Kit Builds Something: Hands, Tape, and Cardboard (Book 6)

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Book 6 of 20 in Kit's Little Sparks, STEM picture books for toddlers and preschoolers.

The story. Trash day, and everyone walks right past the big box on the curb. Not Kit. Where the others see trash, he sees the robot from his drawing: a boxy body, gears, tubes, a red pointy top. His little sister Mia points at the box too. Kit hauls it all to the garage, claps awake Sparks, the tiny fairy of gears and light who lives in his old lightbulb, and up pops Bolt, his robot helper made of cans and caps and blinky lights. Bolt loves tape more than anything, and he hands Kit a very big new roll. RIIIP. The tape sticks to Kit's finger, then his other finger, then his beanie, and the roll gets smaller on every page. Stack. Tape. Fold. One strip is left for the red pointy top, and Kit holds his breath. Just enough. What he holds up is wobbly, lumpy, and REAL: a cardboard robot he made with his own two hands.

How you read it. Your child claps three times with Kit to wake Sparks. Says "RIIIP!" every time the tape rips. Wiggles stuck fingers free. Stacks fists and chants "Stack! Tape! FOLD!" Answers "Is it built yet?" with a big "NO!" until the page where the answer turns to YES. Holds a breath for the very last strip, then shouts "I MADE THIS!" with Kit. The story runs about five minutes aloud. After it comes a short talk page for the two of you, with one question to ask and one line to say together.

Ideas on paper sometimes need helpers. Kit's is a robot with tape. Most of us have seen a drawing go nowhere. As the tape runs low, this book gives your child a stack-tape-fold chant and a shout: I MADE THIS. It gives you three words: wobbly, lumpy, real. Small fingers, tape, and cardboard can make an idea real.

What is inside:

• 28 pages of story and activities: the story, a talk page for parents, one activity page, and six play-together games, each with its own picture
• Full-color watercolor illustrations
• A note for parents and educators
• A QR code to free read-aloud audio and a printable family activity booklet

About the series: Kit's Little Sparks is a 20-book series of STEM picture books that builds the social-emotional foundations of the inventor's mindset: curiosity, resilience, and confidence. Written by Chris Kuczynski, an engineer turned patent attorney, preschool co-founder, and dad who has spent more than 20 years with inventors.

Read the complete guide to all 20 books in the series: STEM Books for Toddlers

Details:

Ages: Series One, Ages 2 to 4

Format:
Board book, 7 x 7 inches
Hardcover, 8 x 8 inches
Paperback, 8 x 8 inches

Pages: 28

ISBN 978-1-968470-11-1 (board book)
ISBN 978-1-968470-44-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-968470-85-2 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-968470-12-8 (EPUB)
ISBN 978-1-968470-63-0 (Kindle)