Written by Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrated by Matthew Myers
Balzer & Bray, 2011
$16.99, ages 4-7, 32 pages.
A run-down robot named Clink dreams of belonging to a child, but none of the children who come to the toy shop seem to want a toy like him.
He's got loose springs, and his selling points seem to be duds. All he can do is play music and pop out burned toast from the toaster that's his noggin.
Children nowadays want robots with zing -- which is what every other robot in the shop seems to have.
Clink's robot friend Zippy has retractable arms that twirl out and grab things, and Penny, wow.
She can bake cookies with one arm and do math homework with the other. What child wouldn't want that?
She can bake cookies with one arm and do math homework with the other. What child wouldn't want that?
Poor Clink, all he does is "Plink! Plop!" and fizzle.
As Clink watches each of his robot friends leave with children, rusty tears roll down his metal face, and he switches off his speakers and gives up.
But little does Clink know, there's still a little spark in him and weeks later, a boy comes into the store playing harmonica.
Suddenly Clink's gears start to squeak and turn. Music! He can make that!
But can Clink find a way to dance into the boy's heart?
Twirly up-dos, slotted eyes and widely planted feet give characters a bouncy, adventurous feel reminiscent of William Joyce's work.
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