The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess, written and illustrated by Tom Gauld. Neal Porter Books, Holiday House. Penguin Random House, 2021. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"The little wooden robot was brave and kind. 
So kind, in fact, that he let a family of beetles 
nest in his workings, even though it tickled 
sometimes. 

Every day, the robot would wake his log-sister
and they would play in the castle and the gardens
until the sun went down and they were tired out."

I have always loved fairy tales. Our mom read them to my brother and I. We read them to our children. I read them when I was working in kindergarten and other early years classrooms. I collected more than one hundred variations of the Cinderella story when we had our book store. I continue to enjoy reading fractured and alternative tellings of the old stories. 

So, imagine my surprise when I opened my mail yesterday to find a copy of Tom Gauld's The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess. What a grand book it is! Mr. Gauld, whose work I did not know, has hit many of the markers that make for a truly traditional fairy tale. Royalty without children, magic, cleverness, a big problem to be solved by a sibling, a journey, help from strangers, adventures, and much happiness with their return home ... in fact, happiness for ever after. 

Taking familiar elements and creating fresh takes on them, along with new beginnings, make fairy tales a perennial favorite for little ones. This is one of my very favorite 2021 picture books. The many awards it has won and accolades it has garnered are testament to its impressive art and well-told story. It already holds a place in our 'favorites' cupboard, and I know I will read it many times when my granddaughters next visit. 

It is both a literal and visual triumph. It has humor, kindness, exceptional characters, a complication, a long journey for a robot brother to find his missing log sister, helpers along the way, joy, sorrow, bravery, intermittent adventures (which must be explored), forgiveness, and more. Mr. Gauld's often  cartoon-like art is engaging and full of context for young readers. This is his first book for children (and people like me who love fairy tales), and it's outstanding. The two spreads that suggest further adventures for both siblings are magical, and will have willing listeners wanting to imagine their own adventure stories based on the titles and images shared. Enough about why you should have it at home, in classrooms, and in school and public libraries. Get out there and find a copy!