The Lucy series, Book 1 Peter Brown Little, Brown Books Fiction, CH Humor/Picture Books Themes: Anthropomorphism ****
Description
Lucy the bear finds the cutest thing in the woods: a human boy. Though her mother warns her that they make terrible pets, Lucy just can't let little Squeak go!
Review
We had more down time at work today; I read this while waiting for things to start back up again. A fun little book, it confirms what many a parent likely already
knows about kids. Lucy has to learn the hard way that just because something's cute doesn't mean it's meant to be a house pet. The illustrations are simple and fun,
matching the story perfectly.
YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND! (Starring Lucille Beatrice Bear)
The Lucy series, Book 2 Peter Brown Little, Brown Books Fiction, CH Humor/Picture Books Themes: Anthropomorphism ****
Description
Lucille the bear decides to make a new friend today. It shouldn't be hard; the forest is full of animals, after all. Surely one of them will be looking for a
friend like her... right?
Review
A sequel to the fun Children Make Terrible Pets sees Lucy try to actually make a friend instead of taking home a "pet." Once again, her enthusiasm
hits several stumbling blocks: trying to change herself to be like others doesn't work, but neither does demanding others change. The illustrations are at least
half the fun, as Lucille's attempted friendship with a hive of bees goes wrong and she innocently asks an ostrich what it's like to fly, among other mishaps.
It's enjoyable, and has a nice, fitting ending.
Peter Brown Little, Brown Books Fiction, CH Picture Book Themes: Plants, Urban Tales ****
Description
In a dreary, dark city, curious Liam discovers a weedy tangle of a garden... and a curious garden discovers the city.
Review
Another quick read during a slow stretch at work - a sadly ironic one, given recent actions intended to reverse protections for the environment and national lands,
but I digress. Inspired by a real-life reclamation effort on an abandoned stretch of elevated train tracks in New York City, this is a story of one boy helping nature,
and nature helping the boy - and, in turn the whole city. It's a quick, inspiring read.
A hurricane, a sinking ship, and a cargo crate washed upon the shore of a remote island... thus begins the story of Roz the robot. Activated accidentally by a curious
otter, she finds herself alone in the wilderness, surrounded by animals, with no apparent purpose but that which she discovers for herself. As she learns the languages of
beasts and the ways of nature, Roz becomes more than a mere metal tool - and when she hatches a gosling, she becomes a mother.
Review
This is an odd, fast-reading tale, a science fiction fable of sorts, with more going on beneath the surface than the simple storytelling language indicates. As a robot,
Roz was programmed to learn and adapt to help humans - but, without humans and a clear task before her, she becomes much more than her makers intended, even as she teaches
the animals to become more than instinct and habit have made them. Around the edges are hints of a global warming devastated future, more fully revealed by the migration
of her goose "son" Brightbill. When civilzation tries to reclaim its wayward creation, the climax reveals just how much Roz and her friends have changed - a promise,
perhaps, of a future beyond humanity. The end is a little bittersweet and a touch inconclusive, and the characters felt a little simple now and again, but overall I liked
it enough to give it the benefit of the doubt with a full Good rating.
A year ago, the helper robot Roz washed ashore on an uninhabited island and was accidentally activated by the animals. Following her programming and impulse to help
others (which were never specified to be humans), she learned the beastly language, adopted the gosling Brightbill, and became the animals' friend and protector... until
a recovery team tracked her down and returned her to the mainland.
Refurbished at the factory, Roz has been purchased by a widower and his two children to help with his struggling dairy farm. Even as Roz settles into life among the cows
and the fields, she yearns to return to Brightbill and the island, but how can she hope to escape when her every move is electronically tracked, and every human and robot
of the mainland will surely try to stop her?
Review
This is a fun, sometimes touching follow-up on the first book, where Roz won over the island animals and raised young Brightbill. On the farm, Roz finds herself
unexpectedly torn; the family needs help, and they aren't bad or cruel people (and neither are the cows, whom she quickly befriends with her animal language skills), but
she is ultimately a wild robot at heart and knows her animal friends miss her as much as she misses them. Meanwhile, the story of the robot with the goose son has spread
among the wildlife, first among the geese and then among other animals. This proves instrumental in helping Roz once she finally manages to make a run for it - but even
with animal assistance, humans aren't about to let a potentially dangerous anomaly like Roz go without a fight. The story feels a little drawn out at times, and there's a
subplot about a vengeful wolf that didn't sit right and felt a little half-written compared to the rest of the story, but overall this makes for a satisfyingly adventurous
and heartfelt conclusion to the story of the wild robot and her son (and friends).
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