations that children face, like feeling ignored, fed up or annoyed. The story celebrates a spirit of invention and imagination and teaches that while robots might be good at practical things, children’s imagination bring the magic!
