Peter Brown, THE WILD ROBOT ON THE ISLAND

Summary

Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby – Episode Featuring Peter Brown on "The Wild Robot on the Island"

Introduction

In the July 16, 2025 episode of Totally Booked with Zibby, host Zibby Owens welcomes acclaimed children's author and illustrator Peter Brown to discuss his renowned work, particularly focusing on his latest picture book adaptation, "The Wild Robot on the Island." With a successful career spanning numerous beloved titles and prestigious awards, Peter Brown brings a wealth of experience and passion to the conversation.

Background on Peter Brown and His Work

Zibby Owens begins by highlighting Peter Brown's impressive career trajectory. Growing up in New Jersey, Peter's early love for storytelling manifested through whimsical drawings and imaginative characters. His formal education in illustration at the Art Center College of Design laid the foundation for his dual talents as both writer and illustrator. Peter's debut picture book, Flight of the Dodo, marked the beginning of a prolific career, leading to numerous honors including a Caldecott Honor, Horne Book Award, and multiple New York Times Bestsellers. The success of his novel The Wild Robot further propelled his status, culminating in its recent adaptation into a feature film.

Creating "The Wild Robot on the Island" Picture Book

Zibby Owens introduces the primary focus of the episode: Peter Brown's new picture book adaptation of his first novel, The Wild Robot. She expresses admiration for the book's illustrations and shares a personal anecdote about her son's enthusiasm for the series.

Peter Brown explains the inspiration behind the picture book, stating, "I decided that it might be fun to rather than tell readers about how Ra's becomes a wild robot, maybe it'd be interesting to show them through an illustrated picture book" (04:13). This approach allows fans to connect with the characters visually and provides younger readers with an accessible entry point into the story.

Expansion of the Wild Robot Series

When asked about the possibility of a fourth novel, Peter Brown reveals his creative process: "Each book is kind of its own episode of Ra's life" (06:11). He discusses his evolving approach to the series, emphasizing his desire to explore new environments and adventures for Ra. Despite initial uncertainties, Peter shares his excitement about delving into the fourth novel, hinting at fresh settings and characters that will continue to expand Ra's world.

The Surreal Success of the First Novel

Zibby Owens probes Peter Brown about the unexpected success of his first novel. Peter reflects on his initial doubts: "I had no confidence when I was writing the novel, the first wild robot novel, that it would be well received at all" (08:41). He recounts the anxieties leading up to the book's publication and the overwhelming joy when it resonated with readers, surpassing his modest expectations.

Teaching Himself to Write a Novel

Discussing his journey into novel writing, Peter Brown shares, "I rented a cabin in the woods, and I went out there for, like, 10 days. And I got there and I sat down and I thought, all right, the only reason I'm here is to write, is to begin this novel" (09:52). This disciplined approach, coupled with extensive research and a dedication to crafting a timeless science fiction narrative, enabled him to develop a unique writing style that balances futuristic elements with classic storytelling.

Illustration Techniques and Storytelling

Zibby Owens delves into Peter Brown's illustration methodology. He explains, "In a picture book especially, the pictures are meant to do most of the storytelling" (22:38). Collaborating closely with authors like Aaron Reynolds, Peter enhances the narrative through his versatile art styles, ranging from film noir-inspired illustrations in creepy tales to vibrant, colorful palettes in more uplifting stories. This adaptability ensures each book uniquely captures its intended mood and message.

Upcoming Projects: Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales

Peter Brown excitedly announces a new spin-off series, Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales. Drawing inspiration from classic anthology shows like The Twilight Zone, Peter describes the structure: "Jasper Rabbit introduces a new character and their creepy story, then wraps it up with his signature closing" (25:20). Scheduled for release in September with the first title, Troubling Tonsils, the series promises engaging, slightly spooky stories tailored for early readers.

Core Themes and Messages for Young Readers

Throughout the conversation, Peter Brown emphasizes the importance of community and interconnectedness. He shares, "the big theme throughout all my books... is that we are all connected" (27:31). Whether through Ra's adventures in The Wild Robot or the personal growth of characters in his other titles, Peter aims to instill a sense of belonging and mutual support in young readers. This overarching message not only enriches his narratives but also imparts valuable life lessons.

