Max the Inventor: Pip the Shy Robot

Max makes an interesting new robot that he was excited to share

Deep in Max's backyard, nestled high in the branches of his favorite oak tree, was his lab. A magical place filled with whirring gears, blinking lights, and the sweet smell of caramel and copper. Today, Max was working on a very special project, a robot named Pip. Pip wasn't like any robot Max had made before. Pip was shy.

Pip was small and round, with big, gentle eyes that blinked slowly. Sometimes, Pip would hum a soft, quiet tune, like the gentle rustling of leaves. Other times, Pip would just sit quietly, his little metal hands folded in his lap, content to watch the clouds drift by. Max noticed that Pip would sometimes talk a lot when they were alone but would go silent when other people were around.

One sunny afternoon, Max invited his friends, Lily and Tom, to see Pip. They climbed the rope ladder to the treehouse, their eyes wide with excitement. "This is Pip," Max said, gently patting Pip's round head. Pip looked up, his eyes blinking, and then he turned away, his little antenn…