The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown (Review)

Title: The Wild Robot on the Island
Author: Peter Brown
Type: Fiction
Genre: Children’s, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date published: June 24, 2025

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Hachette Book Group Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Roz is not where she’s supposed to be.

You see, the robot wasn’t designed to live in the wilderness. But when she washes up on an island, she must learn from the animal inhabitants and adapt to her new, natural surroundings, and before long, the island begins to feel like home.

Filled with bestselling creator and award-winning artist Peter Brown’s stunning artwork, this moving picture book is the perfect gift for readers new to The Wild Robot or for longtime fans of the middle-grade book series that sparked a global phenomenon.

⤖ My Review ⬻

Having read the middle grade novel The Wild Robot and watched the animated movie, I wasn’t sure how a picture book version was going to pan out. I couldn’t seem to conceive of the story being shortened somehow. But I needn’t have worried…and I should have trusted the original author of the middle grade novel to know how to shorten his own story, haha. Peter Brown did a great job of shortening things and also making them less heartwrenching. I thought I would sob like I did when reading the middle grade book and when watching the movie, but I was able to keep my composure!

The vibe and colours in The Wild Robot on the Island nicely matched the cover of the middle grade version as well as how the story feels in my mind. I was happy to read The Wild Robot on the Island to my daughter at 8 months considering the calm colours and imagery. And I look forward to reading it with her again in the future when she better understands the story without worrying that it would br too sad for her. All in all, I found this version to be calming, pretty to look at, and very age appropriate.