Personal Reflections and Family Support

Peter Brown also touches upon the influence of his personal experiences on his storytelling. Reflecting on his own migration for college, he draws parallels to the bond between Ra and Bright Bill, highlighting how personal milestones can shape relatable and emotionally resonant stories.

Additionally, Zibby congratulates Peter on his wife's success as a children's book illustrator, showcasing the creative synergy and mutual support within their family.

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Zibby Owens expresses heartfelt gratitude to Peter Brown for his contributions to children's literature and the joy his books have brought to families alike. Peter echoes the sentiment, highlighting the fulfillment derived from connecting with readers through his stories.

Notable Quotes

• On creating the picture book:
  "It's really about using words to tell a story... I decided that it might be fun to... show them through an illustrated picture book" (04:13)

• On the success of his first novel:
  "It was just sort of a dream come true" (08:41)

• On teaching himself to write a novel:
  "I rented a cabin in the woods... And I think other people are going to be interested in it also" (09:52)

• On illustration and storytelling:
  "The pictures are meant to do most of the storytelling" (22:38)

• On the themes for young readers:
  "If I could just really communicate one idea to young readers, it would be that we're all part of a community" (27:31)

Final Thoughts

This episode of Totally Booked with Zibby offers an in-depth look into Peter Brown's creative world, providing listeners with valuable insights into his storytelling process, artistic vision, and the heartfelt messages embedded within his books. Whether you're a fan of The Wild Robot series or an aspiring children's author, Peter Brown's experiences and wisdom are both inspiring and informative.

Transcript

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[Zibby Owens]

Are some of the hardest things for people to talk about, but on the award winning podcast, Death, Sex and Money, host Anna Sale, writer and Totally Booked podcast guest, helps you realize how expansive stories around these three topics can be. Which is why I can't recommend the show enough. Produced by Slate, Death, Sex and Money dives into the big questions and difficult choices that are often left out of polite conversation. Not to mention, Anna interviews a range of guests from famous names and experts to everyday people shining a light on the parts of life that can make us feel bewildered or alone like like motherhood and caretaking, addiction and so much more. So go ahead, follow and listen to Death, Sex and Money wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Zibby Owens and you're listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. In my daily show, I interview today's latest best selling, buzziest or underrated authors and story creators whose work I think is worth your As a bookstore owner, publisher, author and obviously podcaster, I get a comprehensive look at everything that's coming out and spend my time curating the best books so you don't have to stay in the know. Get insider insights and connect with guests like I do every single day. For more information, go to zibbymedia.com and follow me on Instagram ibbeowensk. Peter Brown is the author of the Wild Robot on the Island. Peter has always loved telling stories. Growing up in New Jersey, he told stories by drawing whimsical characters and scenes from his imagination. As a teenager, he fell in love with writing and began telling His Tales with words. While studying illustration at Art Center College of Design. Peter's love of both words and pictures led him to take several courses on children's books. And before long, he had found his calling. After graduating from Art Center, Peter, Peter moved to New York City to be closer to the publishing industry. He was working on animated TV shows when he signed a book deal to write and illustrate his first picture book, Flight of the Dodo. Peter quickly signed up his second and third books and his career as an author and illustrator of children's books was underway. Since then, Peter has written and illustrated many books for children and earned numerous honors, including a Caldecott Honor, a Horne Book Award, two E.B. white Awards, a Critics Choice Award for Illustrator of the year, 2, 2 Irma Black honors, a Golden Kite Award, a New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, and multiple New York Times bestsellers. The Wild Robot was recently adapted into a film. Peter lives in Maine with his wife Susan and their dog Pam. Welcome, Peter, thank you so much for coming on Totally Booked to talk about the Wild Robot on the island and of course, the Wild Robot series and all your other amazing work.

[Peter Brown]

Thanks so much.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, your latest is a picture book about the wild robot. Discuss.

[Peter Brown]

Yeah, so the Wild Robot was my very first novel that I ever wrote for kids after making a number of picture books. And, you know, so there are illustrations in the novel, but it's really about the words. It's really about using words to tell a story. And I love that story and I love those characters so much, and I also love illustration. So I decided that it might be fun to rather than tell readers about how Ra's becomes a wild robot, maybe it'd be interesting to show them through an illustrated picture book, you know, where the emphasis, the storytelling is really about the pictures more than the words. So that fans of the novel might find a new way to kind of connect with the characters by seeing them in a new light with these full color, detailed, pretty big illustrations. And then of course, younger readers who might not have read the novel yet would have kind of a. An entry point into that story world that's a little more age appropriate for them, you know. So, you know, there's a bunch of reasons why I decided to do this. The biggest one was just for me because I just wanted to have fun. I love Roz. I love the Wild Robot world, and I wanted to bring it to life in these full color big illustrations for the fun of it, you know.

[Zibby Owens]

Well, it is so just absolutely gorgeous. And you are just a master at Just what you said, bringing these things to life. I mean, some of it is in our imagination, some of it is in the movie, but having it here on the page where a child can just get lost in this book and this story, it's amazing. It's really great. My son, by the way, who is 10, loved the wild Robot so much that every so often he, like, makes me read a book he's reading because he loves it. And that's what it was for for him with the Wild Robot. He kept being like, mom, you. You have to stop what you're doing. You have to read this book. And so I did, and it was amazing, and he loved it. And then I said, you had a new book. But then he was a little disappointed. This was the same story. He was like, when is the next story coming? So when is the next story coming?

[Peter Brown]

Well, you know, these things take time. For a long time, I wasn't sure if there'd be a fourth. Right now, there's a trilogy of novels plus the picture book, and I wasn't sure if I was going to make a fourth novel. There's a lot of ways to write a series of books. Sometimes a writer will have a big overarching story that they're trying to tell, and they divide it up into parts, and each part becomes its own book. I'm kind of more exploring, you know, as I go, seeing what stories I think should be told as I go. I don't have necessarily an endpoint that I'm directing the whole story towards. You know, each book is kind of its own episode of Ra's life. And so for a long time, I wasn't sure if there'd be a fourth novel. But over the years, I just can't stop thinking about these characters. And so I started imagining this new scenario. And so I'm just now about to start kind of diving into a fourth Wild Robot novel. It doesn't even have a name yet, the title yet. So, you know, it's early days, but I'm excited to get back in there and extend Ra's storyline, you know, and bring her to a whole new environment, a whole new adventure, new characters. I'm having a lot of fun in the early stages of kind of like mapping out the story.

[Zibby Owens]

Is there one tiny little thing that I can tell my son so he can feel extra special?

[Peter Brown]

Let's see. Well, you know, the first book is really about Ra's life on this island. The second book, her world gets a little bigger as she's in kind of civilization with like rural human civilization and then into a city world. So her world gets bigger in book two, her world gets bigger in book three as she explores basically the whole kind of North Pole area. And all I'm going to say is in book four, her world is going to get bigger again and she's going to explore new places. So I'm going to leave it at that because I have a lot of figuring out still to do. But I have, I have. I mean, I could tell you a lot more, but I'm going to stop myself just because things change, you know, like, I've learned the hard way that just when I think I've got a story figured out, I get a curveball and something doesn't work. And that makes me kind of back up and have to reimagine a lot of different things. So I'm not talking about the new novel a whole lot for that reason.

[Zibby Owens]

No pressure, no pressure. By the way, the fact that your first novel for kids ever blew up into this whole series phenomenon, Academy Award nominated film in most first novels for people do not go this well. What was this whole experience like for you?

[Peter Brown]

It's been pretty surreal. You know, the funny thing is I had no confidence when I was writing the novel, the first wild robot novel, that it would be well received at all. You know, like, I'd never written a novel before, obviously, so I. It was new to me. I had a lot to figure out about my own writing style and my writing process and this particular story. And, you know, there was a lot of variables and I thought, you know, it'll be a miracle if this thing even gets published, let alone be a success. And I remember before, just before the book came out, was published, I felt proud of what I had done, but I didn't know if anybody would connect with the story. You know, at the end of the day, if you. It's kind of a weird story about a robot in the wilderness who adopts a good goose and learn to speak with the animals. And like, I could see that missing, like missing the mark easily. And I had coffee with my editor a few, like a week before the book was published. And I was like, do you think this book is going to do well? Like, what do you. And she's like, I have no idea. She said, she said, I'm really proud of you, Peter. You've done a great job. I love this story, but you just never know. And so neither of us knew what was going to happen. So the fact that it's been a successful as it has. Was just sort of a dream come true, you know.

