Robots Don't Cry

Robots Don't Cry is number 15 in the O'Brien Flyers series for young independent readers. Like other books in the series, it is instantly appealing with its comic-book format of large print, excellent big pictures and a narrative that is easy and exciting to follow.

Bimbot, the robot hero, has been thrown out of the treehouse gang for being a crybaby and, as any self-respecting child of five will tell you, robots don't cry.

Poor Bimbot strays into the big, dark wood to try to recover from the shock of his rejection. Here he encounters characters who restore his confidence and eventually lead to acceptance by the treehouse gang.

Obviously the story can be taken as an allegory of boys being bullied and shamed by their peers because they don't conform. Maybe there is a growing trend recognising that, in an age of increasing on-line interaction, messages can be best transmitted through machines. After all, recently in Cars we had vehicles acting out a tale of smalltown life. Or maybe Bob Byrne, the author of Robots Don't Cry, has realised that to engage young readers in a story of rejection and redemption, a non-human victim can be more effective than human stereotypes. Excellent stuff.

Robots Don't Cry. Written and illustrated by Bob Byrne. O'Brien Press €5.95 Aged 8+