A Day with Wilbur Robinson is a wildly imaginative picture book by acclaimed author-illustrator William Joyce. Originally published in 1990, the story is a whimsical adventure narrated by a young boy named Lewis who visits his eccentric best friend, Wilbur Robinson, in search of Wilbur’s missing grandfather.
What begins as a simple visit quickly becomes an unforgettable journey through the Robinsons’ strange, surreal household. Along the way, Lewis encounters a cast of delightfully bizarre family members—including Uncle Gaston and his trained ants, Aunt Billie with her life-sized dinosaur, and Cousin Laszlo in his anti-gravity chamber. Each turn of the page reveals a new, curious invention or character, celebrating imagination and creative absurdity.
William Joyce’s illustrations are vibrant and filled with retro-futuristic charm, heavily influenced by 1950s Americana, science fiction, and classic animation. His signature artistic style blends elegance with humor, and his detailed spreads encourage repeat readings, as there’s always something new to discover.
The book was later adapted into the 2007 Disney animated film Meet the Robinsons, which expanded on the original story while maintaining its central themes of family, curiosity, and invention.
