The Wild Robot

How does Roz survive? Why is Roz especially good at adapting?

Why do the island’s animals call Roz “unnatural” and “a monster” (page 51)? How does she win them over? In what ways is it scary to be different?

Though robots “don’t really feel emotions” (page 8), Roz feels something. What does Roz feel? How do Roz’s feelings compare with how animals and people experience emotion?

How does Roz become a mother? One of the other gosling moms says, “You’ll never be the perfect mother, so just do the best you can” (page 99). How is this advice helpful and true?

Why do the bears Nettle and Thorn attack Roz (pages 140–143)? Why does Roz save Thorn (page 144)?

Why can’t Roz and Brightbill stop wondering about the button on the back of Roz’s head? Were you scared when Brightbill pushed it (pages 157–160)?

Why does Roz declare her home “a safe place for all” (page 180)?

Thinking about her purpose in life, Roz muses, “Perhaps I am simply meant to help others” (page 192). How does Roz go from asking for help to being the helper? How is asking for help an act of courage? How is it a means of survival? What do you think your purpose in life might be?

How are animal instincts like computer programs?

What does Roz mean when she thanks her friends and family for teaching her “how to live” (page 217)? What does she mean when she later says that the animals taught her “to be wild” (page 262)?

Why do the island animals come to Roz’s defense at the novel’s end? Why does Roz leave the island?

How do nature and technology clash in the novel? How do they coexist?

How do the illustrations shape your reading of the story? Which illustration do you like best, and why?

What does The Wild Robot suggest about the meaning of home?