Peter Brown Discusses The Wild Robot Picture Book Adaptation and Creative Process

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca
Schulze interviews Peter Brown about his latest picture book
adaptation, The Wild Robot on the Island. They explore his
journey adapting the bestselling novel into a visual format for
younger readers, his approach to creating meaningful stories
without being "on the nose," and how becoming a new father has
influenced his perspective on storytelling and character
relationships.





Transcription: You can read the transcription on The Children's
Book Review





Highlights:



Adaptation Strategy: How Peter condensed
three-quarters of the novel into picture book format while
preserving essential emotional beats and removing violence for
younger audiences


Organic Storytelling: Peter's philosophy of
focusing on craft first and letting themes emerge naturally
rather than forcing predetermined messages


Visual Storytelling: The creative process of
bringing Roz's world to full color, emphasizing golden hour
lighting and seasonal color palettes to enhance the narrative


Collaborative Publishing: The team effort
behind book creation, from custom typeface design to
fifth-color printing decisions


New Parenthood Impact: How having an
18-month-old son deepened Peter's understanding of the
parent-child dynamics in his work


Bridge Book Success: Creating entry points for
reluctant readers through the picture book format while
maintaining appeal for novel fans


Illustration Technique: Working with ink on
paper and digital finishing, plus hand-lettering custom speech
bubble fonts






Notable Quotes:"I think you're more likely to
express a message, a meaningful message to readers, if you focus
on what the story needs to work, kind of the craft of writing
first and foremost." —Peter Brown


"I wonder if he ever thinks about me. I don't know what it is,
but to me that is so human and so sweet and emotional. I get
choked up just thinking about it." —Peter Brown on Roz's winter
thoughts about Brightbill





Books Mentioned:


The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown: Amazon or
Bookshop.org

The Wild Robot series by Peter Brown: Amazon or Bookshop.org

Flight of the Dodo by Peter Brown: Amazon or Bookshop.org






About Peter Brown: Peter has always loved
telling stories. Growing up in New Jersey, he told stories by
drawing whimsical characters and scenes from his imagination.
While studying illustration at Art Center College of Design,
Peter's love of both words and pictures led him to children's
books. Since then he has written and illustrated many books for
children and earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor,
a Horn Book Award, two E.B. White Awards, and multiple New York
Times bestsellers. Peter lives in Maine with his wife, Susan, and
their dog, Pam.





Connect and Follow: Learn more about Peter
Brown: https://www.peterbrownstudio.com





Credits:


Host: Bianca Schulze


Guest: Peter Brown


Producer: Kelly Rink and Bianca Schulze