The Wild Robot Escapes (The Wild Robot #2)
Peter Brown
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published March 13, 2018
Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads
About The Wild Robot Escapes
The sequel to the bestselling The Wild Robot, by award-winning author Peter Brown
Shipwrecked on a remote, wild island, Robot Roz learned from the unwelcoming animal inhabitants and adapted to her surroundings–but can she survive the challenges of the civilized world and find her way home to Brightbill and the island?
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed sequel to his New York Times bestselling The Wild Robot, about what happens when nature and technology collide.
My Review
The Wild Robot Escapes picks up soon after the first book ends, with Roz being transported to a factory and repaired. Soon, a farmer purchases her, and she begins a new life on his farm. She carefully keeps her true self and her ability to speak to animals a secret because she fears being destroyed if people learn she’s a wild robot.
On the farm, the cows are delighted that Roz can speak with them. She fixes a lot of equipment and oversees the farm while Mr. Shareef, the man who bought her, mostly stays in his house. Roz learns that his family has had the farm for generations. An accident led to his wife’s death and his permanent injury. She begins playing games with the two children. She tells them stories they do not realize are true: stories about her life on the island before she came to the farm.
At the same time, she learns that her son Brightbill the goose is looking for her. Other geese visit the farm, and she tells them who she is so they can perhaps get a message to him.
I’ve been reading this series to my seven-year-old, and she’s completely captivated by the story. She’s invested in the animal characters, especially in Roz and Brightbill’s relationship.
Conclusion
I thought the story started off a bit slowly, but I ended up appreciating Roz’s time on the farm and the things she learned there. By the time Roz begins her escape, the story’s pace picks up, and things move quickly. I liked having the chance to see more of the world Brown created and what he imagined the human experience would be like for people with access to robots like Roz.
We’ll definitely be continuing the series. I think anyone who enjoys animal stories will like this one. The chapters are short, and the book contains a lot of illustrations, breaking up the text. It’s a great book for kids transitioning out of chapter books into middle grade fiction. It’s been a really fun read-aloud for our family, too.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
None.
Violent Content
References to predator animals eating prey animals, such as wolves trying to kill a cow so they can eat her. Roz briefly wonders if humans are bad for eating chickens. Ultimately, she decides they are just following their instincts, and it’s neither good nor bad.
Some situations of peril. Reco robots chase Roz, and she worries about being deactivated if she’s captured because she’s not a “normal” robot.
Drug Content
None.
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