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Rabbit & Robot
Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover
Rabbit’s carefully planned visit with Robot doesn’t work out exactly as he imagined in this offbeat tale about two comically mismatched friends.
Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night! Rabbit has left nothing to chance and has drawn up a list of all the things they will do. First off is making pizza, but Robot only likes nuts and bolts and screws on top (good thing he has magnetic hands). Next on the list is watching TV, but the remote is missing, and Rabbit is panicking! Will Robot find a logical (and rather obvious) solution to the problem? Number three is . . . uh-oh! Why is Robot lying down instead of playing Go Fish? And what is that message reading "BAT" printing out from a slot on his front? An adventure about a rabbit who likes to be in control and an obliging robot who calmly keeps their friendship humming.
Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night! Rabbit has left nothing to chance and has drawn up a list of all the things they will do. First off is making pizza, but Robot only likes nuts and bolts and screws on top (good thing he has magnetic hands). Next on the list is watching TV, but the remote is missing, and Rabbit is panicking! Will Robot find a logical (and rather obvious) solution to the problem? Number three is . . . uh-oh! Why is Robot lying down instead of playing Go Fish? And what is that message reading "BAT" printing out from a slot on his front? An adventure about a rabbit who likes to be in control and an obliging robot who calmly keeps their friendship humming.
56 pages, Hardcover
First published September 11, 2012
13 people are currently reading
222 people want to read
About the author
Cece Bell
28Ìýbooks803ÌýfollowersI'm an author and an illustrator, and sadly not a jazz pianist. I live in an old church in the hills of Virginia with my husband, author Tom Angleberger. I work right next door in a new-ish barn. I've written and illustrated a bunch of books for kids and was lucky enough to get a Geisel Honor for one of 'em. If you want to know more about my hearing loss or my childhood (or both), check out my first graphic novel, El Deafo. It's only slightly fictionalized, honest! I'm at if you want to see more weird stuff.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
November 14, 2012
It would be simpler if kids read at exact levels at all times. Wouldn't it be grand if you had a kid go strategically from easy books to early chapter books to older chapter books without so much as a glitch in the system? But as it happens the road to literacy is not this smooth varnished path off into the sunset. There are bumps, and valleys, and wobbly bits where the pavement chips off. That's why certain school systems have introduced concepts like "Levels". A kid reads at a certain level, masters it, and moves on to the next one. Of course, the danger with that kind of thing is that it never gives kids a chance to challenge themselves. If they're Level L and are handed Level O, many adamantly refuse to consider trying something that "hard". That's why the world needs more books like this here Rabbit and Robot. Here you have that rarest of rare beasts, the early early chapter book. Harder than Frog and Toad, easier than Magic Tree House, it's a transitional title that's the perfect thing to get kids out of their reading ruts and into the wide and wonderful world of chapters. Lots of books attempt to do that sort of thing, but it takes a delicate hand like Cece Bell's to also pepper the book with memorable, hilarious characters and a simultaneously familiar and unique plotline. This is only the first in the adventures of uptight Rabbit and groovy go-with-the-flow Robot, but I trust we'll see more of them in the future. The world demands more of the same, consarn it!
Good buddies Rabbit and Robot (just go with it) are about to have their first sleepover at Rabbit's place and both of them are very excited. Rabbit, a by-the-book kind of guy, has every evening activity written out and planned to the letter. And Robot, an easygoing fellow bearing a vague resemblance to a cell phone on wheels, is just the kind of stand up friend to throw a distinct wrench in the works. First Rabbit's plan to "Make Pizza" is changed slightly when Robot removes the bulk of the home's nuts and bolts to top his own pizza pie. Then Rabbit can't find the remote and a near nervous breakdown occurs before Robot reveals the simple solution. A game of Go Fish takes a header when something odd happens to Robot. And finally, bedtime is the perfect moment to review and see that even if everything didn't go precisely to plan, it was still a really nice day.
The distinct advantage of being your own author/illustrator is that you never have to consult with your collaborator. Bell's style has always been akin to that of Crockett Johnson and the like. It's this pure-lined style that embraces simplicity over clutter. When working in her usual picture book vein, Ms. Bell's books are straightforward in their plots and visuals. Here in Rabbit & Robot she uses her lines to convey the characters' moods with great verve. Rabbit is as easy to smile as he is prone to overwrought hysterics. Robot, in comparison, is simultaneously laid back and energetic. This comes across particularly well when Rabbit first presents Robot with his anal retentive list of what their evening will have to consist of. Robot, we know from our reading, has other ideas about what they'll be doing, but you can tell from the picture that he's mostly keeping that to himself. There's a bemused smile playing about his metallic lips. You get the feeling from pictures like that that he knows precisely how this evening will go, and it's Rabbit who'll be the surprised one in the end. Then there's the characters' look. It took me a while to realize it, but there's something oddly satisfying about looking at that perfect triangle that serves as Rabbit's nose and the elongated rectangle that's Robot's. It just works.
