THE WILD ROBOT

by Peter Brown

In early October, I heard a bit of buzz about a new animated movie called The Wild Robot. Specifically, I heard that it was not scary or overstimulating, but a wonderful story for kids and adults. We were heading north for Canadian Thanksgiving and I decided that in addition to seeing the movie over the holiday weekend, we could listen to the audiobook on our four-hour drive.

If you have a kid between 3 and 13, I highly recommend reading, listening to and seeing The Wild Robot. The wonderful narrator for the audiobook added icing on top of an already perfect cake/book. Set on a remote island, the story starts with a storm in which several helper robots wash ashore. Just one robot survives intact and after some curious otters activate her, she quickly learns about her new home and the animals that inhabit it. Peter Brown develops the theme that you can learn to be part of a community even if you seem different. He also includes some extremely poignant observations about motherhood that arise after the robot adopts a baby gosling and must teach him to fly and swim, both things she is unable to do herself.

My kids are still talking about The Wild Robot and listening to the excellent movie soundtrack more than a month later. Charlotte will be getting the book for Christmas. So, if you have holiday travel coming up or are looking for a great present or a fun movie night, please choose The Wild Robot. You won’t regret it! (Lily)