A Case of the Zaps

Name: A Case of the Zaps
Brand: Dreamscape Media
Availability: InStock
Author: Alex Boniello
ISBN: 9781666619737

Author: Alex Boniello, April Lavalle

Narrator: Alex Boniello, April Lavalle

Unabridged: 14 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Published: 12/13/2022

Categories: Children's Fiction, Robots, Children's Social Themes

Synopsis

Meet 3.14159265358979323846264338327950...or Pi for short. Pi's just like any other kid robot: they love to listen to music, play with their dog, and hang out with their friends. And when their teacher announces a field trip to Olde Silicon Valley, Pi couldn't be more excited! They daydream of all the awesome things they want to see and do there––but also begin to worry about all the things that could go wrong. Then, on the way home, Pi feels a ZAP! They try to avoid the strange feeling, but the Zaps keep happening. Pi doesn't understand. They have a firewall installed! What could be going on?

About Alex Boniello

Alex Boniello is an actor, musician, singer, writer, and Tony Award-winning producer from New York City. Most recently, he starred as Connor Murphy in Broadway's Dear Evan Hansen. Alongside April Lavalle, he's also a producer on Hadestown, for which they both received Tony Awards. Boniello is a passionate advocate for mental health, having worked closely with some of the most prolific organizations in the country.

About April Lavalle

April Lavalle is an actor, comedian, writer, and Tony Award–winning producer living in New York City. As an actor, Lavalle has appeared on television and on stages throughout the world, and as a writer, she has been featured in publications such as Reductress, McSweeneys, Medium, and Vulture. She is also a director for the Story Pirates, which celebrates the imaginations of children worldwide.

About James Kwan

James Kwan is an animator and illustrator based in Los Angeles, with a BFA from Pratt Institute. His award-winning stop-motion film MOOON has played in festivals around the world. For more information, visit James-Kwan.com.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Kris

Oh my god! Such a great little picture book about anxiety. I saw it on a first-day-of-school list where it would work very well but honestly it would be a great read aloud any time. Certainly good for sharing with any little one who has the worries. Also, with the cast of robots, this was a book tha......more

Goodreads review by SamSamSam

This was cute. Definitely for at least an older elementary audience, because you would need a lot of background knowledge to make all the connections at work in this story.......more

Goodreads review by Joanna

A great read to help younger readers find the vocabulary and opportunity to discuss anxiety (or rather, the zaps). The illustrations have a charming hand drawn/doodle like quality and the details within them will bring a chuckle to older readers.......more

Goodreads review by Beth

I loved that the book was inclusive, and didn't make the robot characters in the story conform to gender norms, used they/them pronouns to describe the main character, and normalized anxiety.......more

Quotes

Readers of a carbon-based sort can learn more about. . .anxiety issues in general, from the authors’ closing note and the trio of online resources they supply.