You could say the book has a classic feel and this would be true. Does it have an old-fashioned feel or a contemporary feel, though? I'm going to side with contemporary in terms of the characters and the interactions. While I've no doubt that kids 50 years down the road could still get a kick out of these characters, the book doesn't feel like it belongs to the past. The art, however, definitely relies on some tried and true historical tropes. Note, if you will, the telephones that Rabbit and Robot speak into on the title page. Aside from the fact that they appear in little bubbles ala Bye-Bye Birdie there is the fact that they both are on landlines (with cords and everything!). Be ready to explain to your kids what exactly those types of phones are when they ask you. Then there's Rabbit's television set. He does indeed have a nice little remote for it, but who else noticed the awesome bunny ears (ho ho) perched on top of the TV? The TV itself is perched on a kind of Jetsons-esque stand, which is cool in and of itself. One get the distinct feeling that if a camera were to appear in the course of this tale they'd be buying film for it and taking it down to the local photomat to get it printed.
The odd couple format has proved to be a tried and true way of getting kids into early chapter book fare. Whether you're reading about , , or , opposites attract. They attract one another and they attract burgeoning readers who need something a little silly, a little sly, and a little enticing if they're going to keep doing this whole "reading" thing folks keep trying to push on them. Go into most libraries and you'll find that easy books and early chapter books are some of the most popular in the system. All the more reason to let something like Rabbit & Robot into your life. It's new and fresh and thoroughly enjoyable, whether you're reading it to a kid or they're parsing it on their own. There's a new odd couple in town and hopefully they'll return to us again soon.
For ages 5-8.
Good buddies Rabbit and Robot (just go with it) are about to have their first sleepover at Rabbit's place and both of them are very excited. Rabbit, a by-the-book kind of guy, has every evening activity written out and planned to the letter. And Robot, an easygoing fellow bearing a vague resemblance to a cell phone on wheels, is just the kind of stand up friend to throw a distinct wrench in the works. First Rabbit's plan to "Make Pizza" is changed slightly when Robot removes the bulk of the home's nuts and bolts to top his own pizza pie. Then Rabbit can't find the remote and a near nervous breakdown occurs before Robot reveals the simple solution. A game of Go Fish takes a header when something odd happens to Robot. And finally, bedtime is the perfect moment to review and see that even if everything didn't go precisely to plan, it was still a really nice day.
The distinct advantage of being your own author/illustrator is that you never have to consult with your collaborator. Bell's style has always been akin to that of Crockett Johnson and the like. It's this pure-lined style that embraces simplicity over clutter. When working in her usual picture book vein, Ms. Bell's books are straightforward in their plots and visuals. Here in Rabbit & Robot she uses her lines to convey the characters' moods with great verve. Rabbit is as easy to smile as he is prone to overwrought hysterics. Robot, in comparison, is simultaneously laid back and energetic. This comes across particularly well when Rabbit first presents Robot with his anal retentive list of what their evening will have to consist of. Robot, we know from our reading, has other ideas about what they'll be doing, but you can tell from the picture that he's mostly keeping that to himself. There's a bemused smile playing about his metallic lips. You get the feeling from pictures like that that he knows precisely how this evening will go, and it's Rabbit who'll be the surprised one in the end. Then there's the characters' look. It took me a while to realize it, but there's something oddly satisfying about looking at that perfect triangle that serves as Rabbit's nose and the elongated rectangle that's Robot's. It just works.
You could say the book has a classic feel and this would be true. Does it have an old-fashioned feel or a contemporary feel, though? I'm going to side with contemporary in terms of the characters and the interactions. While I've no doubt that kids 50 years down the road could still get a kick out of these characters, the book doesn't feel like it belongs to the past. The art, however, definitely relies on some tried and true historical tropes. Note, if you will, the telephones that Rabbit and Robot speak into on the title page. Aside from the fact that they appear in little bubbles ala Bye-Bye Birdie there is the fact that they both are on landlines (with cords and everything!). Be ready to explain to your kids what exactly those types of phones are when they ask you. Then there's Rabbit's television set. He does indeed have a nice little remote for it, but who else noticed the awesome bunny ears (ho ho) perched on top of the TV? The TV itself is perched on a kind of Jetsons-esque stand, which is cool in and of itself. One get the distinct feeling that if a camera were to appear in the course of this tale they'd be buying film for it and taking it down to the local photomat to get it printed.
