A picture book by Peter Brown is a charming version of the popular children’s novel about an intelligent robot. This could become a favourite among middle-schoolers, going by the nod from our reviewer
(From left) Krshna Lodha; a panel featuring Roz from the book
Roz (short for ROZZUM unit 7134) is a robot. She isn’t programmed to live in the wilderness, but lands up on an island in a crate as a result of a shipwreck. Amidst the animals, she begins to build a new life for herself. She studies how these creatures move, hide, and communicate, and imitates them. One day when she stumbles upon an abandoned egg, and watches a gosling hatch out of it, she decides to take care of him. Wild Robot on an Island (Piccadilly Press) is a heartwarming illustrated edition of the first novel from Peter Brown’s Wild Robot series that explores this narrative.
We learn about the journey that Roz and the gosling take. The energy of the plot is derived, first, from the animals’ response to Roz as she learns to adapt. Later it comes from the depiction of the changing seasons: bareness in fall, hibernation in winter, and exuberance in spring. The latter also reflects a transformative and difficult phase in the lives of Roz and her gosling.
PICS COURTESY/AMAZON.IN
Nine-year-old Krshna Lodha, an avid reader and a student of Arya Vidya Mandir School in Bandra East, had devoured the novel last year. When he read the illustrated version of the book recently, he realised it made sense for Brown to reach out to children aged four to eight years through it. The story is gripping; the animal characters come together to form an enchanting world. “I like the illustrated version because it’s easier to understand for younger kids. It has more pictures,” Krshna shares. He believes the novel could be challenging for young readers as it requires navigating a lot of text. The illustrated version, on the other hand, consists of fewer sentences and striking, detailed images. “I love the colours used in this book; they are so vibrant,” he reflects. “I think young readers will find the subject of the book interesting too.”
He recollects being moved by the endearing moment when Roz finds the goose egg on the island and nurtures the gosling. Both books equally impressed Krshna. “They have the same storyline, but both have their own traits,” he elaborates. The illustrations lend themselves well to the landscapes within which the story takes place, and help us dive into Roz’s world with ease. The size and colours of the illustrations propel us to see the oddity of a robot on a wild island and follow its journey of survival in an unfamiliar world. The novel, Krshna tells us, contains several fascinating details which strengthen the story, but cannot find a place within the picture book format.
Since he has read the books and watched the 2024 film adaptation by Chris Sanders, we wondered how Krshna would imagine Roz’s world. What would he do differently if he could create his own picture book? “Instead of making a picture book, I will turn it into a comic book. I will also make the animals three-dimensional,” he concludes.
Available Leading bookstores and e-stores
Cost: Rs 599
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