The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown

This was such a great book and such a splendid success as a family read-aloud that I thought it deserved its own blog post, not just a few sentences in our read aloud journal.

I’m not even sure where I first saw The Wild Robot, but it made its way onto my list for titles of potential family read-aloud books and sat there for a few months until we needed it, and I have to mention again just how wonderful it was for our whole family. Granted the 2-year-old won’t remember much of it, but he still participated and was able to feel included. The older 3 kids really loved it. One terrific feature is the short chapters. There are 80 chapters, but many of them are only 2-3 pages long, which gives the readers plenty of chances for a natural break.

The story is set on a remote island which we learn is devoid of human inhabitants but has an abundance of animal life, there are beavers and fish in the lake, deer and moose in the forest, bears in their cave, and birds and squirrels in the trees. A ship wrecks nearby and 5 crates are washed up onto the island. Only the contents of one crate arrives undamaged and ready to be activated. It is a robot which has a human form (head, body, 2 legs, 2 arms and walks upright) but which has no knowledge of where she originated, how she got to the island and what she should be doing there.

We journey with the robot, Roz, as she learns various lessons about living in the wild. She learns about how to keep herself safe and what her limits are. She learns about her animals neighbours and interacts with them, offering them help and receiving help from them in return.

After the tragic deaths of his parents and siblings, Roz assumes mothering duties for a baby gosling whom she names Brightbill. With help, she is able to nourish and nurture the runty bird and he grows to be a strong healthy goose who faces the tough decision about flying south with the flock at the first signs of winter.

Roz’s greatest challenge is facing 3 bigger, stronger robots who fly to the island with the mission of reclaiming all the robot pieces and returning them to the manufacturer. Fortunately, by this time, she has assimilated so well to wild island living and her relationships with the other inhabitants are strong that she has a chance of survival.

This book contains some deep and important themes, such as death and birth,
purpose and progress, adoption, motherhood, overcoming challenges and community. However, because the characters weren’t human it made those themes easier to expose to children. When Brightbill is faced with the choice about leaving the Nest (literally), families might think about children growing up and moving out and what the family relationships will look like then. Or when Roz realises that some of her friends die from the freezing temperatures of winter, families could discuss what they believe about death and what happens to people after.

The Wild Robot is an excellent book for independent readers in Grades 3-7. My only warning would be that it does contain scenes where animals die through accident and acts of nature. Also for children who have experienced the loss of a parent or adoption you might like to read it with them, rather than let them read it independently.

For those who might teach this book to a class, or who want some additional insights, the author and illustrator, Peter Brown, has graciously published a wonderful blog post on his site with lots of details about the creation and publication of The Wild Robot. While you’re there check out his fantastic prints for sale.