A hilarious and thought-provoking middle-grade graphic novel that uses a tiny would-be villain to explore the promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence, blending comic book-style fun with big questions about technology, empathy, and what it means to be human, for fans of Adam Rubin and Peter Brown.
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR EVIL ROBOT
by Joy McCullough
illustrated by Eduardo Medeiros
Sourcebooks Explore, July 2026
He’s three inches tall. He has enormous plans. And he’s about to learn a very important lesson.
This is the wildly funny picture book that helps kids make sense of the AI world they’re already living in — without any of the anxiety, and with all of the laughs. One kid, one skeptical dog, and one very overconfident robot walk readers through what AI can do, what it can’t, and why being human is still pretty great.
Perfect for curious kids, savvy parents, and anyone who wants to stay one step ahead of the robots!
-
The funniest AI book your kid will ever read — a tiny robot with massive ambitions meets his match in one clever kid and their very unimpressed dog
-
Finally — a way to talk to your kids about AI that’s actually fun, age-appropriate, and doesn’t require a computer science degree
-
Smart, funny, and wildly timely — covers what AI can do (and what it definitely cannot) in a way that sticks with young kids
-
Comics-style art and laugh-out-loud storytelling make every page an adventure — even the big ideas feel like play
-
The must-have gift for the AI age — because every kid is growing up with technology, and this book makes that hilarious instead of scary
Joy McCullough is an award-winning author and a NYT bestseller. She writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Eduardo Medeiros is a Brazilian author and artist, and has been captivated by storytelling since childhood and has always dreamed of creating comics. Eduardo enjoys quality time with his 4-year-old son, Gabriel, or hitting the road in his beloved vintage car.
Em Morales’s older sister was raped by another student after a frat party. A jury eventually found the rapist guilty on all counts—a remarkable verdict that Em felt more than a little responsible for, since she was her sister’s strongest advocate on social media during the trial. Her passion and outspokenness helped dissuade the DA from settling for a plea deal. Em’s family would have real justice. But the victory is short-lived. In a matter of minutes, justice vanishes as the judge turns the Morales family’s world upside down again by sentencing the rapist to no prison time. While her family is stunned, Em is literally sick with rage and guilt. To make matters worse, a news clip of her saying that the sentence makes her want to learn « how to use a sword » goes viral. From this low point, Em must find a new reason to go on and help her family heal, and she finds it in the unlikely form of the story of a fifteenth-century French noblewoman, Marguerite de Bressieux, who is legendary as an avenging knight for rape victims. WE ARE THE ASHES, WE ARE THE FIRE is a searing and nuanced portrait of a young woman torn between a persistent desire for revenge and a burning need for hope