The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess written and illustrated by Tom Gauld is a super- delightful fairytale about a King and Queen who very much want a child. The King calls upon the royal builder to help and the Queen goes to see a clever witch. The royal builder, in her shop of keys, gears and all sorts of tools, builds a perfect wooden robot. At the same time the clever witch uses her magic potions to turn a piece of wood into a darling little log princess. The King and Queen are elated.
But this story has a small complication, as most fairytales do. When the log princess falls asleep each night she turns back into a log and stays in that situation until someone releases her by saying “Awake, little log, awake.” When the wooden robot, who usually wakes his sister up, fails to say these magic words the unknowing and hard-working chamber maid tosses the log out as if trash!
Now the story gets complicated as a goblin sells the log and other trash to a captain who is about to take to the sea. The friendly captain allows the wooden robot to go along and continue to look for the log that is indeed his sister! When he finds her he decides not to wake her until they are closer to home. But, more problems arise. A family of beetles, comes to everyone’s rescue by finding the Queen’s trusty witch who prepares the log princess and the wooden robot for their trip home. The illustration of the witch flying high with the two royal kids on board as they broomstick it toward the castle is full of fun.
The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess cleverly written and illustrated by Tom Gauld is a grand fairytale for children 4-8 years of age. “The witch was thanked, the month was declared a holiday for the whole kingdom, the beetles were each given a tiny gold medal, and they all lived happily ever after.” (Neal Porter Books/Holiday House) 2021.
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Activity Questions for The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess
Visual awareness for young children. Closely study the picture of the inventor’s workplace and find the following items: a globe, a candle, a hammer, an acorn, gears, and a key. Then closely study the workroom of the witch and find the following items: a caged bird, a mirror, a horseshoe, a pineapple, a snake, two bottles of what could be filled with a magic potion, a fish, and a key. What item in each of these rooms would you like to have? Why?
Story-making for older children. Look at the picture of each of the six adventures that the Little Wooden Robot experienced while trying to get his sister home----namely The Giant’s Key, The Family of Robbers, The Old Lady in the Bottle, The Magic Pudding, The Lonely Bear and The Queen of the Mushrooms. Think about what may have happened in each. Then select one of the adventures to write about----use your imagination. Write a fun-filled paragraph!
