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Doug Unplugged

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Doug is a robot. His parents want him to be smart, so each morning they plug him in and start the information download. After a morning spent learning facts about the city, Doug suspects he could learn even more about the city by going outside and exploring it. And so Doug . . . unplugs. What follows is an exciting day of adventure and discovery. Doug learns amazing things by doing and seeing and touching and listening—and above all, by interacting with a new friend.

Dan Yaccarino's funny story of robot rebellion is a great reminder that sometimes the best way to learn about the world is to go out and be in it.

40 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2013

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About the author

Dan Yaccarino

110 books128 followers
Exhibitions of his work have been held throughout the world. He is also the creator of the animated TV Series Willa's Wild Life and Oswald.

Mr. Yaccarino lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

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5 stars
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441 (38%)
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369 (32%)
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72 (6%)
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22 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
Profile Image for Kathryn.
4,498 reviews
February 22, 2014
Wonderful! I love how this shows that we need more than just facts to be educated and truly experience life--we need to go out and see and explore and encounter for ourselves.
Profile Image for Melki.
6,375 reviews2,438 followers
September 18, 2017
A little robot discovers that the best way to learn about his city is to get out into the city. He uses all his senses in his explorations, and even makes a new friend. Great lesson for kids (and adults) on the importance of looking up from a screen now and then.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
10.5k reviews448 followers
August 22, 2016
A little earnest, but of course I found it charming.

The thing is, though, that I watched it on youtube. Irony much? Well, it gets worse - the readers used all sorts of special effects and music to make the book a technological marvel....

I've been watching a lot of youtube readers today and the ones I like most are the simplest; the over-produced ones frustrate me because I can imagine youngsters refusing to 'read' books if they can't watch them on a screen.... Otoh, maybe I'm wrong, and maybe parents/ teachers can successfully point out to children that better readers use more imagination and need less support. That is, they can watch picture-books first (from caregiver/librarian/big brother *or* screen), then read themselves, then read books without pictures.
Profile Image for Shannon.
18 reviews
May 9, 2016
What a wonderful book! Doug is such a great example on how children need hand on experience. There is more to life than just facts you learned. It is so much better to actually get out there and learn it physically. What parent doesn't want their child to be smart? To be able to grasp the concept more hands on and be a part of it is most adventurous! It makes us remember who we are with such beautifully colored illustrations. I would recommend this book for early readers to enjoy.
Profile Image for Ryan.
4,848 reviews28 followers
January 29, 2018
This was an unexpected treat. Doug is a robot and everyday his parents plug him in to download his lessons. But when a pigeon flies by Doug wonders if he might learn more by unplugging and exploring the city. Lots of fun, and simple, colorful illustrations.
Profile Image for Mehsi.
12.9k reviews402 followers
April 29, 2016
A cute little story about a little robot who finds out there is more to life than just learning through downloading.

Doug is a little boy, his parents love him very much and want him to be the smartest kid ever. So every day he has to download new stuff and not do much else. As you can imagine that is quite boring, and that is what Doug also finds out when there is a pigeon on his windowsill. Suddenly a whole world is open for him, a world in which he can learn things, but also have fun. He always thought that he just had to learn through downloading, but thanks to his amazing day in the city... he finds out there are other ways. And it is also a revelation point for his parents. :D

The day in the city was brilliant, I just loved how amazed Doug was at everything, and how eagerly he absorbed everything. It was so much fun when he found a friend who wanted to play with him, and learn him the ways of playing (since Doug didn't know those). I was just so happy for Doug, instead of having to spend his days getting stuff downloaded into him while his parents weren't around he could play with his friends, he could have fun. He really deserved that.
I can just imagine how the story would continue, maybe Doug can go to school? It seems that him being a robot is no problem to the outside world, so I don't see why not, and then he can make many more friends.

The art is pretty good, I just love the way the colours were used. It was a really fun and playful way and it made the book a feast for the eyes and also just pulled your eyes to the book.

All in all, this is one book I would recommend, it is a lot of fun, it shows that learning can also be fun, and so much more.

Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
21 reviews
March 24, 2016
Doug Unplugged is a young science fiction tale about a young robot whose parents only want the best for him. Everyday Doug's parents plug him up to load him with all sorts of information because they want him to be the smartest robot ever. One day after his parents leave for work, a pigeon sparks Doug's interests and e wonders what else he can learn outside. Then Doug unplugs himself and ventures out into the world around him. He learns all sorts of new things, and even makes a new friend! However, Doug learns that more than anything he truly loves his parents.

This is a great beginning interest sparking book for young science fantasy fans. As science fiction can sometimes be too complex for young readers to understand, Doug Unplugged simply gets the excitement of science in reality rolling. Children learn that there is more to learning than just what technology can teach you. And personal experiences create the best learning experiences of all. I loved this story, and would recommend it to young readers. Those especially that are beginning a love for science and fantasy would really enjoy Doug and his adventures.
Profile Image for Emily Cherry.
9 reviews2 followers
July 24, 2013
This is an absolutely beautiful book! The story is lovely, subtly reminding kids there is a whole world out there to explore firsthand, instead of filtering it through electronics, but honestly, it almost takes a backseat to the graphics. I loved the style in this so very, very much! Doug and his parents look like '50s-style robots, and the color saturation is similar to the same era, with great results. The pictures pop off the page, but you aren't overwhelmed by a messy, headache-inducing riot of COLOR, COLOR, COLOR! that sometimes happens. This is a great book to read to babies, for the colors. It's a great book for toddlers, for the fun ("Look! Doug sees a pigeon out his window! What's out our window?", etc.). It's good for the I-Can-Read-It-Myself! crowd, because it has a good mix of challenging words, and repetition. And it's nice for families to read, because it encourages hugging, and hey, who couldn't use an extra hug? :)
Profile Image for Rochelle Sondae.
608 reviews9 followers
May 26, 2013
Why did I put this on the school skills shelf you ask? Well because kids need to learn that there is more to learn than what you can read in a book or, as in this case, download from a server. Doug the robot boy gets plugged in by his parent's to learn all sorts of interesting things while they go to work. One day a pigeon on the window sill catches his eye, and although he knows lots of things about pigeons he wonders if there are more things he could learn and that is where his adventures begin. As a fan of Family Circus I was thrilled to see little Doug follow a round-a-bout way of getting home. Just like Billy. :)
Profile Image for The Styling Librarian.
2,170 reviews195 followers
December 8, 2013
Doug Unplugged by Dan Yaccarino – FINALLY I had the chance to enjoy this wonderful book! I didn’t realize that it was part of a book order and when I had my first moment to address cataloguing, there it was waiting to be read at the bottom of a stack! So, I loved the premise of Doug Unplugged, robot could receive instruction by being plugged in but instead… embraces curiosity and goes to experience things instead. Very special. Highly recommended, not just because my husband shares the same first name
Profile Image for Lorna.
1,270 reviews11 followers
November 12, 2013
Cute. Doug, the robot, normally learns everything through data downloads. One day, inspired by a pigeon on his windowsill, Doug decides to unplug and explore on his own. His adventures remind us that nothing beats a first hand experience for truly learning about ourselves and the world around us.
Profile Image for Heather Gunnell.
256 reviews111 followers
March 30, 2017
Staff Pick

What can you learn about the world when you unplug and explore? Watch as Doug the robot checks out the city away from home and learns things his computer could never teach him.
20 reviews
February 20, 2018
Doug Unplugged is a story about a little boy robot named Doug. Doug’s robot parents plug him in before they leave for work so that he can learn about the city. Doug learns many things about the city through his downloads, but then wonders if he could learn more if he went out into the city. Doug unplugs and learns more about the city through his experience. In the end meets a human friend and learns something new that wasn’t in any of his downloads.

Dan Yaccarino uses bold and colorful illustrations in this book. The illustrations show the reader Doug’s feelings and wonder throughout the story. This science fiction text is set in a modern world where robots are living among humans and would be an easy storyline for students to follow. This book would be best for students in PreK-1 grade. The book could be used to discuss friendship, families, and learning new things.

