Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Hilarious adventures of a polite robot.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As YOUR PAL FRED opens, the life-size toy robot is activated and sets out to be cheerful to everyone to meets. Pretty much everyone laughs at him, living as they do in a postapocalyptic wasteland. Fred perserveres and shows the local warlords how to live in harmony.
Is It Any Good?
Robots are staples of sci-fi, but this graphic novel offers a unique, positive twist. Writer and illustrator Michael Rex creates a cheerful hero for the ages in Your Pal Fred. So what if his adventures are somewhat repetitive? They teach lessons that never go out of style -- and are hilarious every time!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Your Pal Fred addresses violence. How do you know when violence is supposed to be funny?
What are some good strategies for making new friends?
Can having a positive attitude make real changes in your life?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Friendship , Robots
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Viking Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : May 31, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 10
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Paperback, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate