Title: The Wild Robot
Author: Peter Brown
Illustrator: Peter Brown
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 5, 2016
Audience: Ages 8 – 11 years
Summary: In the not too distant future a cargo ship carrying 500 robots (Rozzum units) is destroyed by a hurricane. Five of the robot cases are washed ashore on an island with only one still intact; the others are broken in parts and scattered along the shore. A group of sea otters are attracted by the foam packing around the undamaged robot and inadvertently one of them pushes the activation button on the back of her head. They hear a whirring sound, her computer brain boots up, her eyes open and she begins to speak, “I am Rozzum unit 7134 but you may call me Roz.” As she emerges from the packing the otters think her a monster and run away. Roz, left alone with the broken remains of four other robots, is programmed to know that she will be safer away from the water so she climbs a cliff (imitating a crab) and begins to learn about the island that is now her home. It is teeming with life, all unknown to Roz, but she is programmed to learn and has a computer brain filled with facts. Though the animals are afraid of Roz, she works her way into their lives by first removing porcupine quills from a fox, camouflaging herself so that she can listen to their conversations and master their language, and finally adopting a goose, injured in an accident which she helped to cause. Trying to become a mother to Brightbill, she turns to other geese for advice, to the beavers to build her a house, to the deer to help her garden. When Brightbill migrates south with the flock of geese, Roz helps the other animals through a dreadful winter by building shelters and starting fires. This peaceful, happy life comes to an end when Roz’s Makers send out RECCOS by plane to retrieve all computers and parts and return them to the factory. The island animals fight the RECCOS but Roz knows that to protect the island and to restore her broken parts she must return to the Makers.
Literary elements at work in the story: A narrator tells Roz’s story, informing the reader of circumstances unknown to Roz. Computers (at present) lack feelings and the capacity for relationships; Brown tries but does not stay within these limits. Roz forms friendships and cares about the island. She feels guilty about the accident that kills the geese and responsible for the egg that remains. The author is known for his picture books and this story is richly illustrated. Pictures, grainy shades of black and white, depict both Roz and the natural world, the lack of color diminishing the differences between natural life and robots. They seem to be made of the same stuff. The titled chapters are short, some only a page, and the narrative, especially in the final pages moves at a fast and intense pace. It’s a good story and a laudable attempt to relate technological advances, their problems and possibilities, to the natural world
How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? The animals Roz encounters have different gifts and abilities to share with her. Roz is assumed to be female. Otherwise these perspectives do not affect the story.
Theological Conversation Partners: The target audience for this book may be more at home with robots and artificial intelligence than the adults who share it. Brown dedicates the story to the “robots of the future.” The Wild Robot offers a wonderful opportunity to exam this future. Will or can robots replace humans? Will artificial intelligence exceed human intelligence? For the Christian, who knows that God is the God of the future as well as the present, this is a valuable exercise. How will we relate to more advanced robots in the future? The book will surely raise the question: what is a human? What does it mean to be created in the image of God? Three ways that Roz becomes more like the animals is by imitation, listening, and acting. These are means of growing as Christians as well. “Be imitators of me,” says Paul, and Christians are to be salt and light to each other and the world “Be careful how you hear,” says Jesus, reminding us of the importance of listening both to God and to each other. Roz learns the value of acting from the opossum so she uses her friendliest voice when approaching the animals. Is this hypocritical or do we become what we act like we are?
Faith Talk Questions:
- Roz has a mind filled with facts, a mind capable of processing new information. What are some things that Roz cannot know that she admits herself, that the narrator tells us?
- Roz learns to navigate the rocks on the cliffs by imitating a crab. What have you learned by imitation?
- Roz learns that she must silently observe in order to learn about the animals of the island. How does she do this? What is an important skill that she acquires? What are occasions where you need to observe carefully and silently to learn about others?
- Roz says to the bears, “I forgive you.” Is this genuine forgiveness? Is Roz capable of this?
- Roz and Brightbill talk about the difference between humans and robots. What are some of these differences?
- What clues tell you that this story takes place in the future?
- How did the geese learn to use the gun that destroyed Recco 1?
- Can robots replace human beings? What characteristics represent the best of humanity? Can these characteristics be programmed?
- When we speak of a person being programmed for violence or for success, what do we mean? In what way is this programming like a computer’s?
- Roz and Brightbill are a strange family. What is good about their family?
- What would a computer be like if it imitated you in trying to become a human?
This review is written by alumna and regular contributor Virginia Coffin Thomas.
The Wild Robot by Storypath is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.