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 chirping and a pulsing synthesized melody playing in the background. With a bright, almost chirpy voice, narrator 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 fairly 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.