ALPHABOT, by Vicky Fang, MIT Kids Press, Sept. 12, 2023, Board Book, $14.99 (ages 3-7)
Channel your inner robot while exploring the alphabet in Vicky Fang’s Alphabot, a mix-and-match board book.
Found your circuit-board head? Your voice-control torso? Your hydrojet feet? Hooray! You’ve made one of the 729 mix-and-match robots that are possible with this innovative flip-flap book.
Alongside the illustrations of robot parts is a basic alphabetical listing of terms from android to gears, neural network to program, wheels to Z-drive—and a basic definition of each.
With a concealed spiral binding and sturdy card stock pages to hold up to enthusiastic flap-turning, AlphaBot is full of appeal for young robot lovers, preschoolers who love machines, and anyone looking for STEM books for the younger set. Back matter includes a brief explanation of the three key abilities of robots: to sense, think, and act. —Synopsis provided by MIT Kids Press
It’s hard not to be drawn to Alphabot. Even as an adult, I find it fun. There are three rows of flaps held together by a spiral binding, allowing for multiple layers of exploration and play. And though some of the words like “yaw” or “treads” may seem a bit far-reaching for young kids, they’re really not. This book will expand vocabularies and get little ones thinking about magnets and gears and neural networks.
Charming illustrations accompany words with clear definitions, making this a board book I wouldn’t hesitate gifting. Its heavy-duty construction means it should hold up to a lot of use, and I expect this one to get a lot of it.
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