Book excerpt: A graphic novel classic — and now an Oscar-nominated animated feature! After best friends Robot and Dog spend a happy day at the beach, Robot's joints freeze up—they've become rusted through by the water. Dog is powerless to help Robot, who can't move an inch and is too heavy for Dog to carry. Eventually, Dog makes the difficult decision to leave Robot there, and return alone to the life they shared. The memory of their friendship lingers, and as the seasons pass, Dog makes (and loses) new friends, from a melting snowman to epicurean anteaters. But Robot, lying rusting on the beach, finds solace in dreams. A masterwork in wordless cartooning, Sara Varon's Robot Dreams is a whimsical and poignant meditation on the power and fragility of relationships.