Haus-hold Picture Book Review: Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots

Unicorn Hats are not "Needs"!?

Have you ever had a child say to you, "But I NEED (insert thing they absolutely do not "need" here)!!!"?

I have. Often. The last time being this morning, actually. According to my children, chocolate frosted donuts are a "need" that cannot be substituted with overnight oats.

When my children need things like chocolate frosted donuts and I respond with "You don't need it, you want it", that doesn't go over well.

Thankfully, I can now let robots demonstrate the difference between wants and needs.

Throw in a jellybean taco or remote control platypus into a story, and you're sure to make my kids laugh.

Synopsis

Sometimes it's possible to want something so much that it feels like a need. The robots in this book show the reader how important it is to understand the difference between wants and needs by making trades. Oil for super cool shirt. Arms for fabulous boots. Until a few too many trades lands a robot in a pile of stuff he wants and is unable to enjoy without the things he needs. Maybe a re-start will put him on the right track...

My Big Kid’s Honest Review:

What my Kids Loved: The narrator breaks the 4th wall and invites the reader to observe the robots together, which my son loved. He always enjoys a story where he feels he's in on the joke. Plus, it's robots. My kids love robots. Even the little one, who did not understand the story, enjoyed the pictures and pointing out the colors of each robot. Throw in a jellybean taco or remote control platypus into a story, and you're sure to make my kids laugh.

What I Loved: As a mom, I enjoyed the silly way this story approached wants and needs. The robots in ridiculous situations made it feel like I wasn't forcing a lesson on my older son, even though he knew I was. As a writer, I appreciated the dialogue between the robots and the humor woven into the story with a careful balance. There wasn't so much that the message was lost, but just enough to keep the lesson entertaining.

My favorite lines:

"Wow! You have a remote-controlled platypus! I'll trade you my legs for it."

Final thoughts: As a bedtime book, this one may be a little long. We read it together during lunch, which was just the right time for us because of all the giggles that paved the way for brainstorming our own silly trades the robots could potentially try to make. This book would also make a great addition to elementary classroom libraries- so if you're a teacher, check it out!

You can check out/request Wants vs. Needs vs. Robots from your local library, or purchase from Penguin Random House or from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers... but don't forget to check your local independent bookstore first!