To the robots of the future
Author and Illustrator: Peter Brown
Copyright: 2016
"This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental."
The jacket design for this book was created by David Caplan. It is vibrant in colors and structure that corresponds with the imagination of the reader of a robot living in the wilderness. The video to the right, demonstrates that when the jacket of the book is taken off, the book becomes simple with a white background and a single image of Roz, the main character. This distinct difference between the jacket design and actual book cover portrays a message that the image on the outside something or someone portrays, isn't necessarily what is meant to represent.
Background of The Wild Robot
Peter Brown is a children's author and illustrator. He has written several books including Children Make Terrible Pets, My Teacher is a Monster (No, I'm Not), Creepy Carrots and many more! He received a Caldecott Honor Award.
Peter Brown has always been interested in artificial intelligence and has reflected on how the increasingly number of robotics are being used in society. Along with this, he has been observant in natural animal behaviors and characteristics. This observant behavior was characteristic of Roz the robot, when she first was discovering the island she ended up on. She observed how animals communicated and lived daily, so in some circumstances I believe Roz was an imaginary character looking through the eyes of Peter Brown and his curiosity. By joining both of these interests, Peter Brown analytically determined how animals in nature are similar to robots.
How are wild animals and robots similar?
Roz the Evolutionary Monster
Roz was a creation of mankind to do manual routine work; however, her ship of transportation crashed and she became stranded on an island.
Monster! Monster! Roz’s unnatural physical characteristics caused the animals on the island to be immediately fearful of her. But what makes her a monster and who determines what a monster looks and acts like? I believe people classify monsters by deeper fears they have of security. If someone or something, such as Roz, is physically divergent from others, their perception of her is immediately judged. Specifically for the animals, they were fearful for their own safety about something that was different from them. What is interesting is that Roz was more similar to the wild animals than what they first perceived. Roz commonly used some sort of instinct to develop her unique transformation of being an accepted wild robot.
"Maybe Roz really was defective, and some glitch in her programming had caused her to accidentally become a wild robot. Or maybe Roz was designed to think and learn and change; she had simply done those things better than anyone could imagine" (pg. 268).
The relational growth between Roz and the natural animals throughout this book is evolutionary, literally. Roz’s journey in finding her purpose on the island is motivational. She wants to know how to be wild! She became observant, used her born instincts of knowledge to benefit the natural animals and learned different emotions. Her adventures in learning what curiosity, happiness, fear, gratitude felt like made her receptive to feeling alive. Was she less alive because she relied on her button to be activated? How are the animal’s life different from her own?
I believe that Roz learned to be something based on her surroundings. Just like in life, you learn to be something based on the environment you live in. It’s called survival. Roz’s technological advancements did not seem unnatural in the wilderness, rather they enhanced her ingenuity to become something she wasn't necessarily meant to be. All animals have instincts and ways to make their survival easier, so Roz had to learn that herself from when she was activated. Specifically, when Roz became an adoptive mother of an orphaned gosling, she didn’t know how to be a mother. She had to learn. She mostly did this by observing other mother’s and gaining advice from the animals, but she later became accepted as a mother of a goose. Just like in real life, yes there are books about how to be a good parent and resources on what to do as a parent, but nothing trains you to be a mother like being a mother of a living thing. You learn through experience yourself. This not only is relatable to motherhood, but about everything. Occupations, interests and hobbies are all determined and accomplished by the way someone learns through experience and observations.
Agency: the ability to have ideas, to have intentions, and to exert influence and take action; Vaughn et al., 2019
Roz as I had stated before had to learn how to do everything on the wild island. She had to learn how to communicate with birds and other animals. She had to learn how to survive in different seasonal changes. She had to learn and express her unborn emotions. Her ability to adapt and change from a robotic structure in the wilderness, to something that was "wild" demonstrated her agency. She helped cut down large trees for the beavers in return for a home. She cared for an orphaned gosling and used her observations of birds to help him fly, even though she couldn’t. She took charge when the winter months got too cold for the weaker animals. She took them all into her own home, taught them how to maintain a safe fire and cared for the animals well-being in those hard months. When the RECO robots came to collect the lost robots, such as Roz, she knew she had the intentions to stay on the island because it was her home. However, she empathetically knew that continually staying on the island would make all the other animals unsafe from the attacks from the other RECO robots. Her ability to make such a selfless decision for her “family” reflects how she grew from an unknowledgeable wild creature.
The island was teeming with life. And now it had a new kind of life. A strange kind of life. Artificial life (p.23).
