Wants vs Needs vs Robots
Review of Michael Rex's "Wants vs Needs vs Robots"
Robots need four things to survive: arms, legs, oil, and batteries. But sometimes, they really, really need some jelly-bean tacos, right? Michael Rex’s informative and silly book helps children (and their adults!) differentiate between needs and wants and the importance of fulfilling those needs. Red Robot makes a series of trades with its friends, giving away its boring, but vital needs, in exchange for exciting, but unfulfilling wants. Rex utilizes concrete and ridiculous examples to create a rememberable lesson: remote-controlled platypus are cool, but they’re useless if you’re out of battery. After crashing, Red Robot tries to trade for things it wants again. This time they compromise with their robot friends for things that they do not need, and everyone is able to enjoy. The trading scenarios are repetitive enough to drive the point home, but the elements of each trade are still varied (and silly) enough to be engaging.
I greatly appreciate how this book reminds us to look beyond a need and want to the larger picture: happy robots “have the things they need so they can enjoy the things they want.” It’s okay to want to a pair of fabulous shoes, but offering a helping hand in exchange works just as well rather than your arms. The simple and boldly color illustrations clearly convey the story while still capturing children of all ages’ attention.
Other books by Michael Rex: Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots