Brobot is a funny junior graphic novel written and illustrated by the talented James Foley. Fun and quirky, the story has a special kind of pizzazz, with the star of the book, Sally Tinker, speaking directly to you as if you were a character in the story.
Sally shares her thoughts and grievances, goals and mistakes, as she shows off her inventions and deals with their entertaining malfunctions. And you're invited to join her for every catastrophe.
Sally shares her thoughts and grievances, goals and mistakes, as she shows off her inventions and deals with their entertaining malfunctions. And you're invited to join her for every catastrophe.
I really liked this style of writing. It created a special bond between Sally and I, pulling me more deeply into her world. Something else I really liked were the lines and squiggles linking characters to their dialogue. It's a simple thing, but with so much happening on each page, I found the directions very helpful, and new readers might too.
The illustrations are sensational. Black and white but amazingly detailed and engaging. I fell in love with Sally’s varied and amusing facial expressions as she experienced joy, disgust, anger, fear, fury and rage throughout the book. There are also invention plans and robot scans to explore, and don’t forget to look out for little brother Joe getting up to mischief in the background.
With less text and more illustrations, Brobot is a fantastic choice for new independent readers. That said, the book can also be enjoyed by adults rostered on for story time (there are some funny hidden jokes) and young ones not yet ready for reading themselves.
Sally, Joe and Brobot are all strong, memorable characters, and I cannot wait to see what adventures they have next.
Title: Brobot
Author/Illustrator: James Foley
Publisher: Fremantle Press, $14.99
Publication Date: 29 August 2016
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781925163919
For ages: 6+
Type: Junior Fiction, Graphic Novel