What could students take away from this book? There are so many themes to be discussed through this book. According to Kathy Short (2012), "Dialogue about literature provides a significant context within which students learn to live with the tension of recognizing and respecting the perspectives of others without betraying beliefs" (pg. 13). With this idea, a discussion about the purposeful meaning of this book could allow students to communicate on their ideas. The main theme that I believe is taken away is what it means to be alive. Roz the robot, had questioned this herself a lot in what her purpose was on the island compared to the other animals. With this continual reflection portrayed by the main character, students could plan themselves of what makes something living to others. They could also discuss how Roz was marginalized by the other animals in the beginning of the book because how she was different from them. They didn't value her suggestions, questions, or desire to want to learn. Along with this theme, a discussion about the themes of family and home among students could mean different things. Some cultures value familial aspects differently and the interpretation of home can be varied as well. By having a dialogue about characteristics of what it means to be alive, home, or family, students can value their opinion by also reflecting on their peers opinions and values. At an elementary or middle school age, these topics are more meaningful because of the amount of time they have at home or spending time with family or friends.
Our Robot
As one is reading through this book, Peter Brown continued to use repetitive language to build a relationship between the reader and the characters. He specifically addresses the reader throughout the text. For example, “As you know, reader, Roz had always liked to keep herself as clean as possible” (Brown, 2016, pg. 42). He continued to use this phrase “as you know reader” through multiple chapters because as a reader begins to understand how Roz thinks, questions, and behaves with the other animals, we begin to form a friendship relationship with Roz in knowing how she works as a robot. We become more expectant readers in deepening our understanding of how Roz feels and acts in certain ways. Peter Brown has also included the words “our robot” instead of "the robot". For example, “Inside her computer brain, our robot’s Survival Instincts were blaring” (p. 250). This purposeful word of “our” adds another quality of the language in having the reader become more connected to the evolving character of Roz. It’s a way to gain an emotional connection in being able to read that Roz the robot is yours and you’re reading the story of how she finds her purpose.
Man versus Robot (reality that is not far)
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the world is increasing and is both positively and negatively affecting society. Positively, AI is allowing certain aspects of life to become easier and more accommodating to humans. For example, Amazon’s Alexa can tell you the weather, turn on your lights, shut garage doors, play songs and much more. Negatively, they are devaluing the workforce by taking several occupations completely away from manual labor, like car manufacturers. In society today, Peter Brown is collectively starting conversations for younger students on what the boundaries we have to set for artificial intelligence. In discussing one of the themes of what it means to be alive, future generations have to agree upon morally what the role of robotics are going to be within society. In The Wild Robot, Peter Brown demonstrates how artificial intelligence such as Roz can be adaptable and are able to survive in any environment. Roz learned how to feel certain emotions, adapted to a motherly role and advocate for forming relationships. By allowing students to discuss and produce a social conscious on robotics, it allows them to reflect on the literature of the book and relate it to their real life.
What makes a "good children's book"?
When I was an elementary student I did not like to read. I never wanted to hold a book for myself. I thought books had too many words and there weren't enough breaks with pictures. I only enjoyed being read to. I looked forward to being read to in school when my librarian or fifth grade teacher read to us. They seemed to make reading more exciting. When I did start to enjoy reading, I embraced it! A good book for became one that encompasses an energetic plot, visual setting, and a love of characters. If I could picture the plot in my head as a movie reel, then it was a good children's book. I wanted to be the camera woman as I was reading and looking into the screen of all the words.
My Rating
I started reading The Wild Robot first, and I could not put the book down! Literally I had to keep going. In one sitting I read more than 100 pages. This book captivates a reader's attention because of the way the author purposefully includes the reader in the book. He makes sure the reader is involved and feels connected to the characters. Along with this, it was full of detailed language and an energetic plot. It was like you wanted to know what happens next to the main character Roz? When reading this book I could visualize a real life robot that I've seen in comical movies and apply my previous knowledge to my own imagination.
Lost Robot, Lost Girl
Both of these books are similar in many aspects. One common characteristic is that both the main characters are placed into a surrounding they are not familiar with. This change of environment made the characters uneasy and not confident in their abilities. Along with this, there are themes that are alike between the books. In The Wild Robot, the themes of what it means to be alive, survival, trust, friendship and home are expressed. In The Girl and the Wolf, the themes of survival, trust and home are presented throughout the book.
This website below is a complete set of activities, lessons, and discussions to have that are already planned out!
References
Brown, P. (2016). The Wild Robot. New York: Little, Brown Company.
Short, K. (Sep. 2012). Story as World Making. Language Arts, Volume 90 (Issue 1), 9-17.
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