SUMMARY: A dog makes himself a tin robot from a mail-order kit. After the robot is complete, they quickly become pals. They check out movies at the library and watch them while eating popcorn. They investigate which beach is the best for dogs, and then take a bus trip to get the beach. The dog and robot have a wonderful time frolicking in the water all day, and then they lay on their towels, basking in the sun. At nightfall the dog discovers that robots and water do not mesh well--his robot has rusted and cannot move. Sadly, the dog leaves his robot on the beach. The robot then begins dreaming, the first one is him leaving the beach, rust-free, with his dog friend. The dog does come back to the beach, armed with a robot repair manual, but discovers the beach is closed for the season. The book takes us through month after month, detailing what happens alternately to the robot and how the dog's life is going. 
 EVALUATION: Although the book begins on a sad note, by the end I was filled with warm fuzzies. This is a fantastic tale of friendship, and how those special friends never really leave our hearts, even if we are no longer in touch with them. I liked the idea of a robot dreaming, and feeling, and yearning. I wanted to see if the dog found the friendship that he had been searching for, and if it was right for him. Overall, I found this to be a very enjoyable book. 
 WHY I WOULD INCLUDE IT: Robot Dreams is told nearly entirely through pictures, though it is still deeper than a child's picture book. This is something that a youngster might like because of the attractive pictures, but a tween would be able to fully appreciate the deeper meanings behind the drawings. Once in a while, I enjoy a graphic novel where I get to decide the nuances of the story, though the artwork provides a wonderful basis for the reader's creativity.