"Fred does not want to go to school because it's boring. Especially since he thinks his teacher is a robot. If only Fred could imagine a way for his day to be more exciting..."-- - (Baker & Taylor)

Fred is bored at school and is sure his teacher is a robot, as he helps his classmates see their lessons in a new, imaginative way. - (Baker & Taylor)

Finding school boring and believing his teacher to be a robot, young Fred tries to think of ways to make his day more exciting, from pretending the classroom is filled with dinosaurs to imagining that tests are being mandated by an evil overlord. Simultaneous eBook. - (Baker & Taylor)

From the author of the New York Times bestselling Jedi Academy books comes an imaginative picture book about a kid whose creative outlook has everyone at school seeing the world through new eyes. Perfect for fans of The Adventures of Beekle and The Most Magnificent Thing.

Fred does not want to go to school because it's boring. Especially since he thinks his teacher is a robot. If only Fred could imagine a way for his day to be more exciting...

An inventively funny picture book that celebrates the boundlessness of a child's imagination and celebrates the teachers, families, and friends who get wrapped up in their fantastic worlds. - (Random House, Inc.)

Jeffrey Brown is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous Star Wars books, including Darth Vader and Son and the Jedi Academy series. He is also the author of the middle-grade Lucy and Andy Neanderthal series. Jeffrey lives in Chicago with his wife and sons.

jeffreybrowncomics.com - (Random House, Inc.)

Booklist Reviews

Cognitive dissonance runs wild as young Fred tries to sell his diverse classmates on the idea that school is designed only to turn out dull robots. But the pictures here tell a very different story. The day starts with the arrival of a humongous spider (in reality, small to the point of invisibility) during math, after which the class thunders out to a recess battle of mud monsters versus superheroes, followed by class projects on Japan, demonstrating brush painting, tea, and samurai armor. After everyone climbs into spacesuits for some interplanetary lunch, a session of creative writing features a wordless melee pitting the students (variously armed, armored, and mounted on magical creatures) against an army of robots led by (who else?) their teacher. When his dad meets him outside school after the bell, with the question "How was school?" Fred's "Boring" is belied by the rush of dinosaur-riding, space-suited, muddy, spandex-clad, mechanical students in the background beneath a bright rainbow. No one, including, from his expression, Fred himself, takes his claims very seriously—and perhaps some readers won't either.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Brown's wry humor made Darth Vader and Son (2012) a hit, and it will send this not-at-all boring classroom adventure flying off the shelves. Grades 1-3. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.

Horn Book Guide Reviews

Fred thinks school is boring--and is convinced that his teacher is a robot intent on turning Fred and his classmates into boring robots as well. Fred unsuccessfully tries to convince his classmates (and the reader) of Mr. Bailey's nefarious plan. Brown's signature comics style is on vivid display in his first picture book. The vibrant spreads are full of details that kids will pore over. Copyright 2019 Horn Book Guide Reviews.

Horn Book Magazine Reviews

Known for his graphic novels and illustrated books set during the Stone Age and in a galaxy far, far away, cartoonist Brown places his first picture book in a more realistic setting. But don't tell that to protagonist Fred, whose story takes place during one day in his elementary-school classroom. Fred thinks school is boring—and is convinced that his teacher Mr. Bailey is a robot intent on turning Fred and his classmates into boring robots as well. Fred unsuccessfully tries to convince his classmates (and the reader) of Mr. Bailey's nefarious plan, as a spider in the classroom turns into a gigantic monster and the cafeteria becomes a space station. Brown's signature comic style is on vivid display here. The vibrant double-page spreads in saturated colors are full of details that will have kids poring over their favorite pages again and again. Fred's active imagination spills onto these pages at every opportunity, turning recess into a superhero battle royale and history class into a trip to both the Mesozoic era and ancient Japan. The various personalities in this diverse group of classmates all get moments to shine. While Fred might still think his school day is boring, readers of this boisterous picture book will probably not agree. eric carpenter July/Aug p.104 Copyright 2019 Horn Book Magazine Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

In this graphic-novel-style picture book, Fred seeks to add excitement to a boring "robot" teacher's school day. Fred's bedroom wall is plastered with drawings of robots, dinosaurs, and planets; the rug is covered with toy dinosaurs, and a model robot made of recycled materials sits on the floor. At the kitchen table, Fred's mom, dressed for the office, says goodbye as Fred's eyes roll. Fred looks warily at Mr. Bailey after being dropped off at school by Dad, who pushes Fred's baby sibling in a stroller. "Class is SO boring. Everything Mr. Bailey says is robot talk!" While the other students work out their math problems, Fred spots a spider. On the next spread, the spider is shown as the size of the classroom, and Fred leads the class in excited spider talk. At recess, Fred and friends run around as superheroes, battling mud monsters. Thus also pass history and lunch, with the illustrated school scenes seamlessly representing the world of Fred's imagination even as Fred complains about Mr. Bailey's lack thereof. The day's climax is a test—creative writing becomes a wordless spread filled with robots, swords, characters in medieval garb, dinosaurs, and unicorns. The vivid illustrations feature strong lines with the look of carefully colored marker-style shading in bright hues. The classroom is racially diverse; Fred is white, the teacher is black. A child named Miriam appears to be gender nonconforming, and another uses arm braces. An entertaining romp through the mind of a child who refuses to settle for boring. (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright Kirkus 2019 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly Reviews

In this anecdotal tale, Brown (the Lucy & Andy Neanderthal series) steps out of the Stone Age into the flamboyant realm of a boy's imagination. Fred grumps that everything his dry, no-nonsense teacher says is "robot talk," and the boy's boredom propels his imaginings into overdrive: a spider dangling from the ceiling morphs into a gargantuan arachnid, a clump of dirt on the rainy playground springs to life as a "mud monster," and a history class on ancient Japan becomes a lesson on dinosaurs as several commandeer the classroom. When it's time for a writing test, Fred carps, "I bet we aren't even allowed to use our imaginations!"—but of course his flips into high gear, continuing to find evidence of teacher-as-robot until the final bell. Brown's vivid, glossy cartoons drolly interject Fred's whimsical daydreams into the classroom. Ages 3–7. (June)

School Library Journal Reviews

K-Gr 2—Fred thinks school is boring and is convinced that his teacher Mr. Bailey is a robot. As the school day starts, Fred is already unhappy until he spots a spider during math. He suddenly envisions a giant spider taking over the class. Fred's class ventures outside for recess but the rain cuts their playtime short. Fred thinks its because Mr. Bailey will short circuit. During history class, Fred is excited because he wants to learn about dinosaurs. He finds they are learning about Japan and decides not to participate. After lunch, Mr. Bailey says he's going to test them. Fred interrupts him saying he thinks Mr. Bailey is going to assign numbers to his classmates so he can keep track of them when he turns them into robots. Mr. Bailey is really just testing their writing skills and Fred is finally happy they get to write about what they want. When his dad comes to pick him up, he asks Fred about his school day and he says it was boring. Readers can see he is really smiling, thinking about the story he created. This picture book is sure to be a hit because of the large, colorful illustrations. The characters look modern, and Fred's futuristic vision of the classroom is fun to contemplate. VERDICT This is a great pick for a read-aloud to first and second graders who will understand the concept of not wanting to go to school but enjoying it anyway.—Amy Lukich, Tinley Park Public Library, IL