This book is also available as an evideo through Hoopla. The evideo can be viewed without downloading and can be borrowed for 3 days. This format is narrated with text tracking on the screen. The evideo would be best used for students to listen to the book. The narration and text tracking are not able to be turned off and students may have a difficult time following the pace of the text tracking during the narration. The evideo does add some digital or computer sound effects as well as music to show a change when Doug meets a friend. This evideo could be used in addition to the book, but not as a replacement.
Profile Image for Melissa Goembel.
29 reviews2 followers
Read
February 11, 2018
This story is about a robot who unplugs from his information download. He wants to experience the world first hand. He follows adventure. It is a cute story.
Profile Image for Staci.
38 reviews1 follower
September 9, 2016
Author and illustrator Dan Yaccarino is back with a new picture book for kids, but the message is one to which all of us could stand to listen to now and then. In Doug Unplugged we meet a bright young yellow robot named Doug whose parents want him to be the smartest little robot he can be. Each day they plug him in to download all sorts of facts about different subjects. After finishing his lesson is about the city, Doug notices a pigeon outside his window, and is compelled to follow it since he just learned about pigeons in the city. What he discovers is that, while facts and technology are wonderful and useful, they are no substitute for firsthand experiences.
During his excursion into the real city, Doug finds out that the large population of people in the city makes it difficult to see when walking down the street, garbage cans are stinky, and a flock of pigeons will scatter and fly away if you run toward them. When he comes across a little boy at a playground, Doug also learns that there are many different ways to play and have fun, and, perhaps most important of all, he learns that hugs are a great way to show someone you care.
The lesson Doug learns is a great one for both kids and their parents who spend most of their days “plugged in” via devices like tablets, video game consoles, computers, and smart phones. We can all use a little time to unplug like Doug and explore the world around us. Now that the lazy days of summer are finally here, it’s the perfect time to do like Doug and head outside to enjoy some screen-free time with family and friends.
Dan Yaccarino stays true to his signature art deco style in Doug Unplugged using bright solid blocks of color, strong lines, and a mid-century vintage aesthetic that his fans know and love. This style provides a lovely contrast with the modern storyline as it harkens back to a simpler time when kids played in the yard until the streetlights came on, and personal computers were the stuff of science fiction. As usual, Yaccarino does not disappoint. Doug Unplugged is sure to please loyal Yaccarino fans and create new ones for those who are just discovering his work.
Profile Image for Terri.
954 reviews37 followers
October 5, 2013
For my CLN Book Club we're already considering possible Caldecott contenders for 2013. My vote for our nominees goes like this:

#1 "On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein" by Jennifer Berne and Vladimir Badunsky
#2 "Bluebird" by Bob Staake
#3 "Doug Unplugged" by Dan Yaccarino

Dan Yaccarino's "Doug Unplugged" is a charming plea for all of us to "unplug" and see the world around us.

Doug is a robot. Each morning his robot parents educate him by plugging him in and downloading important information into him. On this particular day, their intention is for him to learn about what the city has to offer.

My favorite spread is that of the circuitry that holds of the information about fire engines, fountains, and fire hydrants that is downloaded into Doug. In the middle of his download, a pigeon appears on the stoop, attracts Doug's attention and causes him to unplug and follow the pigeon. This leads to a real-life excursion through the city where he learns in real-time what the city has to offer, including friendship.

Yaccarino's illustrations in brush and ink on vellum and PhotoShop are a throwback to the fifties and the Jetsons. I didn't care for the retro color choices - I found them sort of dissonant, especially the yellow used for Doug. Yes, it made his character pop, but the color was nauseating. I got it but didn't necessarily like it.

The message here is certainly timely and important. I had just been thinking about a car trip we're planning. I just love car trips because it allows us to see how the landscape changes and to see how others live. I gives us time to wonder and to think. I love the intimacy and leisure of traveling by car. It always saddens me to see the family with the requisite two kids in the backseat - with two DVD players keeping each of them busy in the backseat. And, meanwhile, this lovely world passes them by.I think it is important to teach our kids to be still and to SEE and to observe the world around them - because, just as it is important to SEE, it is important to BE SEEN. And no one will SEE us if we don't show them how.

Definitely recommended.
37 reviews2 followers
November 4, 2014
Doug Unplugged was a good book. It starts out with a robot and his parents getting ready for their day. As the parents leave for work, they plug Doug in to learn all about the city. As he is learning new things something catches his eye, a pigeon. He then began to wonder what the city was really like so… Doug Unplugged. Which I personally thought was quite clever to add that into the story. Instead of just learning about the city, Doug was experiencing it for himself. He rode on the subway, saw how tall and strong the skyscrapers were, fire engine sirens war loud, some garbage can are smelly, taxis stop if you raise your hand, and flowers grow from the cracks in the side walk. So far Doug had been having so much fun looking at all that he learned about the big city. Then Doug came across something that wasn't in his downloads, a boy. He met a friend, they played together. The boy showed Doug all new things that he had never learned about before. but then the boy began to get scared because he couldn't find his parents. So Doug decided to help, he flew him all around till he was able to find the boys parents. Doug then realized he missed his parents too and went home. The best thing he had learned that day was that your parents are so important and to always show them you love them.
I though Doug Unplugged had a very cute ending. I loved how he was able to go out and enjoy all that he had learned about. It is two completely different things to learn about something and to experience it for yourself. It shows that young kids can be so adventurous, and even those older than that too. I really liked the illustrations for this book. I also really liked the ending, how Doug helped the boy to find his parents and realized he missed them. I liked the way Doug was pretty much the only part throughout the story to be a bright color. There was color all throughout the book, but nothing compared to Doug, he really stood out on each of the pages.
39 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2014
“Doug Unplugged”, written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino, is a story about a little robot named Doug, who is plugged in everyday to download facts. One day, while learning facts about the city, realizes that the best way to learn about the city is to go into the city! With that, Doug unplugs himself and zooms out the window, seeing pigeons, taxis, and sidewalks. After zooming around the city, he arrives at a playground — and is asked to play! With all the fun Doug is having, will he ever want to go back home?
The illustrations in “Doug Unplugged” are quite interesting, utilizing large amounts of white, negative space. Some pictures have colored shapes as a backdrop, while others are complete city mazes, and some are a conglomeration of miniature illustrations. The varying formatting styles make the illustrations particularly engaging for the reader, because every page is a new illustrative experience, using different amounts of color, negative space, and varying sizes and shapes. Similarly, the constant use of bright colors adds dimension and excitement to the relatively simplistic illustrations. Although the characters are portrayed somewhat unrealistically, the facial expressions of the characters — Doug especially — are vibrant and expressive, a interesting opposition that works perfectly with the text.
The overall theme of the book is the promotion of learning and gaining knowledge, as well as allowing oneself to experience new, exciting things. Although the themes presented are valuable, especially for young children and early readers, the story ends with little explanation — why does Doug, a young boy, face no repercussions for going out alone into a potentially dangerous city? This issue may be passed over my most young readers but may create questions for more advanced readers. Overall, the text is clearly written and the plot is very straight-forward and easy to follow, making it both a great read-aloud and individual reading book.
24 reviews1 follower
March 24, 2016
Doug is a beaming, golden robot who inherits all of his knowledge from being plugged in. He learns hundreds of different useful and interesting facts every single day. On this particular day, he is learning everything there is to know about the city surrounding him. For example, he learns that there are 8,175,133.5 people living in the city, the tallest skyscraper in the city has 102 floors and that the first fire hydrant was installed in the city in 1808. While these new facts are bouncing and ricocheting off of the walls of his brain, he spots a pigeon outside his four-paned window. He becomes fixated on the idea of exploring the city and leaves his minimalistic house and embarks on a journey through the city. Follow Doug as he finds out that crowded sidewalks teeming with pedestrians can be a hassle, that subways tend to screech loudly around tight corners, and that the view from the very highest point of a skyscraper is absolutely stunning.

Doug Unplugged falls under the category of Science Fiction. Doug's pristine little world is set in the future where robots roam the Earth alongside humans. Doug is a non-human character. In fact, he is a robot who has to be plugged into the wall to gather and collect information necessary for living in the outside world. This book also includes science and technology by incorporating the idea that robots can learn to mingle with every day humans by sitting down and learning about their lifestyle. The book is clad with cartoon art and characters that fill up every crevice on every page. The pictures are not limited to boxes or rectangles but instead they seem to soak up the white pages and replace them with vivid, bright colors. The characters and scenery also lack outlines, but they are detailed with thick, black lines to distinguish their unique features.
45 reviews1 follower
October 23, 2014
Doug is like every other robot on the block. His parents plug him in to learn new things while they are away at work. Doug learns a bunch of amazing facts about cities and he feels like a pretty smart robot boy. Then he sees a pigeon sitting on the windowsill and Doug gets curious and watches it, when suddenly the pigeon makes a strange cooing sound! Doug didn’t know that pigeons could do that! This sparks a curiosity that can’t be sated by sitting in his room and downloading data. Doug unplugs himself and begins his adventure by learning about the various aspects of city life that just cannot be taught. Such as, “Wet cement feels squishy on your feet!”

