The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

You can say a lot of things about movie adaptations, but you can’t deny how great they are for bringing books back into public attention.

The Wild Robot totally passed me by when it was first published almost a decade ago, so getting the movie tie-in from a publicist’s box was a nice little surprise. Peter Brown’s first children’s novel is a charming tale that deftly presents an entirely plausible future where humanity’s reliance on technology (and, more subtly, disregard for climate change) has created a strange but not unfamiliar world.

Rozz is a robot whose crate gets washed up on a remote island during transit. A playful troupe of otters accidentally awakens her by pressing down on the button in the back of her head. Rozz is initially confused, but her survival programming leads her to swiftly set herself to the task of learning about her surroundings.

The temperate island is bucolic and pristine, as the only inhabitants are wild animals. All of these animals treat Rozz with suspicion, despite her best efforts to learn about and communicate with them. When Rozz accidentally gets caught in a rockslide that destroys a pair of geese and their nest, she finds herself in custody of the sole surviving egg. Her attempts to raise the little hatchling eventually encourage the animals of the island to assimilate her into their ecosystem.

But danger lurks, as a possessive corporation becomes aware of her survival. Will Rozz and her new friends be able to secure her freedom?

I’m still undecided as to whether I felt that the whole bit with the robots coming to repossess her was necessary in this book. Tbh, I thought that all the stuff that preceded it wrapped up neatly, with just a filip of a teaser for the next book in the form of the bonfire. As it is, the book ends on kind of a downer: an unusual choice for a children’s series and especially for the series debut. But hey, it worked, as TWR’s critically acclaimed bestseller status can attest to.

I really appreciated that this version included not only all of the original text and illustrations, but also several glossy color pages of stills from the movie. Another significant bonus is the Behind The Scenes section originally written to accompany the paperback versions of the book and its sequel. Mr Brown not only includes sketches and concept art, but also provides valuable insight into his creative process. This is a wonderful addition to the collection of any children’s literature enthusiast, and especially for anyone who’s never encountered the series in book form before. The bonus sections ensure that this isn’t just a cheap cash grab, but a thoughtful extension of the currently available editions.

The Wild Robot (Movie Tie-In) by Peter Brown was published September 3 2024 by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers and is available from all good booksellers, including