Gr 1-4 Wendel, a mouse and avid inventor, decides to create a robot that will keep his workshop and home clean and neat. The first one, Clunk, ends up in a huge scrap heap outside after folding the clothes in knots, putting teacups away in the sock drawer, and filling the laundry basket with umbrellas. "Wendelbot," his next attempt, goes overboard, often robotically repeating the word "tidy," and ends up dumping Wendel down a chute and into the scrap heap. Wendel and Clunk reunite there and use the scraps from the huge heap to build a team of robot helpers that eradicates Wendelbot. The team works together with Wendel and Clunk to clean and keep his workshop and home somewhat orderly. Although the robots are not perfect, Wendel is content with their different ways of doing chores and decides never to throw anything away again. At times the plot is confusing and the text somewhat choppy. The detailed illustrations done in ink and watercolor are dramatic, but often cluttered and sometimes distracting. Although the Wendelbot is amusing at first, he becomes scary when out of control and Wendel and Clunk decide to blow him up. This book may find an audience with older children, but the messages are not strong enough to make an impression on them."Anne Beier, Hendrick Hudson Free Library, Montrose, NY" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
Untidy Wendel, quick to toss his less-than-perfect inventions down the garbage chute, creates an overzealous tidying-up robot that tosses Wendel onto the scrapheap. Reusing his castoff junk pile, Wendel constructs an army of robots to combat the crazy cleaner and learns the value of recycling (through the green message seems tacked on). Engaging and elaborate illustrations animate a host of kooky robots.
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