Doug himself is a very yellow robot and his personality reflects it. Doug is a very realistic child who is easily distracted and wants to know everything about everything. The illustrator uses bright colors that appeals to the eye and makes you want to stop and stare at the color blocks he has incorporated. There is no such thing as shading in this book because all the lines are drawn deliberately with each character having a color to define them. The boy that Doug meets is colored blue which we later find it is because he is sad that he lost his parents and can’t find them. Doug learns that life is not all about the data you receive from your superiors. Children need to experience life in order to completely understand the information that is being taught to their brains. Some things just have to be experienced firsthand.
42 reviews
May 1, 2015
Doug Unplugged By: Dan Yaccarino 2013
Meaghan G., Spring 2015
**Fantasy/Sci Fi Picture Book**

This book was truly a cute yet fun read! This book was a fun and easy read for younger readers. This story tells the tale of Doug who is a very smart robot and his parents plug him in everyday to fill him with knowledge. Doug one day wanted to go outside the plug station and venture off. So Doug took the previous knowledge he had about everything that his parents had plugged into him and he used it in the real world. Doug comes across the city life and pigeons but while on the way through his journey, Doug meets a new friend and he learns without technology a life lesson and how to play. Doug helps his friend travel home and he then is reunited with his family and knows that his family loves him and is proud.

This book can be used for younger grades such as 1st through 3rd but I believe that this book can be used for 4th and 5th grade to talk about scientific fantasy like robots and how environmental friendly it is. I would use this book in my classroom and I would also recommend it to future teachers as well as teachers now. This book truly made me realize that I need to stop being technology dependent and go learn things without the internet and my phone. This book has a lot of life lessons and shows that sometimes you need to go out and enjoy the environment and nature instead of your technology. I really connected with Doug and then again when he is reunited with his family. I would rate this book a 5 robots out of 5 robots.
Profile Image for Penny McGill.
836 reviews22 followers
June 16, 2013
Brought this one home for the girls because we used to watch a tv show that Dan Yaccarino designed. We've liked some of his other books and this one had great promise - I love the idea of encouraging kids to be 'unplugged' without hitting them over the head with the idea that computers + TV are all bad for you. I think that a more subtle approach always works better and a clever picture book like this can do the trick.

Yaccarino's groovy style suits this little robot world very well and when Doug goes out into the world (looking a bit like he's about to draw with a purple crayon) and actually sees the things he's been learning about it's all very sweet. I can see that this would be a book kids would want to have read over and over as the reader can follow Doug's adventures in the street and sky so easily, in fact on one occasion he uses a Family Circus-style map that lets kids follow Doug, but there are a few instances where using the limited colour palate seems to actually lessen the impact of the adventure he is on.

This would be a fun choice for any family and a great book to add to any theme that involves getting outside, trying new things or leaving the gadgets behind. So fun.
Profile Image for Melissa Rochelle.
1,275 reviews151 followers
April 4, 2013
A wonderful reminder that computers can't teach you everything -- sometimes you have to go outside and play (or smell the flowers, ride the subway, and visit the top of a skyscraper.)
Profile Image for Kathleen.
46 reviews
August 5, 2016
This story falls into the all-too-familiar category of being written more for the parents, not the kids who it is intended for.
Profile Image for Cosette.
1,251 reviews10 followers
September 21, 2016
I get what the point of the text is, but it's poorly executed.
Profile Image for Heather Jo.
1,879 reviews9 followers
March 18, 2017
megan winter reading 2017, children's book, picture book, technology, unplugged, robots, friends, experience, kindergarten, first grade, second grade
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews

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