The Wild Robot

I started reading The Wild Robot yesterday. I am already (almost) half way through! It is such a cute story, so far! Roz is a robot that washed to shore on an island that is inhabited by a bunch of different animals. She is struggling to survive on the island. She has faced a bear attack and dangerous weather conditions. The animals are very afraid of Roz and consider her a “monster.” This originally made me feel sad for her because she is so innocent, but then I learned that she does not have any emotions. Therefore, she is not affected by the other animals thinking she is a "monster."

This book is really focusing on survival. How different species of animals interact, where they are on the food chain, and different ways they survive. Roz is trying to learn from them to increase her survival rates. When the animals asked Roz why she was secretly watching them, she responded, "I have learned you all have different ways of surviving. I would like each of you to teach me your survival techniques.” From the stick insect “Roz learned that camouflage could help her survive.” (pg, 41) She has also learned that “playing dead” was an effective survival technique from an opossum.

This book is not at all what I expected, but I am really enjoying it! A robot learning from animals puts a fictional spin on learning nonfictional qualities about different species. It is a fun read with educational aspects!

Becca