by Peter Brown
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A NOTE ABOUT THE STORY
I’ve always been fascinated by robots. By the real robots that exist today, by the robots that will exist in the future, and by the fantastic robot characters that exist only in books and films. It’s funny how many philosophical questions spring up when we think about artificial beings. Do we want robots that can think and feel, like a person? Would we trust robots to perform surgery, care for children, or police our cities? In a world where robots did all the work, how would we humans spend our time?
I’m also fascinated by the natural world. I grew up exploring the fields and streams and forests near my home, and I learned a lot about the local wildlife. I knew that deer were most active at dawn and dusk. I watched squirrels methodically collecting and storing acorns. I heard geese honking overhead as they flew south every autumn.
Animals have such predictable behavior, and follow such rigid routines, that at times they seem almost… robotic. And somewhere along the line it occurred to me that animal instincts are kind of like computer programs. Thanks to their instincts, animals automatically run from danger, build nests, and stay close to their families, and they often do these things without thinking, as if they’ve been programmed to perform specific actions at specific times. Surprisingly, wild animals and robots actually have some things in common.
These kinds of thoughts have filled my imagination for most of my life. And then, a few years ago, I started scribbling down words about a robot and some wild animals. I couldn’t stop doodling pictures of a robot in a tree. I started asking myself odd questions. What would an intelligent robot do if she were stranded in the wilderness? How might she adapt to the environment? How might the environment adapt to her? Why am I referring to this robot with words like “she” and “her”? And for that matter, why have so many science-fiction writers given genders to so many of their robot characters?
An image of a robot named Roz was slowly forming in my mind. I could see her exploring a remote island. I could hear her communicating with wild animals. I could feel her becoming part of the wilderness. And after years of imagining and writing and drawing, I realized I had all the ingredients for a robot nature story. So I drove out to a cabin in the woods, opened up a fresh notebook, and began working on The Wild Robot.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I first began tinkering with The Wild Robot over six years ago. I’ve spent the past two and a half years working on nothing else. As you might imagine, I had a little help along the way.
My friends and family haven’t seen much of me these last few years. I’ve forgotten birthdays. I’ve taken my sweet time returning messages. I’ve missed dozens of parties. But everyone knew how important this book was to me, and they forgave my absentmindedness even when I probably didn’t deserve it.
Jill Yeomans is completely overqualified to be my assistant. So I’m taking full advantage of her assistance while it lasts. Without her, I’d never have time to write or illustrate.
Paul Rodeen has got to be the world’s jolliest literary agent. His enthusiasm for this book has been unwavering, and that made all the difference during my long bouts of self-doubt.
My publisher, Little, Brown and Company, could have nudged me to just make another picture book, and nobody would have blamed them. But they knew that I needed to write this story, and I couldn’t have done it without their support. It takes an army of very smart people working very hard to make one of these books come to life. There aren’t enough pages here to list the job titles and specific contributions of every member of my team, so I’m afraid I’ll have to simply list their names. If you see your name below, please know that I deeply appreciate your effort and expertise and patience. Some of the beautiful people who helped me make The Wild Robot are: Barbara Bakowski, Nicole Brown, Melanie Chang, Jenny Choy, Shawn Foster, Nikki Garcia, Jen Graham, Allegra Green, Virginia Lawther, Lisa Moraleda, Emilie Polster, Carol Scatorchio, Andrew Smith, Victoria Stapleton, and Megan Tingley.
David Caplan was the creative director responsible for making this book as beautiful as possible. And as you can see, he nailed it.
Alvina Ling has been expertly editing my books since the very beginning of my career. And that’s really impressive because I can be a difficult person to work with. I’m a perfectionist with a serious lack of confidence, which gets complicated, especially when I’m trying something completely new, like writing my first children’s novel. But Alvina is unflappable, and she has endured my ups and downs with a superhuman level of grace.
To all who have helped and tolerated me as I made this book, thank you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
PETER BROWN is the author and illustrator of many beloved children’s books, including My Teacher Is a Monster! (No, I Am Not.), Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, Children Make Terrible Pets, and The Curious Garden. He is a New York Times bestselling author and the recipient of a Caldecott Honor (for Creepy Carrots!), a New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book Award, and a Children’s Choice Book Award for Illustrator of the Year. The Wild Robot is his middle-grade debut. Peter’s website is peterbrownstudio.com.
Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
CHAPTER 1: THE OCEAN
CHAPTER 2: THE OTTERS
CHAPTER 3: THE ROBOT
CHAPTER 4: THE ROBOT HATCHES
CHAPTER 5: THE ROBOT GRAVESITE
CHAPTER 6: THE CLIMB
CHAPTER 7: THE WILDERNESS
CHAPTER 8: THE PINECONES
CHAPTER 9: THE MOUNTAIN
CHAPTER 10: THE REMINDER
CHAPTER 11: THE ROBOT SLEEPS
CHAPTER 12: THE STORM
CHAPTER 13: THE AFTERMATH
CHAPTER 14: THE BEARS
CHAPTER 15: THE ESCAPE
CHAPTER 16: THE PINE TREE
CHAPTER 17: THE CAMOUFLAGED INSECT
CHAPTER 18: THE CAMOUFLAGED ROBOT
CHAPTER 19: THE OBSERVATIONS
CHAPTER 20: THE LANGUAGE OF THE ANIMALS
CHAPTER 21: THE INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 22: THE NEW WORD
CHAPTER 23: THE WOUNDED FOX
CHAPTER 24: THE ACCIDENT
CHAPTER 25: THE EGG
CHAPTER 26: THE PERFORMER
CHAPTER 27: THE GOSLING
CHAPTER 28: THE OLD GOOSE
CHAPTER 29: THE BEAVERS
CHAPTER 30: THE NEST
CHAPTER 31: THE FIRST NIGHT
CHAPTER 32: THE DEER
CHAPTER 33: THE GARDEN
CHAPTER 34: THE MOTHER
CHAPTER 35: THE FIRST SWIM
CHAPTER 36: THE GOSLING GROWS
CHAPTER 37: THE SQUIRREL
CHAPTER 38: THE NEW FRIENDSHIP
CHAPTER 39: THE FIRST FLIGHT
CHAPTER 40: THE SHIP
CHAPTER 41: THE SUMMER
CHAPTER 42: THE STRANGE FAMILY
CHAPTER 43: THE GOSLING TAKES OFF
CHAPTER 44: THE RUNAWAY
CHAPTER 45: THE DEAD ROBOTS
CHAPTER 46: THE FIGHT
CHAPTER 47: THE PARADE
CHAPTER 48: THE NEW FOOT
CHAPTER 49: THE FLIER
CHAPTER 50: THE BUTTON
CHAPTER 51: THE AUTUMN
CHAPTER 52: THE FLOCK
CHAPTER 53: THE MIGRATION
CHAPTER 54: THE WINTER
CHAPTER 55: THE LODGERS
CHAPTER 56: THE NEW LODGES
CHAPTER 57: THE FIRE
CHAPTER 58: THE CONVERSATIONS
CHAPTER 59: THE SPRING
CHAPTER 60: THE FISH
CHAP
TER 61: THE ROBOT STORIES
CHAPTER 62: THE RETURN
CHAPTER 63: THE JOURNEY
CHAPTER 64: THE SPECIAL ROBOT
CHAPTER 65: THE INVITATION
CHAPTER 66: THE CELEBRATION
CHAPTER 67: THE SUNRISE
CHAPTER 68: THE RECOS
CHAPTER 69: THE DEFECTIVE ROBOT
CHAPTER 70: THE HUNT BEGINS
CHAPTER 71: THE FOREST ASSAULT
CHAPTER 72: THE MOUNTAIN RUMBLE
CHAPTER 73: THE CHASE
CHAPTER 74: THE CLICK
CHAPTER 75: THE LAST RIFLE
CHAPTER 76: THE BROKEN ROBOT
CHAPTER 77: THE MEETING
CHAPTER 78: THE FAREWELL
CHAPTER 79: THE DEPARTURE
CHAPTER 80: THE SKY
A NOTE ABOUT THE STORY
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
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.
Copyright © 2016 by Peter Brown
Cover art © 2016 by Peter Brown
Cover design by David Caplan
Cover © 2016 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Little, Brown and Company
Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104
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Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First ebook edition: April 2016
ISBN 978-0-316-38201-4
E3-20160330-JV-PC
