FICTION

The Girl and the Robot Heart

by Neal Hoskins (text) & illus. by Monika Vaicenaviciene
Thames & Hudson. Oct. 2024. 48p. Tr $18.95. ISBN 9780500652893.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2–On a chilly Christmas Eve night, a little girl tries to answer the question put to her by a robot: “What’s inside a human heart?” In poetic text and illustrated scenes of real life overlaid with floating abstractions, the girl describes small scenes from her “quiet little town” in order to explain the contents of a proverbial heart. When she wakes up on Christmas morning, one of the presents waiting for her under the tree is a robot with a note encouraging her to listen to her heart. Despite some compelling verbal and visual imagery, the story doesn’t have strong enough bones to stand up under the weight of its lengthy lyrical metaphors. The full poem is repeated on a single spread in the back matter.
VERDICT Though beautiful, this book may struggle to find a home among child readers.
Reviewed by Rachel Owens , Sep 20, 2024

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