THE WILD ROBOT
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown is an engaging story about a robot who is born on an island by mistake. The novel follows her journey through adaptation, motherhood, and finding her purpose. This book is approachable for a wide range of readers because of its readability, short engaging chapters, and relatable story line. As I read, I put myself in the shoes of an older struggling reader and this book would be perfect because it appears to be long and advanced, but is not a difficult read. This book beautifully illustrates the unique relationship that animals in the wild have amongst each other through Roz trying to adapt to life in the wild. The story is told in third person, which allows the reader to be omniscient to everything going on in the book. The author even addresses the reader a few times throughout the novel which creates an intimate reading experience because the reader is able to make their own assumptions and predictions about how the characters might feel about certain situations that are about to happen to them.
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Themes
Some common themes that stood out to me as I read The Wild Robot were some common themes such as perseverance, friendships, and being kind. But as I read, more complex themes came into light for me. Such as unique family types, what it means to be a mother, self-discovery, and the challenge of growing up. The theme that really emerged throughout my read was unique family types and what it takes to be a family. Roz and Brightbill were a family, but did not look anything alike and are not technically related. Brightbill struggled with this as he started to grow up and see his peers do things with their Mothers that only ducks could do, but he soon realized how lucky he was to have Roz as a Mom. Families come in all shapes and sizes, surely not every student in a classroom lives with a biological Mother and Father as many books portray. This book provides segway into conversation about what it means to be a family, important values within a family, and how different families are accepted (or not accepted) into a community. I would use this book to create an open dialogue in my classroom about unique families and the ways in which we can support them within our classroom community and greater community. Roz came into the world not knowing what her purpose would be, but quickly found that it was to be a mother to Brightbill and take care of him the best way she knew how. In order to do that she had to make sacrifices and learn just as any new parent does. The themes in this book are worthwhile to students because an emotional connection can be made. As Kathy G. Short states in the article, Story as World Making, "stories are thus much more than a book or a narrative- they are the way our minds make sense of our lives and world" (2012). This book holds educational purpose in the way it teaches about animals and science, but also serves a bigger purpose in teaching students empathy and acceptance.
Evaluating Children's Literature
Although Roz is a robot, which I have no experience at, I found myself relating to her character deeply as I read. Roz was kind, curious, resilient, and smart. Although it was stated early in the story that she was not capable of human emotion, I found that hard to believe pretty early on when she crushed Brightbill's family on accident and decided that she must take him in, would a creature not capable of human emotion feel compelled to take in a baby duckling who just lost his entire family? Sounds like guilt to me. Feeling guilt seems to be a right of passage for being human, I feel guilt every day when leaving my dog to go to work or school! On page 103, Roz once again seems to feel emotion, Brown writes, "Roz spent her morning watching her son swim around and around the pond. And as she watched him, she felt something like gratitude. Thanks to Brightbill, the robot now had friends and shelter and help." We all go through life wanting to be accepted and find our purpose, which is much of what Roz was trying to accomplish throughout the story which gives the book a lot of emotional reality. Most kids and adults can relate to the feeling of wanting to be accepted and have friends. The book reminds me of moving from the city to the country in elementary school and having to adapt to a new environment. I wanted to make friends and fit into my new place.
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In the beginning of the story, Roz is treated as if she is a monster. No one will speak to her besides to tell her that they certainly do not associate with monsters. Roz even camouflages herself in order to be able to observe other animals in peace and learn the way to act if she wants to be accepted by her new community. The animals and the robot have a hard time understanding one another since they are both unfamiliar with each other. I think Peter Brown does an excellent job of fostering social consciousness throughout this story by highlighting the initial unwillingness to accept someone new into the community and the unique family that Brightbill and Roz create together. There was a natural flow in the story that presented these ideals authentically. It took time for the animals to accept Roz, it was not a fairytale with a perfect beginning, middle, and end. There were genuine challenges that the characters faced throughout their journey of accepting diversity. Although Peter Brown is not an #OwnVoices insider, it is clear that the story comes from his imagination and is something that he is passionate about.
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Prior to reading The Wild Robot, I had never considered the possible relationship between
animals and robots. As Peter Brown mentions in the notes about the story, the two actually have several things in common. Such as the way that animals instincts lead them to do things as if they have been programmed to do so. This story opens up the opportunity to teach and discuss social issues and science topics such as different animals diets, instincts and ways of life.
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“As the robot looked out at the island, it never even occurred to her that she might not belong there. As far as Roz knew, she was home.”
― Peter Brown, The Wild Robot
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The Wild Robot & The Girl and the Wolf
In both The Wild Robot and The Girl and the Wolf, the main character is trying to survive in an unknown place and is helped by an animal. These stories focus on determination, courage, and trusting yourself. In both books unlikely friendships were formed between animals and humanized characters which opened up new perspectives for the reader. The stories were both based in nature, while Roz was understanding an island that was completely new to her, the girl was navigating a part of the woods that was somewhat familiar. The girl's story focused on learning to trust herself with the guidance of the wolf.
The Girl and The Wolf
The Girl and the Wolf tells the story of a young girl who was picking berries and wandered off too far. She finds herself frightened and unsure of how to get home. The girl finds comfort in an unlikely place, a wolf. From the illustration and mentions of traditional cultural practices it can be inferred that the book is about Native people, but does not name a specific tribe. The story provides new insight to wolves as the wolf in this story guides the girl along her journey to find her way home. He asks, "what are you going to do?" when the girl responds that she doesn't know he always says, "yes you do." He is a gentle presence throughout the story which helps the girl be strong and find her way home. This story gives a young girl agency, which is a powerful read for all students. I love books with strong female characters who determine their own fate.
Themes
The themes that stood out to me as I read The Girl and the Wolf were independence, girl power, courage, and trust. The girl had to trust the wolf and herself in order to make it back home. For such a small girl she had to be independent and be in charge of her own destiny. This story could inspire little girls to be brave and push through even when times are tough instead of relying on someone else. The wolf was there to help her, but he never told her what to do which was a key element in the story.
"The girl in her red dress and the wolf who isn't really scary came to me when I was reading a lot of European fairy stories. You know the one where the wolf is always the bad guy and gets run off (or worse) in the end. I don't know about you, but I found that unfair and I thought of other stories I had been told where the wolf wasn't just evil or hungry." -Katherena Vermette
Evaluating Children's Literature
The basis for the storyline is very relatable, a big fear for most young children is being separated from their parents and not being able to find their way home. The girl was scared and confused throughout trying to find her way back, but used her knowledge of the area to find her way home. The wolf can be seen as an ideal parent figure as he guides her home while allowing her to make her own choices and solve her own problems. He could have easily allowed her to follow him to her home, but it was important that she did it on her own. The setting was essential to the plot of the book because if it had taken place anywhere else the key element of the story would have been lost. The illustrations add a lot of depth to the book, while they are simple they are done in dark earthy tones which sets the mood of the story.
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An important repeated phrase in the book is from the Wolf, he says, "yes you do," to the girl rather than telling her what to do. In my opinion, that phrase is the most important of the book because it allows the female character to be independent. In the author's note, Vermette states that this story is not based on a real story, but inspired by traditional stories. The author integrates details of culture in a natural way when she mentions how the girl thanks the wolf. It is stated in the story that the girl could not think of a better way to thank the wolf than to tie tobacco in red cloth and leave it at the bush's edge for him. As I read, I had to look up this cultural practice. Katherena Vermette is an indigenous fairytale author and is part of the #OwnVoices movement. She gives information about Native culture in this book in a subtle and realistic way which avoids stereotyping. She presented a culture practice of indigenous peoples that was different than anything I had ever heard of.