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Tom Gauld
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The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess Hardcover – Picture Book, August 24, 2021

by Tom Gauld (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 378 ratings
Editors' pick Best Books Ages 3-5
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A New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of the Year

In this fresh new fairy tale, a wooden robot embarks on a quest to find his missing sister-- making for a memorable contemporary bedtime story in acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld's first picture book for children.

For years, the king and queen have tried desperately to have a baby. Their wish was granted twice, when an engineer and a witch gave them a little wooden robot and an enchanted log princess.

But there's just one catch: every night when the log princess sleeps, she transforms back into an ordinary log, and can only be woken up with magic words.

The princess and her robot brother are are inseparable, until the sleeping princess, mistaken for lumber, is accidentally carted off to parts unknown. Now it's up to her devoted brother to find her, and get them safely back home.

They need to take turns to get each other home, and on the way, they face a host of adventures involving the Queen of Mushrooms, a magic pudding, a baby in a rosebush, and an old lady in a bottle.

This is acclaimed graphic novelist Tom Gauld's first picture book for children, inspired by a bedtime story he made up for his daughters. In his words, "I was trying to make a book inspired by three different sets of books: The books that I remember enjoying as a child, the books that I watched my daughters enjoying, and the books I enjoy now as an adult. I wanted the book to have its own quirky feeling but also to function like a classic bedtime story."


An ALSC Notable Children's Book
A Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title
A People Magazine Best Kids Book of the Year
A Washington Post Best Children's Book of the Year
A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book of the Year
A Financial Times Best Book of the Year
An NPR 'Book We Love!'
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A Shelf Awareness Best Children's Book of the Year
A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book!
A Publishers Lunch Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
An Evanston Public Library Great Books for Kids pick!
A CCBC Choice
A Mighty Girl Best Book of the Year
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    3 - 6 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    40 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 3
  5. Dimensions
    9.43 x 0.37 x 11.29 inches
  6. Publisher
    Neal Porter Books
  7. Publication date
    August 24, 2021
  8. ISBN-10
    0823446980
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0823446988
  10. See all details
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From the Publisher

Fairy tale;fractured fairy tales;modern fairy tale;witches;good witch;princess;magic stories;

"What an astonishingly sweet book."

—Neil Gaiman

A glimpse behind-the-scenes. . . .

magical picture book;fairy tale picture book;royalty;robots;inventors;adventures;comics

adventure picture books;magic story;funny picture book;funny bedtime story;funny fairy tale

tom gauld;tom gauld graphic novel;comic picture book;graphic novel fairy tale;fable

"A wooden masterpiece."

—Lemony Snicket

Graphic novelist Tom Gauld creates his first book for children, an original fairy tale filled with quirky humor, meticulously detailed illustrations, and wild adventure to stir young readers' imaginations . . .

"There's a whole universe within these pages. Fun to read, clever, and kind."

—Jillian Tamaki

A sample spread from the book.

"Tom Gauld is one of the best storytellers working and everything he does so well is here–

it is beautiful, immersive, expertly told, and breathes completely on its own."

—Jon Klassen

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 4—This the tale of a king and queen (he with white skin, she with brown) who long for a child. Their wishes come true with the help of a kind inventor and a good witch, and they end up with not one child but two: a wooden robot boy and his princess sister. There is a slight glitch as one might expect in a fairy tale—the princess turns into a log nightly and has to be woken each morning with a magical phrase. Despite this relatively minor detail, the siblings enjoy their lives until one day a dramatic turn of events sets them on an action-packed adventure, requiring them to each rescue the other on their perilous journey home. With pen drawings colored digitally, Eisner-winning Gauld's picture book debut is a story full of fairy-tale magic with timeless touches and modernity woven together seamlessly. The brilliant pacing of the story, accomplished in both illustrations and text, make this a truly delightful tale that will be enjoyed by a wide-ranging audience. With heroic beetles and delightful multiracial siblings, this is a magical offering. VERDICT Utterly charming and full of positivity, magic, and love, this is a must-have for every collection.—John Scott, Baltimore County P.S.

