Ralph Masiello's Robot Drawing Book

May 2, 2011
As with previous titles in this series, Masiello offers budding artists a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw kid-friendly subjectsâthis time, robots. After beginning with a basic "Simplibot," made up of rectangles, squares, and circles, the robots build in complexity, with additions like electrical outlets, keyholes, and antennae, all meticulously labeled in a "Spare Parts Warehouse." The "upgraded" robots, colored in various media and paired with a simple phrase or verse, include "Sparky Springbot," with pincers and slinkylike legs, and "Bakerbot," who has a small oven for a chest. Masiello's recipe is light and appealing, offering just the right amount of guidance. Ages 6â9.

August 1, 2011

Gr 2-5-Masiello begins with a discussion of how to use circles, squares, and other basic forms to draw robot parts like switches, plugs, and antennae. He includes a brief discussion of drawing and coloring tools and shows young artists how to draw eight different robots, such as the "Bakerbot," "Ovalbot," and "Bellybot." The robots are shown in progressive steps of completion opposite a full-page illustration of the finished product, fully colored, and with a short, lighthearted caption. Sidebars with suggestions for more advanced embellishments appear on some pages. The instructions are simple enough for primary-grade students to have success without adult assistance. Masiello's creations are humorous, old-fashioned, and two dimensional. Artists who are looking for the more sophisticated, warrior-type robots will need to look elsewhere; there are no swords or laser guns here. Children interested in the friendly, playmate kind of robot will enjoy Masiello's offering.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2011

Masiello elegantly and joyfully taps into a thankfully enduring artistic tradition: the step-by-step technique that walks readers by hand through the creation of an image on paper.

Just as he has done previously for dinosaurs, dragons and bugs (Ralph Masiello's Dragon Drawing Book, 2007, etc.), here he guides young artists in the creation of robots—" 'bots," in the vernacular, as in "Squarehead Thinbot," "Sparky Springbot" and "Zoidbot." The artist starts by introducing readers to lines and shapes—nothing is taken for granted—from which can be drawn an elemental robot. He then provides a serious handful of "spare parts," which can be used to add detail to readers' creations. The spare-part section is good for sparking the imagination, but the best sparks are thrown by the finished products, which are cool in their radical colors and otherworldliness but not daunting (even if readers are not likely to attain his level of gradients and shadings). Robots are by nature somewhat scary, with their dead, sharklike eyes and sharp edges, and Masiello keeps that spooky quality. But he also knows how to invest them with humor: witness the "Bakerbot," with a muffin cooking in its belly.

Brainstorming—a book that ought to launch a thousand robots. (Nonfiction. 6-9)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012
Young artists can start with basic shapes and progress through simple sequential steps to create a series of imaginative cartoon robots. The doodling becomes increasingly more complex as the lessons continue, with color and gadgetry added that will delight young technology buffs. Books and websites listed direct readers interested in building actual robots.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)