Book Nook - There's a Robot in My Socks

 Filled with catchy rhymes and lively illustrations, There’s a Robot in my Socks [4U2B Books & Media, September 17, 2024] by mom and best-selling author Meredith Rusu is the perfect read-aloud for kids, parents, and grandparents who might discover they have robots that get nervous about change—and that's okay! 

As kids get ready to go back to school, it's inevitable that routines will be disrupted and new plans will be made. There's a Robot in my Socks is the perfect addition to back-to-school reading that gives kids the vocabulary to share their feelings about the unpredictability of a new school year and new schedules.

In this second title of the award-winning Mighty Moods series, children will laugh out loud at the robot’s antics and perhaps see themselves in Jamie’s need to have everything go “perfectly.” And grownups will appreciate the wink and nod to the fact that change can be hard for them too—and they might have robots of their own!

I had a chance to learn more in this interview.

Why is it important for kids to learn to embrace unpredictability?

As a parent of two young boys, I’ve found that the one constant in childhood (and parenting) is change. No matter how carefully schedules are planned, nothing is truly predictable with kids. Sore throats, cancelled babysitters, rained-out playdates—it’s all par for the course. As parents, we often try to shield our kids from disrupted routine to keep the peace. But disruption is a part of life, and it’s healthy for kids to know that they are safe and that everything will be okay despite change. Of course, there will still be tantrums over forgotten stuffed animals or too much cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich. (I’m familiar with both.) But I’ve found that when our family approaches change as an opportunity to find the silver lining, it encourages our boys to find the silver lining on their own as well!

How can characters like robots help kids explore real-life lessons?

Kids gravitate toward things that make them feel big and strong and powerful. Yetis, robots, dinosaurs: using mighty creatures in imaginative play (and reading!) gives kids a way to express their big feelings in a world where it’s easy to feel small. My personal experience is that when a child feels empowered, they can in turn be more open and trusting with their grownup. Mighty creatures like robots (a personal favorite of my sons) offer a fun outlet to navigate big feelings in a positive way.

Why is it important for caregivers to think about social-emotional learning?

Although they might pretend to be robots while reading this Mighty Moods book, kids are far from machines. Every child is wildly different, and there is no manual for how to alleviate each one’s fears, problems, or challenges. It’s not easy as parents to figure out how to help our kids when no two are alike. But approaching “big feelings” as its own category of discovery and learning (i.e., social-emotional learning) gives parents the opportunity to grow along with their child and figure out the best approach for their ever-evolving emotional needs. My hope with the Mighty Moods series is to give caretakers a tool with which to validate their children’s big feelings so that the children can, in turn, validate others’ feelings.

How can families embrace a "village" of adults, especially grandparents, to help support their children?

No parent, caregiver, or even family can raise a child without help. That’s our nature as human beings—we thrive when we work together. When a child learns that he or she is safe because their grownup embraces help from their “village,” that is one of the most heartfelt lessons of all. And in my experience, grandparents are unique. There’s something indelibly comforting for a child to know they are being protected by the grownup that raised their grownup. (Plus, grandparents are just cool.) My belief is that when a child is surrounded by love—no matter the village—they will learn to give love in return.

Meredith Rusu is the best-selling author of more than one hundred children’s books for beloved franchises such as LEGO, Disney/Pixar, Bluey, and Captain Underpants. She is the creator of the  Mighty Moods series that features rhyming stories and wacky creatures who help children, parents, and caretakers learn to embrace big feelings in constructive ways to become joyful, compassionate, and brave. The first Mighty Moods book, There’s a Yeti in My Tummy, won first place in the Fall 2023 BookFest Awards earning it billboard placement in Times Square.