Matt Novak Book Everything Machine

Book Description
With the Everything Machine, life is so easy for the Quirkians that on most days they don't need to get out of bed. But on one fateful day, all of that changes -- when the maching stops working! Readers will discover through the Quirkians' story that though difficult at first, life is much more interesting when you know how to do things for yourself.
Reviews
KIRKUS REVIEWS (STARRED)

On the planet Quirk, the Everything Machine gradually supplants both the drudgery and creativity of the populace, which on most days just stayed in bed. The industrious machine paints their houses, bakes their pies, scratches their backs and even colors Little Greebo Moonhead's coloring book. Its sudden breakdown flummoxes the Quirkians; its protracted repair necessitates relearning lost skills. When the machine's back online, its meddlesome expertise irks the newly resourceful citizens, who've rediscovered the satisfactions of DIY: Gardeners blossom, cooks mix it up and Little Greebo paints accomplished pictures. The Quirkian solution results in "Everything Park" with one remaining role for the now Rube Goldbergian apparatus. Layers of brushy, flat colors in clay-like textures hearken agreeably to Wallace and Grommit, while the omnipresent E.M.s bloated, white, six-fingered hands evoke a domineering Mickey Mouse a surely intentional, cleverly sinister send-up. The mix of comic panels, word bubbles and bird's-eye tableaux is terrific; Novak even provides a Quirkian history lesson via visual flashbacks in old timey sepia and blue. Dystopian allegory, lively storytelling, giggle-worthy pictures, boy appeal, yup: Everything's here.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

K-Gr 2–Novak’s colorful cartoons and dynamic storytelling show that life on the planet Quirk has become a bit dull as the Everything Machine completes all of the inhabitants’ daily tasks. It cooks, mows the lawn, and even colors the baby’s pictures until it breaks, and the residents panic as they learn from the little green repairman that it will take months to fix. Looking a little like humans, the Quirkians have wild hairdos with red cherries growing straight up, and the friendly repairman from planet Bing Bong may have four eel-like arms and an oversize head but his backward baseball cap and large round glasses make him charming and approachable. Novak uses word balloons and animated comic-book panels to show the Quirkians’ struggling to do their chores. When the machine is repaired, they have learned more than how to garden and cook; they actually enjoy doing for themselves and create a park around the Everything Machine, which now lets the people of Quirk do everything but the hardest job of all–back-scratching. The “quirky” illustrations and deadpan narration may be a little peculiar but that is exactly what will draw young readers in and keep them visiting.–Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY