03/12/2018
In the thought-provoking sequel to Brown's middle-grade debut, The Wild Robot, the adventure picks up as the resilient Roz (short for ROZZUM unit 7134) is repaired and shipped off to Hilltop Farm. With its domesticated animals and whirring machines, the dairy farm is a far cry from the remote island that the robot has come to call home. Though her owner, Mr. Shareef, and his two children come to embrace Roz as part of the family, she is desperate to make her way back to the island and her adopted gosling son, Brightbill. Seeking their help, Roz confides in the Shareef children that she is not like other robots and asks them, "Is being different the same as being defective?" The robot's odyssey—which brings her from the countryside to the big city, where she comes face-to-face with her designer—raises poignant quandaries about the nature of love and selfhood. While such questions remain unresolved, Roz emerges as a striking symbol of humanity for the very reason that she poses and ponders them. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Agent: Paul Rodeen, Rodeen Literary Management (Mar.)

A New York Times bestseller
A Wall Street Journal bestseller

A USA Today bestseller



* "[A] stellar sequel... Warmth and gentleness court through the novel, even as dangers emerge."—Booklist, starred review

* "Science fiction meets fantasy in this delightful sequel that gives readers a unique look into what technology could someday have in store. A must-buy for any middle grade collection."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Provocatively contemplative."—Kirkus Reviews

"Thought-provoking....Raises poignant quandaries about the nature of love and selfhood."—Publishers Weekly

"Fans of the first book will be happy to see Roz returned to her true wildness."—The Bulletin

★ 03/01/2018
Gr 3–6—The lovable robot, Roz (The Wild Robot), was last seen being ripped away from her goose son, Brightbill, and hauled unwillingly back to the factory for the Makers to repair and reassign her. She is reactivated on Hilltop Farm, where Mr. Shareef expects her to tend to farm duties, including caring for the many cows and making repairs around the farm. She is programmed to obey orders, including those from Mr. Shareef's children, Jaya and Jad. Roz is homesick for her prior life on the remote island with her goose son, and all of her other animal friends, but she feels trapped, and fears Mr. Shareef will find out her secret—that she is "defective" and able to think, plan, and speak the languages of the animals. Roz is torn: while she enjoys helping on the farm and spending time with the children, she desires a reunion with her son even more. With the children's help and blessing, and the cows' assistance, Roz develops an escape plan. Readers need not have read the first installment to enjoy this sequel, though fans will root for Roz and Brightbill's reunion. Brown's illustrative talent is featured in black-and-white drawings throughout. VERDICT Science fiction meets fantasy in this delightful sequel that gives readers a unique look into what technology could someday have in store. A must-buy for any middle grade collection.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

In this sequel to THE WILD ROBOT, robot Roz wakes up on a farm far from the wild island she calls home. The audiobook follows her adventures as she attempts to escape and reunite with her family and friends. Narrator Kathleen McInerney delivers the story with a smile in her voice, echoing the novel’s tone, which remains gentle even as danger mounts. Roz’s robotic voice contrasts nicely with those of the more expressive animal and human characters. A panoply of background noises—mechanical whirs, cricket sounds, traffic, mooing, and more—paint an auditory picture for young listeners, although they occasionally distract from the text. The audiobook is accompanied by a PDF with Brown’s illustrations. E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

2018-02-03
Roz, a robot who learned to adapt to life among wild creatures in her first outing, seeks to return to the island she calls home.Brown's sequel to The Wild Robot (2016) continues an intriguing premise: What would happen to a robot after challenges in an unexpected environment cause it to evolve in unusual ways? As this book opens, Roz is delivered to a farm where she helps a widower with two young children run a dairy operation that has been in his family for generations. Roz reveals her backstory to the cows, who are supportive of the robot's determination to return to the island and to her adopted son, the goose Brightbill. The cows, the children, and finally Brightbill himself come to Roz's aid. The focus on Roz's escape from human control results in a somewhat solemn and episodic narrative, with an extended journey and chase after Roz leaves the farm. Dr. Molovo, a literal deus ex machina, appears near the end of the story to provide a means of rescue. She is Roz's designer/creator, and, intrigued by the robot's adaptation and evolution but cognizant of the threat that those achievements might represent to humans, she assists Roz and Brightbill in their quest. The satisfactory (if inevitable-feeling) conclusion may prompt discussion about individual agency and determination, whether for robots or people.If not as effervescent as Roz's first outing, it is still a provocatively contemplative one. (Fiction. 8-11)