An Award-Winning Modern Fairy Tale

The Little Wooden Robot and the Log Princess
Written & Illustrated by Tom Gauld
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published August 24, 2021

Once upon a time…

There once lived a king and queen who had everything their hearts desired, except for one thing: children. So they sought help from the royal inventor and a clever witch who each delivered a child, a wooden robot and a log princess.

“The log princess was bold and clever, but she had a secret: each night when she fell asleep, she turned back into a log and would stay like that until she was woken by the magic words ‘Awake, little log, awake.’ ”

Every morning, the wooden robot woke his sister, but one day he was too late. A maid had already come upon the log in the princess’s bed and thrown it out the window. What ensues is a grand adventure of sibling love and teamwork as the little robot embarks on a journey to find his sister and bring her back to the kingdom.

What makes this book so special is that it’s both timeless and timely. Its fairy tale structure and nostalgic illustrations make it feel familiar and classic. But representational changes - the royal couple is biracial and the brilliant inventor is a woman - firmly anchor this book in our present moment. The list of critics who included this book on their “Best Children’s Books of 2021” recaps is a mile long and includes notable sources like the American Library Association, NPR, and the jointly commissioned New York Times / New York Public Library award panel. Everyone who reads this magical tale will find themselves completely bewitched.