Parents' Guide to A Day with Wilbur Robinson

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Common Sense Media Review

Patricia Tauzer By Patricia Tauzer , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 4+

Wackiest sleepover ever in house of inventors.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 4+?

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Parent and Kid Reviews

What's the Story?

When a young boy spends the night with his best friend, Wilbur, he finds himself invited into a very strange household of exotic creatures; inventive, eccentric relatives; and gadgets of all kinds. As the boys search the grounds for Grandfather's missing teeth, they have many interesting encounters. When the teeth are found, the family celebrates with a pillow fight and they all spend the night in a tree.

In the morning, Wilbur's entire family sends his friend on his way with a family rendition of "Yes, We Have No Bananas," after which Wilbur apologizes for having shared such a dull time with his friend.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say : Not yet rated

Readers of any age will want to spend much more than a single day visiting the pages of A DAY WITH WILBUR ROBINSON. Each page of illustrations (which are at once retro and futuristic) is a story in itself. In fact, the best way to approach this book would be to spend a few seconds reading the text and then use the bulk of your time to explore the adjacent illustration. One builds on the other, and the story grows and grows with each reading. All in all, A Day with Wilbur Robinson is quite an adventure, and anything but dull.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the various characters in Wilbur's family and all the contraptions they've invented. The visiting boy thinks his friend's house is the greatest place to visit -- why? Kids might enjoy talking about how they would feel if they visited a friend overnight and found he lived in such an unusual world. What would it be like to play in the snow inside your friend's house, or fly because an uncle turned on his antigravity machine, or sleep in a tree with the rest of the family after having a pillow fight?

Book Details

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