Review: The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Title: The Wild Robot 

Author: Peter Brown
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Publishing Date: April 5th 2016

Pages: 279
Genre: MG Sci-Fi Fantasy

Series: The Wild Robot #1
Source: Hardcover

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a remote, wild island. Why is she there? Where did she come from? And, most important, how will she survive in her harsh surroundings? Roz's only hope is to learn from the island's hostile animal inhabitants. When she tries to care for an orphaned gosling, the other animals finally decide to help, and the island starts to feel like home. Until one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her....

The world she was designed for is not where she ended up. Rozzum Unit 7134, short name Roz, wakes up in a crate. The sun light charges her battery and she at once climbs out to explore her surroundings. Roz, the robot, crate is washed into the shore of a deserted island. She has been built with the ability to learn. But with no one around to tell her a task to do or her purpose she decides to seek out her purpose. She is not sure why or how she got on the island, but she seems determined to discover ways to be helpful.

She begins to watch and mimic the animal life on the island. But many of the creatures are fearful of the robot. She is chased by bears, and has to learn to camouflage herself so that she will not be attacked by the bears.

While camouflaged she learns that many animals don't want Roz on the island. They are fearful and think she is a threat to their survival. But after she saves a fox from porcupine quills, and starts raising a gosling because she accidentally fell and killed a flock of geese. The animals start to see Roz as an ally and not an enemy.

She makes friends with beavers, squirrels, geese, and many other animals on the islands. A story of technology and nature that captures the heart in a near futuristic story. It is a nice entry for Peter Brown in the middle grade genre.

A great read a loud book for late elementary kids, and a nice heart warming story for adults. A unique sci-fi book that explores animal behavior and the similarities with robotic programming. This book will have you cheering for Roz, the robot with a heart.

"Hi Brightbill my name is Chitchat and I'm twelve-and-a-half-week-old squirrel and I'm new around here and your home is really big and round and Sometimes I see you waddling behind your funny looking mother and you seem so nice that I thought I'd come down to introduce myself but now I'm nervous and I'm talking too much and my name is Chitchat I think I said that already."

"

A very fun engaging book filled with unique friendships and some informative ways on how animals survive in the wilderness. Highly recommended for students between 4th-6th grade and parents/teachers.

Peter Brown is an American writer and illustrator who is best known for children's picture books. After graduating from Art Center Peter moved to New York City to be closer to the publishing industry. He was working on animated TV shows when he signed a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book, Flight of the Dodo. Peter quickly signed up his second and third books, and his career as an author and illustrator of children’s books was under way.

Peter’s books have earned him numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor (2013) for Creepy Carrots!, two E.B. White Awards and an E.B. White Honor, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book award, a Children’s Choice Award for Illustrator of the Year, two Irma Black Honors, and five New York Times bestsellers.