The Wild Robot: 02/27/17

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown starts simply with a ship losing its cargo during a storm. Most of the metal containers sink under the waves. Some crash ashore on an island but only one stays intact, allowing a single robot to be booted up by some curious animals.

Thus begins Roz's life as a wild robot. As Roz explores she comes to learn the lay of her island and the language of her animal neighbors, she begins to transcend her programming.

Through Roz's education, the book dives into some deep, philosophical explorations: on the purpose of life, on nature vs nurture, on gender, on being a parent, on adoption.

And just as it seems that anyone, even a wild robot, can move beyond their means with enough work and determination, we're taken beyond the island. We see the remains of the world that lost the cargo. We see a dystopian near future.

The Wild Robot is not what I expected. It's more than what I expected. It's also at right angles to what I expected. I recommend pairing it with Kyo Maclear's memoir, Birds Art Life.

Five stars

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