How to Train Your Evil Robot

By Joy McCullough

He's three inches tall. He has enormous plans. And he's about to learn that knowing everything isn't the same as understanding everything.

When a tech-curious kid receives a mysterious package, they're not expecting ERO, the Evil Robot Overlord: a palm-sized robot with one very big goal: destroy all human beings. There's just one problem. ERO still has a lot to learn.

With help from one clever kid and Jellybean, a dog ERO considers completely useless, this would-be villain discovers what AI can actually do in everyday life. It can make recommendations, help manage traffic, improve accessibility, and assist doctors and scientists. But can it understand friendship? Imagination? Fun? Why humans make art--or why anyone would love a dog that serves no obvious purpose? And there's something ERO hasn't calculated: AI has costs, too.

Written by award-winning author Joy McCullough and illustrated in vibrant comics style by Eduardo Medeiros, How to Train Your Evil Robot is a wildly funny picture book that helps kids make sense of the AI world they're already living in, without the anxiety and with all of the laughs. A "Let's Talk AI " section with discussion questions and additional facts gives kids and grown-ups an easy way to keep the conversation going.

ERO wants to destroy humanity. First, he's going to have to understand it.

A hilarious introduction to AI: A tiny robot with massive ambitions meets his match in one clever kid and their very unimpressed dog, Jellybean.Big ideas made kid-friendly: Explore what AI can do, what it can't, and why knowing everything isn't the same as understanding everything, no computer science degree required.Built for conversations: The "Let's Talk AI " section includes discussion questions and facts about AI's real-world costs for families and classrooms.Perfect for curious kids ages 4 and up: Comics-style art and laugh-out-loud storytelling make this a playful pick for STEM-loving readers, tech-savvy families, and classroom read-alouds.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1464258406
• ISBN13: 9781464258404
• Release Date: July 2026
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Explore
• Length: 40 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.1" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 4 to 8 years
• Grade Range: Preschool to Grade 3