Picture Books about Robots for Young Kids

Robots are clever, funny and sometimes down right naughty characters in picture books for kids.

My kids love bedtime stories and we're always down at the library looking for newly published books with themes other than cuddly bears and pirates (although we really do love those stories too.)

It's exciting to see lots of new picture books about robots being released this year. Tech age kids should hear stories about things they'll discover in their world, and so here's a list of six picture books about robots currently available.

Wendell and the Robots

Written by Chris Riddell (published October 2015)

Wendel and the Robots? @ Amazon

If his inventions go wrong, Wendel just throws them away and starts again. So when Clunk, his robot assistant, fills the sock drawer with cups and saucers and makes tea in a boot, Wendel throws him on the scrapheap and makes himself a new assistant: the Wendelbot. But he gets more than he bargained for, and soon Wendel finds himself on the scrapheap. Can he win back his workshop from the mighty Wendelbot? Previously titled Wendel's Workshop.

Robots, Robots Everywhere!

Written by Sue Fliess (published September 2013)

Robots, Robots Everywhere (Little Golden Board Book)? @ Amazon

This colorful board book about robots—on farms, in factories, in space—will be a hit with curious preschoolers!

Doug Unplugged

Written by Dan Yaccarino (published Feb 2013)

Doug Unplugged? @ Amazon

Doug is a robot. His parents want him to be smart, so each morning they plug him in and start the information download. After a morning spent learning facts about the city, Doug suspects he could learn even more about the city by going outside and exploring it. And so Doug . . . unplugs. What follows is an exciting day of adventure and discovery. Doug learns amazing things by doing and seeing and touching and listening and above all, by interacting with a new friend.
Dan Yaccarino's funny story of robot rebellion is a great reminder that sometimes the best way to learn about the world is to go out and be in it."

• Also See: Read and Make Books for Kids

Boy + Bot

Written by Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino (published May 2012)

Boy and Bot? @ Amazon

One day, a boy and a robot meet in the woods. They play. They have fun.
But when Bot gets switched off, Boy thinks he's sick. The usual remedies—applesauce, reading a story—don't help, so Boy tucks the sick Bot in, then falls asleep.
Bot is worried when he powers on and finds his friend powered off. He takes Boy home with him and tries all his remedies: oil, reading an instruction manual. Nothing revives the malfunctioning Boy! Can the Inventor help fix him?
Using the perfect blend of sweetness and humor, this story of an adorable duo will win the hearts of the very youngest readers.

Robot Rumpus

Written by Sean Taylor (published July 2013)

Robot Rumpus!? @ Amazon

When Mum and Dad go out for the evening they think they've left their daughter in safe hands with robots designed to get her to bed! There's Cook-bot to make great spaghetti for dinner, Clean-bot to do the washing-up, Wash-bot for bath time and even Book-bot for a bedtime story. What could possibly go wrong?

• Also See: Coding Books for Young Kids

Robo-Sauce

Written by Adam Rubin

Robo-Sauce? @ Amazon

Hey, kid! Tired of just being a boring old human? No problem. With just one taste of this top-secret Robo-Sauce, you can transform into a robot! Now you have lasers for eyes and never have to eat your vegetables. Just be sure to take the robo-antidoto to turn back into a regular kid. After all, we can't just have robots stomping around all the time. Wait a minute, what are you doing? Did you just turn your dog and your family into robots? Are you turning everything into a rob. Beep. Bop. Boop. Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri have created a completely unique picture book that transforms into a shiny new ROBO-BOOK with the help of a wraparound gate fold. You'll have to see it to believe it!