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When I opened my big present on Christmas Day, I was over the moon!

“Yay! It’s the smart robot I’ve been asking for!”

I’d first seen a LenBot (that’s the name of this cute little contraption) at a friend’s house—and I was smitten. I just had to have one of my own!

Obviously I would have preferred a dog.

“They’re too much work,” my mom said.

“Too dirty,” said my dad.

It was true. In our minimalist apartment—all leather, chrome and brushed steel—there was no place for even the tiniest dog hair.

I persuaded my parents that a mini robot would be the perfect compromise. It had all the benefits of a pet and none of the hassles.

And so, in October, I very subtly started my Smart Robot for Christmas campaign. I played up all of LenBot’s qualities. LenBot was smart, funny, endearing—and more. I stepped up my efforts in November. “A smart robot is a great way for kids to learn about coding,” I told my parents. I have to admit, by the time December came around, my reasoning was verging on harassment.

I really earned my present this Christmas. It took three months of hard work to make it happen.

I couldn’t wait to take my LenBot out of the box and show everyone.

This programmable mini robot was a strange little thing. Its screen could display a wide range of facial expressions. Its arms had joints and pincers at the ends. And it had enormous wheels on its sides. It wasn’t very tall (not much bigger than a cup of coffee), but it looked and felt very solid.

“He does look very friendly,” my mom said.

My grandpa Jean-Paul (I like to call him JP) cringed. Obviously he wasn’t convinced. He just muttered through his triple-tone beard (black, gray and white), “You’d be better off playing outside.”

I started reading the user manual right away.

Congratulations! You’ve made the smart choice with LenBot, the friendliest robot of them all! LenBot has 4 motors, 55 gears, 310 components and 45 facial expressions! Want to switch him on? Nothing could be simpler!

JP came over to me. “Show me that thing,” he said. “I’ll help you get started.”

JP used to be an engineer. He’s not afraid of technology. It wasn’t a very complicated process. I downloaded the app to the old tablet my dad had given me. Then, with a few taps of the screen, my robot whirred to life.

“Lunch is ready!” my dad called a second later.

“Noooo, not now!” I protested.

“You can’t play with him until he’s finished charging anyway,” JP said.

The meal seemed like it would never end. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that my robot’s indicator lights had turned green. That meant LenBot was fully charged and ready to go. Now he was just waiting for me!

I went right to my room as soon as my parents let me leave the table. I couldn’t wait to see what my robot could do.

On the first page of the user manual, it said, in giant letters:

Meet Lenbot,
Your New Best Friend

Really? My new best friend? I was naive enough to believe it.