Hello, Weak Robots

by Michio Okada

illus. by Yoshio Hayakawa

What can a robot that cannot do things on its own teach us about relationships?

A rubbish-bin robot wants to collect litter, yet it cannot pick anything up. Other robots hesitate, forget important words, or seem unsure of themselves. Alone, they can achieve almost nothing. And yet, people cannot resist helping them.

Through these unusual machines, this thought-provoking book reconsiders the relationship between humans and robots — and, more importantly, between people themselves. What makes a relationship comfortable and cooperative? An engaging exploration of vulnerability, interdependence and the surprising power of “weakness” for upper primary readers.

21 x 19 cm, 79 pages, Full-colour illustrations
First published December 2025