- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Science Fiction
The Lost Robot
A recent Joe Todd-Stanton picture book about a robot searching for memory, home and belonging. Best for children who like gentle sci-fi, emotional journeys and beautifully designed worlds.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Gentle
- Heartwarming
- Whimsical
- Thought provoking
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Mio the robot cannot remember where they came from or how long they have been lost, only that they do not feel they belong where they are. Their search for memories and home becomes a tender journey through change, self-knowledge and the possibility that belonging may not be exactly where you expect it. Joe Todd-Stanton brings his distinctive design-led picture-book style to a softer science-fiction premise, making robots feel emotionally accessible rather than cold or mechanical. Because this is a brand-new title, its longer-term reception is still settling, but its role is clear: a gentle, visually rich book for children interested in robots, identity and home. It should pair well with other Todd-Stanton stories about misunderstood creatures, moving house and finding connection.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–8
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Robots
- Belonging
- Finding home
- Gentle sci fi
- Beautiful illustrations
Avoid if
- Avoid recent until reviewed
- Wants fast action sci fi
- Wants laugh out loud funny
Particularly good for children who are…
- Low self esteem
- Moving house
- Anxiety and worry
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A gentle, warm read-aloud about a robot finding where it belongs — a lovely prompt for talk about belonging and being yourself.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is Mio's missing memories — a robot unable to remember where they came from or how long they've been lost, certain they don't belong where they are, searching for what home might actually be. The Todd-Stanton picture book that makes a robot feel tender rather than mechanical.
- Secret world
- Friendship and belonging
- Family belonging
- Transformation
Why parents love it
The Joe Todd-Stanton standalone — design-led picture book, gentle sci-fi premise about memory and belonging, robots-as-emotionally-accessible. Recent so reception still settling. Pairs with his other misunderstood-creature work.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
About the author & illustrator
Joe Todd-Stanton.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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