Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
This article originally appeared in SLJ’s Extra Helping. Sign up now!
Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 6/2/2008 11:35:00 AM
Robot Romance
For film fans who are tired of superheroes and big-action blockbusters, WALL-E (not yet rated), a computer-animated motion picture, promises a breath of fresh air. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios, directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the movie will debut in theaters on June 27, 2008.
Set in the 29th century, this science fiction story stars WALL-E (an acronym for Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth class), one of a cadre of robots left on Earth to clean up after people (humans have decamped onto luxurious space cruisers until the job is done and the planet is once again inhabitable). The last of his kind, WALL-E has been tirelessly collecting and compacting trash for more than 700 years. When EVE, a sleek and sophisticated research probe, arrives on Earth via spaceship, WALL-E is immediately smitten. The love-struck robot embarks on an adventure that takes him into outer space, trawls the depths of his devotion, and ultimately changes his existence.
Blending action, comedy, and romance with an endearing protagonist, this film relies more on visual storytelling than on traditional dialogue. Ben Burtt, who created the “voice” of robot R2-D2 in the “Star Wars” series, did the sound design, combining a mélange of mechanical sounds to replicate dialogue and express the characters’ emotions. The film also features the voice talents of Jeff Garlin, John Ratzenberger, and Sigourney Weaver.
In addition to previewing the movie’s sites and sounds at the official Web site, kids can also design their own robots with a “Build-a-Bot” feature and use their creations to play arcade-style games. More savvy surfers will get a kick out of visiting the Web site for BuyNLarge, the fictional “megasuperstore” responsible for overseeing most of the operations on WALL-E’s Earth and for manufacturing the featured robots. With no obvious links to the movie, this realistic-looking site will amuse browsers with tidbits about BNL corporate culture, futuristic news pieces (circa 2057), and the latest in robot technology.
Movie Tie-ins
The picture holds appeal for a wide range of ages and tie-in titles are available for preschoolers through upper-elementary level readers. For the youngest film fans (PreS–K), WALL-E, a “Little Golden Book” illustrated with soft-edged paintings, distills the action down to the simplest terms. The read-aloud crowd (PreS–Gr 2) will also enjoy a colorfully illustrated staple-bound storybook that introduces Rogue Robots!, a group of “reject-bots” who break ranks to come to WALL-E’s aid. Out of this World, a sturdy board book featuring stars and spaceship lights that twinkle with the touch of a button, traces WALL-E’s outer-space activities (all Random House/Disney). Incorporating a traditional picture book format, Lots of Bots (Disney Press) blends staccato rhyming text (“Fast-bots./Clean-bots./Big-machine-bots”) with textured collage artwork to re-create WALL-E and EVE’s interactions with a crew of task-oriented worker robots.
Two easy readers (K–Gr 2) combine simple language, brief sentences, and descriptive artwork to encourage independent perusal. Smash Trash!, a “Step 1” beginning reader describes a typical work day for the dedicated WALL-E, while Love at First Beep, a “Step 2” title, outlines his relationship with EVE.
For more confident readers (Gr 1–4), A Robot’s Tale (a “Stepping Stones” chapter book), relates the story through straightforward language, brief chapters with cliff-hanger endings, and black-and-white pencil sketches. With an appealing cover image of WALL-E gazing longingly into a star-filled sky, The Junior Novelization will grab older kids (Gr 3–6). Eight pages of full-color movie stills accompany this fast-paced retelling (all RH/Disney).
Kids mesmerized by WALL-E’s expressive characters and richly detailed panoramas can take another look by leafing through The Intergalactic Guide (DK), a picture-book-size title jam-packed with full-color movie images. Supported by brief text paragraphs and captions, the visuals are organized into two-page chapters that focus on specific plot elements, characters, and scenarios, making for a pleasant browsing experience (Gr 2–6).
Pub Info
DRISCOLL, Laura. WALL-E: Smash Trash! illus. by Mario Cortes & Giorgio Vallorani. PLB $11.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-8058-1; pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2515-5.
JORDAN, Apple. WALL-E: Love at First Beep. illus. by Caroline Egan, et al. PLB $11.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-8057-4; pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2514-8.
LODIN, John. WALL-E: Out of This World. illus. by Mara Damiani, et al. Tr $9.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2553-7.
SAMUELS, Jillian Joy. WALL-E: Rogue Robots! illus. by Caroline Egan, et al. pap. $3.99 . ISBN 978-0-7364-2519-3.
SAMUELS, Jillian Joy, adapt. WALL-E: A Robot’s Tale. PLB $11.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-8062-8; pap. $3.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2523-0.
TRIMBLE, Irene, adapt. WALL-E: The Junior Novelization. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2502-5.
WALL-E. illus. by Jean-Paul Orpiñas & Scott Tilley. (A Golden Bk.). Tr $2.99. ISBN 978-0-7364-2422-6.
ea vol: RH/Disney. 2008.
THORPE, Kiki. Lots of Bots. illus. by Ben Butcher. Disney. 2008. Tr $14.99. ISBN 978-142311052-1.
SAUNDERS, Catherine. WALL-E: The Intergalactic Guide. DK. 2008. Tr $12.99. ISBN 978-0-7566-3840-5.
