Science Comics: Robots and Drones: Past, Present, and Future - Hardcover

Scott, Mairghread

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1626727937 ISBN 13: 9781626727939

Publisher: First Second, 2018

Synopsis

From the deepest oceans to the farthest reaches of space―and everything in between―Science Comics turns STEM topics into unforgettable graphic novel adventures. This smash-hit series has sold over a million copies!

In factories! In the sky! In your cars and phones! In your own home! Robots are everywhere! And they have been for a lot longer than you might realize.

From tea-serving robots in feudal Japan to modern rovers exploring Mars, robots have been humanity's partners, helpers, and protectors for centuries! Join one of the world's earliest robots, a mechanical bird named Pouli, as he explores where robots came from, how they work, and where they’re going in this informative and hilarious new book! Ever dreamt of building your own best friend? It might be easier than you think!

· Science made exciting: Complex STEM topics become fun, accessible, and easy to understand

· Expertly researched: Created in collaboration with subject experts to deliver accurate, up-to-date information

· A great gift for young scientists: Inspires curiosity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of discovery

· Supports classroom learning: A valuable resource for independent reading, school libraries, homeschool curricula, and STEM education

About this title

About the Authors

Mairghread Scott is an animation and comic book writer. Her animation includes Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Ultimate Spider-Man: Web Warriors, and more. Her published books include Marvel Universe Guardians of the Galaxy, Transformers: Till All Are One, Transformers: Windblade, and Wonder Woman 75th Anniversary Special #1, as well as her graphic novels with First Second, The City on the Other Side and Science Comics: Robots and Drones.

Jacob Chabot is an Eisner Award-nominated and New York Times Bestselling cartoonist. He is best known for his work on all-ages comics like Spongebob Comics, The Simpsons, and his creator owned book The Mighty Skullboy Army.

Reviews

Gr 4–6—In this entry in the series, a mechanical bird reputed to have been invented in the fourth century BCE squires readers through a history of robotics and looks at the evolving role of robots, drones, and artificial intelligence (AI) in work and daily life. The narrator painstakingly explains that true robots are a specific type of machine designed to perform tasks in response to outside stimuli and traces their development from a hypercute 17th-century Japanese toy called a "karakuri ningyo" to today's smart homes and self-navigating aerial drones. The bird also offers general descriptions of the components in build-it-yourself robot kits, plus assorted references to robots in film and science fiction. Military drones, the purported danger of autonomous AI, and even AI rights receive glancing mentions, but troublesome issues of privacy, data theft, and jobs lost to automation go unexplored. In covering such a large subject, the narrative occasionally reads like a stodgy lecture ("Proto-robots are referenced in the Iliad"), but the sequential art—which features a diverse cast of young STEM enthusiasts, including one wearing a hijab—infuses the discourse with life. VERDICT Readers in upper elementary grades, especially young makers and those with a particular interest in technology, will be drawn to this title, but it would be wise to have more judicious treatments of the topic on hand to counter its relentlessly optimistic viewpoint.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York

Edition details

• Publisher: First Second
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1626727937
• ISBN 13: 9781626727939
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Chabot Jacob
• Number of pages: 128