[.ca] Nova The Robot Novas Ark The Book And Toy Set (ISBN 0448438178)

From Amazon.com:
"In his tiny bedroom, high above the city, Nova leaned over his workbench--wrapping, twisting, cutting, clipping. The evening sun glinted off his steel brow, then sank behind the crystal spires of Roton, making them glisten like rubies." So begins David Kirk's futuristic picture book Nova's Ark, the somewhat complex story of a young robot named Nova, whose most precious possession (besides his robot dog "Sparky") is a brittle wooden ark and a set of carved animals made by humans in the ancient days of Roton. Nova misses his dad, who left on a space mission nearly a year ago. He dreams (when plugging himself into the dream console) of flying to the stars with his adventurous father. Exploration, it seems, is "in his wiring." On a school field trip to the Space Center, Nova's world turns upside down. At the pilot's console of the Glax Cruiser, he can't help himself--he pulls the lever and the spaceship roars to life! Before he knows it he is lost and alone in outer space. Weeks pass. Months! One day, in his search for his home planet, he crashes into a mountain on a barren moon and his ship is destroyed: "There were no signs of robot life. How would he ever get home? Who would take care of his mother? Who would take care of Sparky?" He wondered if this was how his father felt on his lone travels. The next morning he awakes to a cheerful new sun and decides to concoct Sparky number 2 out of the wreckage of his crashed spaceship. He doesn't stop there! He builds a whole menagerie of animals... and last but not least "an elephant ark, whose mighty trunk bellowed a message deep into the heavens: 'HELP!'" His distant father evidently hears the call, but crashes in his attempt to find his son, and is seriously injured. Each of Nova's robot animals gives something of itself to revive him... and Nova donates a valve from his own heart. It works! Of course, his dad has kangaroo feet... but he is alive! After many mechanical shenanigans--and a wonderful discovery of crystal energy that means salvation for their planet--they fly home to Roton and are greeted as heroes. Kirk, beloved creator of the Miss Spider books, has produced a masterpiece of 3-D computer imaging so vivid it recalls the set of Toy Story, but the plot twists and turns and dense narrative will demand quite a bit more concentration. (Ages 6 and older; perhaps best for reading aloud) --Karin Snelson

eye candy:
I rarely splurge on a hardcover book, these days, as my youngest reader is 8 years old. I purchased this book, however, because my daughter and I have enjoyed Miss Spider's Tea Party so much over the years. I read Nova's Ark to her third grade all-girl's class today, and it received an "A" ! The girls loved the pictures, and had questions about how the illustrations were done. They loved the plot, and at several points were able to make predictions at every surprising twist and turn. They asked me to leave the book in their classroom so they could re-read it and look over the colorful and whimsical illustrations. While we all missed the clever rhymes of Miss Spider fame, we enjoyed the language and style of Nova. We tried several robot voices as we read out loud. Also, the girls enjoyed seeing all of the clever animals Nova makes while on the planet Zyke. My daughter enjoyed the book out loud more than she has enjoyed perusing it on her own. A great picture book, and worth the investment because it's got eye candy!

UNIQUE MENTAL IMAGERY!:
From the very first page of text the reader is sent on an incredible journey with the main character, Nova. Nova is that child that we all can identify with when he says "Is this how my father feels when he's away?". The idea that his Dad will surely find him and finally their reunion and struggle to get back home keep the reader totally engaged. Back at home Nova is greeted as a hero - something all children can identify with. My 6 year old liked the idea that Nova followed his dream of exploring space. He thought that the illustrations looked exactly as he had imagined outer space to be. He thinks it is great the way Nova brings his spaceships and models to share with the class and the idea that they take field trips. We read this book over and over never tiring of the story and vibrant illustrations.

Read it aloud and loved it!:
I read this aloud to a group of 5th grade all boys and they loved it. It kept their interest as the story moved along at a rather quick pace. They seemed like they couldn't wait until I turned the page. The illustrations are second to none.

Impossible to keep your hands off:
What a gorgeous book! It demands that you reach out and touch it, turn the pages, and look, over and over again. Each page has so much visual material that it will take a long time before this book becomes too familiar. You're not necessarily going to catch the diaper on the baby robot the first or second time through, but these touches make it wonderful for children whether they can read or not. In fact, the main problem in reading it aloud is getting them to let you turn the page. I would recommend this book for any child. Two minor caveats: The story is not up to the illustrations, but very few stories could be, and it's enough to give the illustrations meaning; and one page has white text superimposed on a full-page illustration, which makes for hard reading, especially in less than perfect light.

A great gift for kids:
Lushly rendered with CGI, the same 3-D technique used in films like Toy Story and A Bug's Life, Nova's Ark is a pleasure to peruse. This book is terrific escapist literature for the kiddies, and a pleasure to read aloud. It's a rollicking good story about a little boy robot named Nova who goes through a series of accidental adventures. The book reads something like Annakin Skywalker meets Robinson Crusoe meets Wesley Crusher meets A Wrinkle in Time. Nova is a typical boy robot who goes on a field trip and wanders off to look at a space ship. His father, after all, pilots space craft much like this one, and Nova is tempted to crawl inside. I think you can guess what happens next. Nova becomes lost in space and crash lands on a desolate moon. With no one to talk to, he soon becomes lonely. Since his space craft has been destroyed, he creates some friends for himself out of the circuitry and raw materials...