This comic book tells of the exploits of a small robot dog, Sag, living with a family of robots at some future time when rockets are common transportation. Some robot characters are: Sag, whose Dash Hound body sags in the middle. Wag, the other dog that has a spring for a tail. Scat, the cat who thought that was its name, Tank, the father who looks like that. Wink, a child whose electronic eyes flicker, and Sank, another child who tried to swim. The story involves a series of escapades as Sag and Wag experience them. The illustrations are self explanatory, and the text is excellent as a bed time read-to-me selection. In addition it is valuable throughout the learning to read years as a vocabulary builder. It is excellent for children of all ages who love imaginary adventure stories with characters they are able to identify with, plots that are interesting and humorous, and settings that are unreal yet familiar.If this includes everyone it's intentional. The mother or father reading to the child should not be bored, and the child should be filled with curiosity and questions. To this end we have combined a simple picture story with a written version that uses adult vocabulary. In the read-to-me stage the need to explain word meaning, when asked, increases the interplay, and bond, between parent and child. This interplay will continue as the child begins to read alone and needs help in meaning and pronunciation. In pre-teen and above it's just a funny comic book.
About the Author: Russell W. Smith Jr. was born at Springwood, Virginia in 1924, and holds a degree in economics. After leaving college he spent several years as a speculative home builder before entering the technical field. There he gained considerable industry experience as an engineer developing flight simulator prototypes at ERCO, and in the advanced electronics lab of Convair during the development of the Atlas missile (first ICBM). Later he became the Technical Director of two major Trade Associations; building manufacturer's Producers Council and the Plumbing Fixture Manufacturers Assn. During the Kennedy administration he began a government career as an industrial specialist in the Director's Office of the Institute of Applied Technology, Dept of Commerce, and later as project manager in their Experimental Technology Incentives Program. Later he transferred to the Consumer Product Safety Commission where he held a position as federal liaison officer, and then as operational auditor in their Inspector General's Office. During all these positions art and publications were an intricate part of his responsibilities, holding, at one time, a position as Director of Art and Publications, Mr. Smith's writings chronicle a lifetime of unbridled curiosity and critical analysis in many fields. In particular religious philosophy As he puts it: "Thinking out of the box!"