"I told you three times!" Every parent has said it. Young children forget instructions, spellings and where they left their shoes — not because they aren't listening, but because nobody has ever shown them how to remember. This book does exactly that, through a robot whose memory doesn't work and a dog who knows how to fix it.
Silver and the Forgetful Robot isn't only a story. It teaches genuine mnemonic techniques — making silly connections, the memory palace, and "watering" ideas so they grow — and ends with three choose-your-adventure memory missions your child can take again and again. Here are the opening pages to read together.
Silver and the Forgetful Robot
A Story That Teaches Memory Superpowers. A warm, funny read-aloud for ages 3–7, with choose-your-adventure missions.
“Learning something new is like planting a seed: every time you remember it, you water it and it grows stronger.”
Get the full book on AmazonThe opening pages
Simone's workshop rattled all day long. Sparks flew. Metal clanked.
Silver watched from the doorway, his tail wagging with excitement.
"Finally," Simone shouted, "Done!"
She took off her safety goggles, wiped the oil off her paws and grinned proudly. In the middle of the workshop stood a shiny silver robot with a big friendly smile.
"Meet Bright Spark!" said Simone. "He can talk, fight crime, dance, and even make pancakes!"
Silver tilted his head in amazement. "He seems perfect," he said.
But suddenly, Bright Spark froze — his lights flickered, and smoke puffed from one ear.
"Who are you?" he asked cheerfully.
Simone's jaw dropped. "Oh no, his memory doesn't seem to be working!" she gasped.
Bright Spark scratched his metal head and looked confused.
Silver smiled. "A superhero robot with no memory? Now that's a problem we can all learn from."
The next morning, Bright Spark was back in the workshop — metal polished, lights gleaming, and ready to learn how to remember. Silver stood by the whiteboard with a marker in his paw.
"The secret to remembering anything," he said, "is making connections."
Bright Spark tilted his head. "Connections? Like Wi-Fi?"
Silver laughed. "Sort of! But instead of connecting computers, you're connecting ideas."
And that's where the sample ends. Bright Spark still has a lot of training ahead — turning a shopping list into one silly story, growing a "memory garden" where ideas are watered until they stick, and then three glowing portals: Olivia the Owl's Memory Palace adventure, Benny the Beaver's Number Rhyme quest, and Larry the Leprechaun's treasure trail. Your child chooses which mission to take first — and comes back for the others.
Keep reading with the full book
Bring Silver and the Forgetful Robot home as a paperback picture book — the memory tricks inside work on spellings, times tables, shopping lists and "where did I put my shoes".
“The secret to remembering anything is making connections — link it to something you already know, and make it funny, colourful or silly.”
View on AmazonThe techniques Silver teaches are the real thing — linking, the memory palace and spaced review are some of the oldest and best-studied memory methods there are. The book simply dresses them up as superhero training, which is exactly the disguise a young child needs to actually practise them.
This is part of our bigger guide on helping your child focus and learn. You might also like our memory games for kids, short attention span in children and helping your child concentrate on homework.