Clink
Here’s my selection for Perfect Picture Book Friday:
Clink
Written By Kelly DiPucchio
Illustrations by Matthew Myers
Balzer +Bray, Harper Collins Publishers, 2011
Fiction
Suitable for: ages 4-8
Theme/Topic: Being Different, Being Yourself, Fitting In, Outdated
Opening Spread: As far as robots go, Clink had his fair share of problems.
He was rusty (even his dust had rust).
He was squeaky (even his creaks made squeaks).
And a day didn’t pass without something falling off.
Plink! Pop! Ping!
But the problem that made clinks dials drop and his circuits short out was nobody wanted an old robot.
Brief Synopsis: From author’s website —
Clink was a state-of-the-art robot with the dazzling
ability to make toast and play music at the same time. But that was many years ago.
Now kids want snazzier robots who do things like play baseball and bake cookies. So day after day, Clink sits on a shelf and sadly watches his friends leave with their new owners.
Resources: Robot Activities for Kids on Pinterest. Robot Craft.
Why I Like This Book: We discovered this title while searching for robot books. We renewed the book twice. I spotted Clink on the library shelf and checked it out a third time. We needed to read him again. He is happy here and we are happy to have him. Clink is a great reminder that you can find your tribe — the people who like you for who you are. You may have to wait a little longer, but it’s well worth the wait.
There is a happy ending for Clink. His story is like the unwanted older dog at the pound, who finds a loving home.
For more PPBF books, visit Susanna Leonard Hill’s Blog.
I survived Pikes Peak Writers Conference!
I enjoyed meeting Jane and R.L. Stine.
I’m not into horror, but enjoyed Stine’s in-person humor. He began his career writing joke books under the name Jovial Bob Stine. (I ordered two of his out-of-print books and they are funny.)
Stine has a picture book coming out in August with Marc Brown called The Little Shop of Monsters. He said picture books are hard and it took multiple versions before his manuscript was accepted. I found this article about the birth of the book interesting.
He also said he’d never had a request to sign a book like this. To Mommy!
Me: This way my son knows this is MY book.
Stine: But, what happens when he doesn’t call you that anymore?
I didn’t have an answer, because my Enzo will always be my Enzo. I will always be his mommy. This will also always be MY book.
The Pikes Peak Writers Conference was wonderful. I met new writers, enjoyed many workshops, and remain grateful for the success of the silent auction — thanks to donors, bidders, and volunteers, who made it all possible. The experience of being around other writers a.k.a. people who just “know” is always energizing.