The wild robot on the island

K-Gr 2--Brown's picture book adaptation of his popular middle grade novel, The Wild Robot, comes alive in audio. The production opens with birds tweeting and a pulsing synthesized melody playing in the background. With a bright, almost chirpy voice, McInerney explains how the crate with Roz the robot inside washed up on the island after a storm. Roz, whose voice is conveyed with halting robotic tones, is determined to adapt to being alone on the island. Happily, she adjusts to the rhythms of the place and befriends the animals around her. She soon adopts an abandoned gosling, whom she names Brightbill and raises him (with music, bird sounds, and an occasional goose honking softly in the background). Ominous music begins when autumn arrives on the island and Brightbill flies south with the other geese for the winter. McInerney channels Roz's concern, which becomes poignant when she wonders if Brightbill missed her during the winter. When he at last returns in the spring, McInerney's Roz glows with contentment. Light guitar picking in the background completes the heartwarming aural portrait. McInerney's fresh, cheerful voice concludes the production with an author's note and credits. VERDICT A captivating entrée for younger children to meet Roz and enjoy the "Wild Robot" trilogy.--Stephanie Bange

What happens when a robot washes up alone on an island? "Everything was just right on the island." Brown beautifully re-creates the first days of Roz, the protagonist of his Wild Robot novels, as she adapts to living in the natural world. A storm-tossed ship, seen in the opening just before the title page, and a packing crate are the only other human-made objects to appear in this close-up look at the robot and her new home. Roz emerges from the crate, and her first thought as she sets off up a grassy hill--"This must be where I belong"--is sweetly glorious, a note of recognition rather than conquest. Roz learns to move, hide, and communicate like the creatures she meets. When she discovers an orphaned egg--and the gosling Brightbill, who eventually hatches--her decision to be his mother seems a natural extension of her adaptation. Once he flies south for the winter, her quiet wait across seasons for his return is a poignant portrayal of separation and change. Brown's clean, precise lines and deep, light-filled colors offer a sense of what Roz might be seeing, suggesting a place that is alive yet deeply serene and radiant. Though the book stands alone, it adds an immensely appealing dimension to Roz's world. Round thumbnails offer charming peeks into the island world, depicting Roz's animal neighbors and Brightbill's maturation. A hymn to the intrinsic loveliness of the wild and the possibility of sharing it. (author's note)(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.