A little robot and bird learn about friendship and saying goodbye in a poignant tale that finds Little Bot meeting his first true friend, Sparrow, after being thrown away and learning about the world and the importance of dreaming before the arrival of winter requires Sparrow to fly south. - (Baker & Taylor)

A robot named Little Bot and his new bird friend, Sparrow, learn about true friendship and the courage it takes to say goodbye. - (Baker & Taylor)

"A picture book about a robot who befriends a sparrow and learns both about happiness and loss when his best friend must fly south for the winter"-- - (Baker & Taylor)

A little robot and a sparrow learn about friendship and saying goodbye in this sweet and moving picture book. - (McMillan Palgrave)

A story of friendship that can inspire anyone, even robots, to dream . . .

When Little Bot is thrown out with the garbage, he finds himself in a strange new world. Fortunately, Sparrow is there to take him under her wing. Together, they explore the forest, share adventures, and learn what it means to be forever friends.

This sweet and lasting tale by Jake Parker beautifully captures the happiness and love that can come from making your first true friend—and the courage it takes when it’s time to say goodbye.

Jake Parker is an illustrator and cartoonist whose picture books include The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair, The Tooth Fairy Wars, The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man, and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Little Snowplow. He also created the Missile Mouse graphic novels, published by Scholastic. He lives in Utah with his wife and their five children. - (McMillan Palgrave)

Horn Book Guide Reviews

After a robot "thrown out with the garbage" meets a sparrow, they become friends. The robot shadows her; when he asks why she sleeps, she says, "To rest and to dream." The story is heavy-handedly allegorical--after the sparrow flies south for the winter, the robot learns to dream--but it's also alluringly tender, unfolding as seasons delicately, discreetly change. Copyright 2017 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

A mechanical-avian friendship is an endearing one.When a robot is tossed into the garbage, he finds himself in a strange new environment in the outside world. Birds perch on him, and Little Bot greets them. Never having been greeted by a robot before, the birds fly off, except for one named Sparrow. She is observant and sees that Little Bot needs help figuring out nature, plants, and animals. And a good guide she is, warning him to avoid bees that sting and bears that are big. Little Bot is also a good observer and learner. When he asks his bird friend about sleeping and dreaming, Little Bot decides that dreams are "best left for the birds." Unfortunately for their friendship, the seasons are changing and winter is coming; Sparrow will fly away and leave Little Bot alone. He is pensive, but he has learned how to do something new to him that is wonderful and that will delight readers. Parker tells his story with humor and tenderness, while his digital illustrations warmly port ray a small mechanical object and even smaller bird in the forest. The contrast in size between Little Bot and his new world is never scary but rather dreamy and poetic. Softly hued colors follow seasonal changes beautifully. Dreaming keeps memories alive for a very special robot in this sweet, quiet tale. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus 2016 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

"One day Little Bot wasn't needed anymore. He was thrown out with the garbage." That's all Parker (The Little Snowplow) has to say about his droid's backstory as he shows Little Bot tumbling through the air and landing unceremoniously on Earth, suggesting extraterrestrial origins. A bird named Sparrow spots the robot, whose face is an oversize monitor with doll-like features, and decides he "needed to be taken under her wing"; she schools him in the joys and pitfalls of life on Earth (Little Bot learns the hard way that "robots shouldn't fly"). Parker chronicles the relationship between quirky master and student with velvety textures and idyllic settings that make the incongruous robot even more adorable. Then winter comes and Sparrow must leave. Little Bot doesn't try to stop her or extract any promises of returning or lasting friendship; their time together has been enough. It's a moment of profundity and emotional ambiguity that may surprise and even sadden readers, but the discussions this story will spark should prove as rewarding as the happiest of endings. Ages 3–6. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary. (Sept.)

School Library Journal Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—When a motherly Sparrow sees a discarded Robot, a friendship begins. In the spring, Sparrow teaches Robot how to have fun outside. In the summer, she shows him how to be curious (but safe). And before she has to fly south in the fall, she teaches him how to live without her. The warm illustrations capture the beauty of the changing seasons, during the day and the night, and the power of friendship. At the end of the tale, Robot is seen doing two things he thought impossible—dreaming and flying—all made possible because of Sparrow. The differences between a metallic robot and a feathery sparrow show friendships can happen between any two individuals. VERDICT A sweet additional purchase for friendship storytimes.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta., Canada. Copyright 2016 School Library Journal.