Review by Booklist Review
Arnold offers emergent readers a predictable text, humorous cartoon-style illustrations, and a gentle reminder that we must all clean up after ourselves. Jake's new Robug (Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo) arrives, and he instructs it to fix the mess littering the couch. Robug obediently complies, moving debris from the couch to the table. Subsequent directives result in the detritus migrating to the television, the bathroom, and the roof (along with new mess acquiredin each location), and finally, the mess returns to its original place (Put it all back!). After a final command (Fix this mess!) the irate robot tosses everything back to Jake, who is forced to obediently straighten as Robug critiques from the couch. The succinct, repeating text will be accessible to beginning readers, and children are sure to love Robug (who resembles a Roomba with a face), especially as he becomes more and more annoyed with Jake's orders. Pair with Rosemary Wells' Fritz and the Mess Fairy (1991) for another zany look at orderliness.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Jake thinks that at a robot named ROBUG (Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo) is the answer to his prayers until it takes his instructions all too literally. What was intended to be a time-saving device becomes the source of several mix-ups and mayhem, and, ultimately, makes more work for Jake than he started with. Arnold, the author of Dirty Gert (Holiday House, 2013) and the "Fly Guy" books (Scholastic), continues to demonstrate his understanding of children's humor through his simple but clever dialogue and hilarious artwork. Fix This Mess can be read independently or aloud, and the action-packed images will work perfectly for storytime. The cartoon illustrations were drawn on a Wacom Cintiq HD drawing tablet and digitally edited but still incorporate Arnold's self-characterized "controlled scribbles" to fill in the pictures. A fun read for everyone, the mantra "I will fix this mess" will be repeated in well-practiced robot voices by children, teachers, and parents alike.-Megan Egbert, Meridian Library District, ID (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
With a picture book trim size, this story designed to meet the needs of new readers features one sentence per page in a large font and with plenty of repetition. The plot starts on the title page with a picture of a stained armchair piled with clothes, sporting equipment, spilled food, and a cat. Turn the page, and the copyright page shows a delivery van speeding away from a mysterious package. Combined with the dynamic illustrations in Arnold's characteristic cartoon style, even the first neutral line, "Robug came in a box," delivers both anticipation and foreboding. Jake turns Robug on and commands it to "fix this mess." The "Remote Operating Basic Utility Gizmo" energetically fires into action, but the well-equipped little weevil-shaped machine only moves the mess from place to place. After a few attempts, Jake tries a new approach: "Get rid of this mess!" That doesn't quite turn out right, either, and before long the tables are turned, with Robug giving directives and Jake holding the broom. Funny details, such as where the cat lands, build momentum from page to page, and the vocabulary is simple enough to allow the newest readers to enjoy it all on their own. julie roach (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A "remote operating basic utility gizmo"call him Robug for shortcomes to clean Jake the dog's mess, turning the house into hash in the process. Arnold is always a bit of a wild man, and he brings that vibrancy here in both a narrative straining at its compression"I will fix this mess!" is Robug's refrainand an artwork of inviting tactility. Readers would gladly dive into one of those plush chairs, even if they are covered with junk. Robug is a close kin to one of those swimming-pool cleaners that crawls contentedly about on the bottom. Robug, though, is a catastrophic dust storm, moving the mess from room to room to roof without ever getting anything put away. Finally, with a look in its eye like a teacher who isn't going to take any more guff, Robug gets Jake cracking. This is a good, simple and funny tale, a pleasing eyeful working on a familiar motif: the sweep-it-under-the-rug style of cleaning, the cram-it-in-the-closet or shove-it-under-the-bed approach to household management, even the old shove-it-around-on-the-plate trick to pretend you at least tried the cold rutabaga salad. It hits the spot for beginning readers, and read-alongs are welcome, perhaps inevitable. An inept commander and his clueless robotthere are lots of satisfying possibilities there, and Arnold taps into them. (Early reader. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