The odd couple format has proved to be a tried and true way of getting kids into early chapter book fare. Whether you're reading about , , or , opposites attract. They attract one another and they attract burgeoning readers who need something a little silly, a little sly, and a little enticing if they're going to keep doing this whole "reading" thing folks keep trying to push on them. Go into most libraries and you'll find that easy books and early chapter books are some of the most popular in the system. All the more reason to let something like Rabbit & Robot into your life. It's new and fresh and thoroughly enjoyable, whether you're reading it to a kid or they're parsing it on their own. There's a new odd couple in town and hopefully they'll return to us again soon.
For ages 5-8.
September 27, 2020
Cute little book with humor a la elephant and piggy.
Read
March 21, 2013"I have some data that will interest you..."
June 6, 2024
� 2013 Geisel Honor Book �
What a sweet and funny book about two friends! Rabbit and Robot have a sleepover and Rabbit wants to rigidly keep to the schedule he made. But Robot is able to help him be a bit more flexible when things go awry.
Materials used: “created digitally�
Typeface used: “Scala and Digital�
What a sweet and funny book about two friends! Rabbit and Robot have a sleepover and Rabbit wants to rigidly keep to the schedule he made. But Robot is able to help him be a bit more flexible when things go awry.
Materials used: “created digitally�
Typeface used: “Scala and Digital�
January 30, 2025
What Sarah Said
October 13, 2013
Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover by Cece Bell (2012)
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Format: Book
Plot summary:Rabbit is excited about the sleepover he has carefully planned for his friend Robot, but Robot has some different ideas about how things should go.
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory (strong language, sex, death, religious overtones, violence, etc.): No special considerations.
Review citation (if available): Chipman, Ian. Booklist , 8/1/2012, Vol. 108 Issue 22, p78-78, 1/9p
Section source used to find the material: Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor (2013), MCPL Booklist "Too-Good-To-Miss Books: First Grade"
Recommended age: 5-8 years.
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Format: Book
Plot summary:Rabbit is excited about the sleepover he has carefully planned for his friend Robot, but Robot has some different ideas about how things should go.
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory (strong language, sex, death, religious overtones, violence, etc.): No special considerations.
Review citation (if available): Chipman, Ian. Booklist , 8/1/2012, Vol. 108 Issue 22, p78-78, 1/9p
Section source used to find the material: Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor (2013), MCPL Booklist "Too-Good-To-Miss Books: First Grade"
Recommended age: 5-8 years.
November 14, 2012
I love a well done easy reader tale, and Rabbit and Robot fits the bill nicely. Spot on for age appropriate-ness (a sleepover complete with pizza, card games, a favorite TV show, and funny pajamas). Terrific friendship dynamics--I love the subtle hints that best friends don't have to like the same things. And the list!! One of my all-time favorite Frog and Toad stories is "The List"; if Rabbit and Robt were Toad and Frog in disguise, I would totally buy it. Marvelous.
October 15, 2012
This book is so stinking cute and super funny. My son and I crack up laughing each and every time we read this book. Brilliant.
October 26, 2012
Wow, Rabbit is Sheldon Cooper in bunny form! :P Cute multi-chapter reader - it would be a fun read aloud to do Robot's voice.
December 11, 2012
Many funny moments in this story about an unusual friendship.
November 7, 2012
What a fun story - hope to see more Rabbit & Robot adventures. Especially loved the illustrations and special dialogue. This one can sit right next to Boy + Bot!
January 9, 2013
Just a little bit of genius. I'm a list-maker myself, so I know just how Rabbit feels. Gently funny with a great vocabulary. Kids will love this.
August 16, 2014
This was a very fun book read to my nephew this morning. Two inexplicable best friends as Robot comes over to spend the night.
July 13, 2015
fun read aloud
July 15, 2018
Rabbit’s carefully planned visit with Robot doesn’t work out exactly as he imagined in this offbeat tale about two comically mismatched friends.
Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night! Rabbit has left nothing to chance and has drawn up a list of all the things they will do. First off is making pizza, but Robot only likes nuts and bolts and screws on top (good thing he has magnetic hands). Next on the list is watching TV, but the remote is missing, and Rabbit is panicking! Will Robot find a logical (and rather obvious) solution to the problem? Number three is . . . uh-oh! Why is Robot lying down instead of playing Go Fish? And what is that message reading "BAT" printing out from a slot on his front? An adventure about a rabbit who likes to be in control and an obliging robot who calmly keeps their friendship humming.
Rabbit is excited: his friend Robot is coming to spend the night! Rabbit has left nothing to chance and has drawn up a list of all the things they will do. First off is making pizza, but Robot only likes nuts and bolts and screws on top (good thing he has magnetic hands). Next on the list is watching TV, but the remote is missing, and Rabbit is panicking! Will Robot find a logical (and rather obvious) solution to the problem? Number three is . . . uh-oh! Why is Robot lying down instead of playing Go Fish? And what is that message reading "BAT" printing out from a slot on his front? An adventure about a rabbit who likes to be in control and an obliging robot who calmly keeps their friendship humming.
January 1, 2017
12/31/2016 ** I discovered this 2012 title when I was looking for a 2016 Nerdy winner Rabbit & Robot and Ribbit.
Rabbit learns valuable lessons about being a good friend by sharing decision making. Robot's sleepover is hysterically funny and the illustrations beautifully support the text. This book/series will be an excellent addition to my school library's collection of Early Readers.
While this is an excellent tale to simply enjoy, it could also lead to valuable conversations between parents/teachers and children who live with others who have a difficult time understanding the feelings of others or who are strongly tied to the "list" or the ways things are "supposed to go."
Rabbit learns valuable lessons about being a good friend by sharing decision making. Robot's sleepover is hysterically funny and the illustrations beautifully support the text. This book/series will be an excellent addition to my school library's collection of Early Readers.
While this is an excellent tale to simply enjoy, it could also lead to valuable conversations between parents/teachers and children who live with others who have a difficult time understanding the feelings of others or who are strongly tied to the "list" or the ways things are "supposed to go."
June 28, 2017
Review from my 8-year-old daughter: "My favorite part was when Rabbit got the remote stuck in his ear! I picked this book because it had a rabbit in it. I was a little mad that they didn't actually play Go Fish, my favorite game, which is why I gave it 4 stars. Otherwise, I would give it 5. Rabbit reminds me of my best friend. We had a sleepover once, and she had a list of everything we were supposed to do. And we HAD to do it in order. Robot's more of a combination of me and my sister. This book wasn't too hard, but it wasn't too easy. I like that it had chapters, but I didn't want to read it all at once. I like to read it on more than one day."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 17, 2018
"Rabbit and Robot: The Sleepover" was a very cute, comical read for young children to enjoy. I really enjoyed Robot and thought he brought a lot of humor to the story. I enjoyed when he liked nuts, bolts, and screws on his pizza and when he needed new batteries. I think children who like robots and electronics will enjoy this book due to Robot. Rabbit also was a great character and I thought it was funny when the remote was in-between his big floppy ears. The illustrations were great and really followed the story spot on. I also liked how each thing on the to-do list was split into chapters. Overall, I think this is a great read and I really enjoyed it!
February 19, 2024
As the poet Robert Burns has warned us all, "The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men (An Rabbits) gang aft agley. Like it or not, that includes when the schemes and plans and expectations are for a simple sleepover.
When Robot comes to this sleepover, will it go as delightfully as Rabbit has planned?
1. Make pizza.
2. Watch TV
3. Play Go Fish
4 Go to Bed
MY FAVORITE MOMENT IN THIS BOOK?
It happens when Robot got Rabbit to stop running.
"I have some data that will interest you," said Robot. "Follow me."
That data turned out to be pretty darned funny.
FIVE STARS again, to Cece Bell, for her simply hilarious words and pictures.
When Robot comes to this sleepover, will it go as delightfully as Rabbit has planned?
1. Make pizza.
2. Watch TV
3. Play Go Fish
4 Go to Bed
MY FAVORITE MOMENT IN THIS BOOK?
It happens when Robot got Rabbit to stop running.
"I have some data that will interest you," said Robot. "Follow me."
That data turned out to be pretty darned funny.
FIVE STARS again, to Cece Bell, for her simply hilarious words and pictures.
May 31, 2018
This was my son's first chapter book experience. He was so sad to see it returned to the library. He's 4 and not reading independently but this is an easy read for a parent to do with a child. The chapters are just the right length. I loved how the friends are so different but still get along. I love how they are a bit difficult at times (Rabbits inflexibility, Robot's destruction of the table) but that each friend deals with the shortcomings of the other through kindness and openness. A sweet tale of an odd friendship. We both loved it.
July 13, 2019
Cece Bell is hilarious, and she brings her trademark sense of humor to this sweet book of friendship for younger readers. Reminiscent of Frog and Toad, Rabbit and Robot navigate Rabbit’s master plan for their sleepover, in spite of setbacks. I loved the message that friends can like being together even if they don’t like the same pizza toppings or games, and that a plan can be changed when a friend really needs you. The illustrations are sweet and accessible for kids, and the text is simple, but never boring. I am looking forward to reading more books about Rabbit and Robot!
September 1, 2023
Rabbit and Robot are friends. Rabbit is so excited to have Robot over for a sleepover that he makes a list of things they must do. Unfortunately, Robot doesn’t necessarily want to do those things, and Rabbit has trouble deviating from his list.
This was a cute early chapter book about two friends learning to be friends and work together to have a good time, despite their differences.
Each chapter is short and comes to its own conclusion (so they are easy to read one at a time for new readers). As a read aloud, Robot also leaves a wonderful opportunity to use a fun robot voice.
This was a cute early chapter book about two friends learning to be friends and work together to have a good time, despite their differences.
Each chapter is short and comes to its own conclusion (so they are easy to read one at a time for new readers). As a read aloud, Robot also leaves a wonderful opportunity to use a fun robot voice.
February 12, 2018
This was an okay book. I could see kids enjoying the silliness of a robot and a rabbit having a sleepover. There were some parts of it that I thought were cute. I liked when robot wore rabbit’s pajamas. The illustrations were okay. A bit on the simple side. The chapters were short. It’s interesting to look at it from an older perspective, noting that the words are all sounded out instead of having contractions which children wouldn’t have learned yet.
December 1, 2018
Rabbit, who has planned an excellent list of things to do with his friend Robot. When Robot arrives at Rabbit’s house, they begin the first thing on the list, which is ‘make pizza�. Rabbit begins to realize that Robot doesn’t like the things that Rabbit does, and begins to worry. Although somewhat of a lengthier transition book for younger students, the vocabulary is controlled and friendly, and the conflicts are resolved with entertaining and fun solutions.
May 31, 2021
Friendship!
I found myself tripping over "Robot" and "Rabbit" as words. And it's looooong. Like, there are chapters. Definitely something to read in the era before you graduate actual chapter books.
The art is solid and the friendship is very wholesome. Rabbit seems exhausting as a friend to be honest but Robot is pretty chill. I'm glad he puts up with Rabbit, else Rabbit would probably end up a disgruntled MRA in a few years.
I found myself tripping over "Robot" and "Rabbit" as words. And it's looooong. Like, there are chapters. Definitely something to read in the era before you graduate actual chapter books.
The art is solid and the friendship is very wholesome. Rabbit seems exhausting as a friend to be honest but Robot is pretty chill. I'm glad he puts up with Rabbit, else Rabbit would probably end up a disgruntled MRA in a few years.
January 29, 2018
Rabbit is excited that his friend Robot is coming over for a sleepover, but they have different ideas of what to eat and what to do. This Theodore Seuss Geisel Honor Book has short chapters with lots of pictures and not a lot of text. It's a good next step for who find most easy readers to be too easy and are becoming increasingly ready for chapter books.
February 8, 2018
Rabbit makes a list of things to do when Robot comes for a sleepover. Things don't go exactly as planned, so Rabbit throws a fit. Robot reassures Rabbit that it was still a good day. I liked Cece Bell's El Deafo, so I enjoyed her illustrations in this book. Readers who enjoy the Scaredy Squirrel series will find similarities in this book.
September 12, 2018
I read a chapter of this easy-reader chapter book with S tonight. L listened in, too. While I think S could read some of this, it would be a pretty heavy lift for him at this point in his learning-to-read process, so tonight I just let him chill and I did the reading. All three of us were laughing about Rabbit and Robot. I think the kids appreciated my Robot voice. :-)
October 17, 2018
This is a beginning chapter book for early readers. The story explores the differences in the way we do things and what might be perceived as normal. We see the rabbit get very upset when the robot prefers different food, games and schedule for the evening, but they don't give up on their friendship.
November 16, 2019
There sure are a lot of leveled readers about odd couple friendships. I guess kids this age are learning how to be a good friend, just as the characters in the books are learning. In this one rabbit needs to learn that there are fun things to do that he didn't put on the list himself, and robot needs to communicate his needs more carefully. Pretty darn cute.
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