Common Sense Media Review
By Mieke VanderBorght
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Story models warm family and saving money to reach goal.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Roxy and the Ballerina Robot
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Roxy sees a commercial for a toy she really wants, which sets her up for a lesson about saving money in ROXY AND THE BALLERINA ROBOT. A TV commercial makes Roxy really want the latest and greatest new -- and expensive -- toy. But she just can't stop spending money to buy toys, candy, and books. Roxy's dad helps guide her to learn that if she can't trust herself to control her desire to buy things, she can put her money away where she can't easily get to it. In that way, she is able to save her chore money and reach her goal of making that big purchase. Reading supports help readers of varying levels enjoy the story.
Is It Any Good?
Roxy's loving family gives her advice and support in this easily accessible story. Roxy and the Ballerina Robot has solid reading supports to encourage independent reading or follow-along reading for kids of various reading skill levels. In the read-to-me option, the narrator's voice sounds slightly robotic but not enough to be distracting. Roxy and her family are multicultural, talk to each other with respectful language, and resolve conflicts in a loving way. Though the story is based on a materialistic dilemma, Roxy does end up learning a good lesson, and the family's interactions show strong modeling for how to resolve inevitable conflicts within a family.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the saving lesson Roxy learns in Roxy and the Ballerina Robot. What are the benefits of saving money? Is it hard to do? Why, or why not? How does it feel to spend money right away vs. saving money and using it for something you've wanted for a long time?
Talk about the idea of working toward a goal. Is it hard to sacrifice something, like time or a super-fun-looking toy, because you're working toward something bigger?
Discuss commercialism and materialism with your kids. What do they think about this whole story revolving around seeing a commercial? Are there other things kids can do with money rather than spend it on toys or candy?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire
- Subjects : Language & Reading : reading , reading comprehension , Math : money
- Skills : Self-Direction : goal-setting , personal growth , work to achieve goals , Communication : listening , Collaboration : meeting challenges together , Responsibility & Ethics : fiscal responsibility , respect for others
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : January 10, 2017
- Genre : Books
- Topics : Arts
- Publisher : Jackrabbit Publishing LLC
- Version : 1.2.0
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later; Android 2.3 and up
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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