Review

"Fairy tale tropes are upended in Gauld’s charming tale of royal siblings who take turns rescuing each other."—PEOPLE

"One of the best picture books I’ve read this year. . . . It’s impossible not to cheer for this unlikely sibling duo, the eponymous little wooden robot and his sister, the log princess. . . . The book is welcomely, and interestingly, diverse as well, shaking up familiar formulas."—The New York Times

"This funny and heartfelt book is a wonderful introduction to the language of cartooning for kids who before long will be devouring graphic novels like candy."—The Washington Post

"With appealing, clean-lined artwork and a storyline full of affectionate characters and selfless deeds, "The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess" will be an especially good read-aloud for families"—Wall Street Journal

★ "The brilliant pacing of the story, accomplished in both illustrations and text, make this a truly delightful tale that will be enjoyed by a wide ranging audience. With heroic beetles and delightful multiracial siblings, this is a magical offering."—School Library Journal, Starred Review  

★ "This invented fairy tale by cartoonist Gauld (Mooncop, for adults) offers whimsy, imaginative power, and narrative poise."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ "A marvelous journey. . . . Gauld’s fairy tale feels both timeless and completely new; utterly fresh, yet like a story heard long ago and finally found again. Enchanting."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

★ "In his children’s book debut, Gauld demonstrates his love for odd, funny, invented archetypes (such as the Queen of the Mushrooms) while elsewhere playing it absolutely straight, showing respect for his audience and for the fairy-tale form."—The Horn Book, Starred Review

★ "The beautifully worded narrative and engaging artwork combine to give this picture book its considerable appeal. . . . A captivating, original fairy tale."—Booklist, Starred Review

★  "This modern fairy tale invokes its predecessors well; Gauld's art is particularly striking, with pen lines that combine the aesthetics of a classic cartoonish look and traditional woodcut art, divided frequently into comic book panels. Humor runs throughout the story. . . . This will likely be an instant bedtime staple."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Starred Review

★ "Fairy-tale tropes are tweaked in this delightsome picture book about a couple of royal (and loyal) siblings--one a wooden boy, the other a log princess."—Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

"What an astonishingly sweet book. I worried about the log princess, loved all the adventures we never saw, and cheered the family of beetles."—Neil Gaiman

"A wooden masterpiece."—Lemony Snicket

"The part about the witch is really, really good."—Lisa Brown

"Tom Gauld has created a masterful classic fairytale of a picture book that hits in all the right ways. In his inimitable style, he has squeezed royalty, robots, witches, inventors, trolls, sea-captains, forests, ghosts, and… beetles (!) into a beautiful, odd, adventurous and satisfying story. All wrapped up, of course, with the bow of sibling love."—Oliver Jeffers

"There's a whole universe within these pages. Fun to read, clever, and kind."—Jillian Tamaki

"Tom Gauld is one of the best storytellers working and everything he does so well is here - it is beautiful, immersive, expertly told, and breathes completely on its own. I am jealous of it."—Jon Klassen
 
"I didn’t know the world needed another fairy tale until I read this funny, beautiful, perfect book."—Carson Ellis

"Written and illustrated by an award-winning cartoonist and graphic novelist, this book spins a modern day fairytale which introduces young readers to a magical universe chock-full of interesting characters. Children will pour over the whimsical cartoon-style pen drawings detailed with cross hatching and colored in muted tones as they search for objects and characters shown in the background throughout the story."—School Library Connection

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Neal Porter Books (August 24, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 40 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0823446980
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0823446988
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 3 - 6 years, from customers
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 3
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.43 x 0.37 x 11.29 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 378 ratings

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Tom Gauld

Tom Gauld

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
378 global ratings
Incredible illustrations, average story
3 Stars
Incredible illustrations, average story
The illustrations and page layouts are exceptionally beautiful and detailed. The story, while having an imaginative premise, sometimes feels contrived and over-long. At 1,200+ words it's twice a long as a typical picture book, and it feels like some of the descriptions could be cut, especially since the pictures say so much. The story feels like it was written "looking down" by a distant and omnipotent god, constructing the story like a puzzle and providing solutions at the perfect moment -- rather than it being character-driven and emotionally compelling. In fact, for some reason, it feels hard to connect with any character.But alas, these are the criticisms from an adult (worse, a writer) -- perhaps children will delight in the story more. While far from their favorite, our kids enjoyed it.
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Top reviews from the United States

Mark Mckinley
5.0 out of 5 stars Best kids book I’ve read in years
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2023
Verified Purchase
Great story, great illustrations, good values. One of the best kids books ever written.
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Nicole
5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet and Fun
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2023
Verified Purchase
Cool story, very sweet and fun. Brother and sister. Not full of dumb old school gender stereotypes. Two spots in the story have the potential for neat side convos with the kids, to use their imagination, depending on how much time you've got before the over-tired-crazies kick in.
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Johann
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book. Kids spellbound by the story and pictures.
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
My 4 year-old brought this to day car with her and the teacher read it to the class. Teacher said that all the kids were absolutely entranced by the story.

It’s wonderfully fresh and classic at the same time. Great art. We’ll worth the money. Highly recommended.

Both my 4 year old girl and 2 year-old boy love it and have asked me to read it over and over again.
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Karen Evans-Popsack
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Storytime Book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
This has become my nephew's favorite bedtime story. He wants to read it every night and is especially fond of the "Wood Wobot" and his family of Beetles. The illustrations are delightful and are fun to investigate for a child and for adults. Highly recommend this book for any child (or adult) that loves a clever tale and thoughtful, detailed illustrations.
One person found this helpful
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Eva D.
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a sweet story with amazing illustrations
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
I gave this book to the 7 year old daughter of a friend and the daughter cannot get enough of it. Apparently she is reading it to everyone who comes over to the house. The story is gentle and sweet and there is so much happening in the illustrations that you will want to stop and look through them all.
2 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
This is one of my favorite books to gift and everyone loves it. The story is unique and well-written and a little longer than most children's book which is great for older toddlers and pre-schoolers since they are able to sit for longer during a story. Definitely get a copy of this book.
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Belinda Grimbeek
5.0 out of 5 stars Fairytale about brother and sister live
Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
I read a book today: THE LITTLE WOODEN ROBOT AND THE LOG PRINCESS by @tomgauld

How refreshing to read a story about brother-sisterly affection. It’s chiseled a totem of sincere sibling love into my heart. So sweet!

My favorite part are the mini-adventures each sibling goes through which not only reinforces their commitment to each other but also builds up the climax exponentially.

The story telling voice matched the medieval-styled illustrations to a tee!

My biggest takeaway as an author-illustrator was with the page design. Have fun and think outside the box. Tom Gauld took the comic-strip design and completely made it his own, thinking outside the box within boxes, and outside the boxes…using the style to further enhance the story, weaving word and picture into single purpose.

And then the ending (no spoiler here)…so sweet! Absolutely loved this book!

#picturebookdesign #picturebookstyle #picturebookvoice #comicstrip #fairytale
4 people found this helpful
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Kathleen Finken
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy to understand family story
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
The illustrations were wonderful, and the story of family members connection to one another cannot be repeated enough. The characters are easy to relate to and even for the very young they are fanciful and real.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Debora Lobao Massuia
5.0 out of 5 stars Al good
Reviewed in Canada on August 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Shipping was done accordingly, it arrived in perfect conditions and the story is so cute.
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Miss Penny
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is such a lovely book. My little boy loves robots so I bought this for him for his 5th birthday. The story and illustrations are both wonderful. The language and story structure are both perfect for his age and it's a joy to read.
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dahmane
5.0 out of 5 stars Zauberhaft
Reviewed in Germany on February 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ein ganz zauberhaftes kleines Buch, das Erwartungen unterläuft und doch ganz authentisch und überzeugend ist. Gemalt und geschrieben in der leicht unterkühlten Art, die für Tom Gault so typisch ist. Wir mögen das sehr! Absolut empfehlenswert.
Für wen?
Für Kinder mit einer nicht zu romantischen Phantasie, die ihr Spielzeug lieben. Es müssen scchon etwas außergewöhnliche Kinder sein, nicht die liebenswerten Blagen, die auf Einhörner, Elsa oder Pat Patrol stehen!
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Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in Sweden on September 21, 2022
Verified Purchase
I grown to be a huge fun of Tom Gauld and his work.
I bought this one for my daughter and she liked it.
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Alessia
5.0 out of 5 stars una delicata storia di amore fraterno
Reviewed in Italy on November 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
Delicata storia di amore fraterno e di perseveranza di fronte alle avversità illustrata dalla geniale matita di Tom Gauld che riempie le pagine di particolari che i vostri bambini si incanteranno ad osservare.
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