Item - Your Very Own Robot Goes Cuckoo-Bananas!

Is this really a sequel to Your Very Own Robot? That's a difficult question. Many of the plot elements in Your Very Own Robot Goes Cuckoo-Bananas! seem similar or identical to those of its predecessor, but there are important changes in continuity, as well. For example, your robot's name in this book is Gus, but in Your Very Own Robot it is you, as the reader, who gets to choose for your robot any name you wish. I didn't name MY robot Gus, so I'm not sure why that would be its name now, if the stories are directly linked. Also, this book suggests that it was you who originally built your robot, whereas in the original book it was your scientist parents' creation.

Aside from all of that, Your Very Own Robot Goes Cuckoo-Bananas! is a fun book to read, with choices that can take you down any number of unexpected avenues. Some of the decisions shade on the surprisingly subtle side, seeming to be nearly identical to a choice that came before. Be careful, though; making the same choice at two slightly differing junctures can have a major impact on whether or not you're able to navigate yourself to a happy ending.

Perhaps the element of this book that stood out the best was the full-color illustrations by Keith Newton. His artistic credentials are very strong, with the crown jewel being his work as a background animator on the full-length animated Disney films Pocahontas and Mulan. It's easy to tell from the illustrations in Your Very Own Robot Goes Cuckoo-Bananas! that Keith Newton is an exceptional artist.

Overall, I would say that this is an enjoyable, zany story that doesn't take itself overly seriously and should be good for some fun.

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