Book Review of Raining Robots: Book One: A Boy and His D.O.G.
The Children’s Book Review
Raining Robots: Book One: A Boy and His D.O.G.
Written and Illustrated by Jordan Hines
Ages: 8+ | 224 Pages
Publisher: Hines’ Publishing (2024) | ISBN: 979-8988668244
What to Expect: Science Fiction, Robots, Superhero, Aliens, Friendship, Dogs, Adventure, Middle Grade.
A desperate boy’s dream of owning a dog turns into an intergalactic war when a massive Great Dane is revealed to be a super-advanced robot, connecting them in a secret mission to save Earth.
Eleven-year-old Ben Summers has tried everything to convince his mom that their Boston apartment is perfect for a dog. He gets his wish, but not in the way he ever imagined. After a strange “lightning strike” at the local dog park, Ben finds himself irrevocably linked to a giant black Great Dane named D.O.G., who is actually a powerful robot—a TechPal.
Ben is transformed into the superhero B.L.U., the robot’s necessary “Whisperer,” and swept into a high-stakes conflict between the Luminal Vanguard, an alien ally group, and the tyrannical Consortium, led by the holographic Professor Hextron, whose goal is to conquer Earth with an army of “raining robots.” With his new secret life, his best friend Calvin, and his extraordinary dog, Ben must navigate alien command centers and master his new powers if he is to find a way to stop an apocalyptic robot invasion.
Moving at a breakneck pace, author Jordan Hines wastes no time, plunging the reader immediately into action and a chaotic, inventive sci-fi world. Written in a lively first-person narrative, he perfectly captures the voice and humor of an energetic, imaginative eleven-year-old—the dialogue between Ben and his highly knowledgeable yet stern robot dog is consistently entertaining. In contrast, the emotional core (Ben’s desire for a dog and his commitment to friendship) is strong and grounding amidst the space-age chaos.
Raining Robots: A Boy and His D.O.G. is a thrilling start to a middle-grade series that successfully fuses relatable childhood wishes with epic superhero action—especially enjoyed by readers who enjoy fast-paced science fiction and superhero origin stories.
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About the Author/Illustrator
Jordan Hines is now ten years old and already deep into building an epic universe of adventure, tech, and teamwork. He’s the creator of A Boy and His D.O.G. series, which includes Blu and his friends, a fast-paced sci-fi series filled with glitchy robots, wild portals, and a whole lot of heart. Jordan isn’t finished yet—he’s expanding his world with the help of his friends, who are jumping in as new characters to join Blu on even bigger missions to protect the universe.
A big believer in kindness, cooperation, and thinking outside the galaxy, Jordan hopes his stories inspire kids to work together and dream big. He also encourages readers to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)—because the more you learn, the more worlds you can create.
When he’s not writing or designing the next robot plot twist, Jordan can be found skating across the hockey rink, running around the bases on the baseball field, or learning another song on the piano. Just don’t challenge him to a trivia contest about alien tech—he’ll probably win.
And yes, he’s already planning what happens next in the TechPals’ journey. Stay tuned!
