Baby Brains and Robomom

Baby Brains and RoboMom by Simon James
2008

     Mr. and Mrs. Brains "were hoping for a clever baby." So while she was pregnant, Mrs. Brains did everything to help the cause: she ate lots of fish and nuts, placed headphones around her belly and played foreign languages for the baby.  When Baby Brains was born, he turned out to be smarter than they thought possible.  He loved playing on the computer and doing experiments. But "most of all, he loved designing new inventions."  He invented the first remote-controlled self-rocking cradle and a motorized stroller.  But even with all those inventions, his parents were still exhausted.  "Once, his mom even fell asleep during his bedtime story." -which just happened to be Hamlet.  Baby Brains decided to invent RoboMom to take care of the household chores.  At first, it looked like a great idea but when RoboMom starts acting strange and overworked and ends up washing the baby with the dirty dishes and hanging him out to dry on the clothesline, Baby Brain's had enough and cries for his mom.  She rescues him just before RoboMom explodes!
     Baby Brains and RoboMom is a entertaining tale.  The kids will enjoy the hilarious situations and the parents will enjoy the sense of humor and the exhausting reality of having a baby at home -genius or not! The watercolor illustrations are witty and full of interesting details that really add to story.  I wouldn't mind a version of RoboMom like the one Baby Brains designs at the end of the book.