Review: Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman

I've been meaning to read Boy + Bot by Ame Dyckman for a couple months now, but just never remembered to look for it at the book store or put it on my "hold list" at the library.  And then it was that magical time of year called "Winter Break" in some areas, "Christmas Break" in others, and even "Heaven" in others, and I knew I had to prepare for some chunks of time that should be filled with reading!  So, I put it on my "hold list" (ok, so I was super surprised that my library even had Boy + Bot, but I think their children's section is a lot better/has a better selection than the MG and YA sections)

 Image and Summary from Goodreads:
One day, a boy and a robot meet in the woods. They play. They have fun.

But when Bot gets switched off, Boy thinks he's sick. The usual remedies—applesauce, reading a story—don't help, so Boy tucks the sick Bot in, then falls asleep.

Bot is worried when he powers on and finds his friend powered off. He takes Boy home with him and tries all his remedies: oil, reading an instruction manual. Nothing revives the malfunctioning Boy! Can the Inventor help fix him?

Using the perfect blend of sweetness and humor, this story of an adorable duo will win the hearts of the very youngest readers

 I thought the idea of the book was really sweet:  you can be friends, no matter what your differences.  Boy thinks Bot is sick, so he takes care of him.  Bot is worried about Boy when he is sleeping, he thinks he has powered down, so he tries to take care of him.  They don't try to make the other into something they are not, though they do use their background knowledge of what to do when someone is sick/hurt to take care of the other (Boy feeds Bot applesauce; Bot tries to put a new battery in Boy). 

I think that this could be used to help foster the idea in children that its ok to be different, but we can still be friends; but to also do it with compassion and understanding. 

Boy + Bot also has the distinction of being one of the Nerdy Book Club "Nerdies" Top 5 fiction picture books.