[Zibby Owens]

So how did you teach yourself how to write a novel?

[Peter Brown]

Well, it had to be this novel, you know, I wasn't interested in. I don't. I didn't really set out to be a novelist, but I had this idea for this story about this robot in the wilderness, and I just couldn't shake it, you know, it was like one of those ideas that just lingered for years, literally in between book projects, picture book projects. I'd try to figure out, well, what's next for me? And I'd always think, well, maybe I should do that robot story, you know. But I kept pushing it off for a long time as I worked on picture books. And in that period of time, I was beginning to develop the story and come up with ideas, do research. You know, I was watching documentaries about robotics and about nature. I was reading books on these subjects and learning about it and writing down little notes to myself, ideas and stuff. And then there came a point when I was like, all right, I think I need to do this. I have all these sort of ingredients. I have all this research. So I said I rented a cabin in the woods, and I went out there for, like, 10 days. And I got there and I sat down and I thought, all right, the only reason I'm here is to write, is to begin this novel. So I have no excuses. Now's the time. Let's begin. And that's all I did. And it was pretty messy process, you know, but I believed in the idea so much. That was really the driving force was I just thought, there's this idea is interesting and, like, I think other people are going to be interested in it also. And so even though I was stumbling through the early days and really just like, how do I write a novel? And I was reading a lot of kind of classic kids novels for inspiration, because one of the things I wanted to do with this particular story was, even though it's, I guess, science fiction, which usually takes place in the future, I didn't want it to feel dated. I didn't want it to feel. I wanted it to feel classic and kind of timeless. And I thought that would be an interesting combination combining kind of futuristic world, technology, characters, with a sort of timeless classic writing style I thought would be kind of great for my audience. And so I did a lot of reading. I read a lot of books, you know, like, the Incredible Journey and a lot of Ursula Le Guin books. And I mean, I was reading Bambi. I was reading, you know, the wizard of Oz. I was reading a lot of really classic books just to kind of absorb a bit of the writing style. And I ended up kind of making it my own. I did this. I decided really short chapters would kind of make it less daunting. Rather than worry about the whole big story, I could just worry about one little short chapter at a time, which ended up being really great for me creatively. And it also works really well for my readers because, you know, all different age ranges and reading levels are reading this book in part because it's broken up into these short, bite sized chapters that most readers can handle. And so I had a lot of happy accidents like that, you know, like where I just. I made a decision at first for my own writing purposes and then realized it actually worked really well for the audience also. And so it was like kind of a beautiful, magical process. It was painful a lot of times, but. But I kind of, I was always, I always felt like I was on the right track and it was, you know, if I could just stick with this, I think I'll figure it out. And so, but anyway, that doesn't. I don't know if that totally answers your question. It was, it was, it was a bit of a free for all. I didn't quite ever know what I was doing and didn't. Never really had confidence as I was writing the first novel. Well, more confidence came with a second novel and the third one because I'd already done it once, you know.

[Zibby Owens]

So did you go into the woods for all of them?

[Peter Brown]

You know, the second book takes place in large part on a farm. And so I spent a lot of time on farms meeting farmers and, you know, wandering their lands and asking them farmers questions and stuff. So, you know, each book, the third book takes place like in the North Pole. I did not go to the North Pole, although that would have been pretty awesome for research. But thankfully these days there's so many great, like, beautiful documentaries. The BBC does so many great documentaries about nature in particular, that I could, I spent hours and hours, probably weeks watching every documentary I could find about the kind of northern landscape and animals and habitats. And so I was able to learn a lot without having to leave my home.

[Zibby Owens]

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[Zibby Owens]

So Roz the robot basically becomes a mother to Bright Bill, who is not a robot. Not that robots can even have children, but a duck who, who has to fly. Sorry, I'm sorry. A goose who has to fly south for the winter, essentially. So my son wanted to know about Bright Bill. He wanted to know, did this type of separation come from personal experience of your own?

[Peter Brown]

Wow, that's a great question. Well, I mean, I suppose I have. When I went off to college, I grew up in New Jersey and I went to college in Los Angeles. And so I think when I left home for college, it's kind of like Bright Bill going off on his migration, you know, like it's a big adventure and store, you don't exactly know what's going to happen. There's a lot of big feelings that get stirred up for parent and child. And so certainly that I probably tapped into that personal experience a little bit for that, you know, and that's, you know, it's a bigger question is my how does my personal life factor into other parts of the story too? And it was really important to me to make these characters relatable. And so I dug into that stuff as much as I could. If any way I could make a relationship feel feel relatable and personal emotional scenarios. I was like really trying to push this robot story as far as I could to surprise readers with how emotional it made them, you know, and how strongly they connected with these characters in these scenes. Once again, that was kind of part of my big plan from the start, was like, let's surprise people with how emotional I can make a robot story because I Don't think anybody was expecting that. And I wanted to surprise people. You know, a lot of people, for whatever reason, aren't interested in science fiction. I love science fiction. And so I. I thought, well, I want to win over people who typically don't like to read this science fiction. And the way to do that is to make it feel, make it relatable to them. And. And so I. I was. I was really going back through my own life experience and imagining which scenarios were really kind of juicy, as I call them, you know, like something that's really kind of emotional and using that for inspiration wherever I could. And I think it kind of worked. I think a lot of people are surprised at how, you know, people constantly tell me how much, especially adults, that they cry when they're reading the books. And to me, I just, I love that. I love that these words could, on a page, could actually make people feel such big emotions and create kids, too. Kids cry at these books. A lot of parents tell me that the Wild Robot, especially at the ending, is the first time their kid has cried while reading a book. And to me, that's like, the highest compliment.

[Zibby Owens]

I first cried reading a book when I read Charlotte's Web. And I will never forget that moment. It, like, made me into a reader. Because once you, you know, it hooks you when you feel that and you realize a book can do that for you, it's amazing. What was the. What was the first book that made you cry? Do you remember?

[Peter Brown]

I think it might have been where the Red Fern Grows. You. I don't know if you ever read that, but it involves a dog dying. Always a heartbreaker, right? So, yeah. And I remember when I was a little kid, I mean, this book, this movie is way before my time, but my parents would watch, would have me watch, like, Old Yeller.

[Zibby Owens]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Brown]

I think it was, like, from the 50s maybe or the 60s. And I remember the same thing. Dogs Dying for. I'm a mess. You know, I can't handle that. So even when I was a kid, I was, like, all choked up.

[Zibby Owens]

Do not watch then. Bad dog Marley. By the way, I made the mistake showing it to my kids and finishing it before preschool one morning. And, like, they were all sobbing and I couldn't get them out the door. Anyway, it's a cry fest, so just heed the warning if you were scrolling through that one. You've done so much other stuff in addition to this series. Books that I have loved, by the way, with my kids, the whole creepy carrots and creepy pair of Underwear. I loved Fred Gets Dressed. We read that like, a thousand times. I mean, these books, they're all such different styles and messages and sort of, you know what mood you're in, right? Fred Gets Dressed. It's sort of a. More. It's like a little quieter of a story in your mom's closet and all that, versus, like, creepy pair of underwear and creepy crayon. All these things. You know, you go all over the place. Talk about how your approach to illustration really can tell the whole story. I mean, some of the stories you write, some you illustrate. Like, how do you. How do you do that?

[Peter Brown]

Well, in a picture book especially, the pictures are meant to do most of the storytelling. And so it's been an interesting relationship with Aaron Reynolds, who writes the creepy books, because he writes the stories. I get a basically finished manuscript, and then I have to find ways of kind of enhancing it. Not only do I want my illustrations to reflect what is written in the words, but I want the illustrations to go even further and stir up emotions somehow, whether it's laughter or fear or whatever. I mean, those books are spooky. I wouldn't call them scary, but, you know, for little. Little kids, sometimes they can be a little scary. And, you know, that's not the worst thing in the world. I think reading a book and feeling all these. A book is, to me, a perfect place to experience these feelings and kind of explore them. Even. Even scary. Even feeling fear a little bit. I think what better way than with a book where you can close it if it gets too much and walk away easily, you know? So I'm trying to do that. And so. So I'm always thinking about what art style will kind of capture the mood of the story. So my art style varies from kind of book to book. I think a lot about. I'm almost. I almost think about books as if they're picture books. As if I'm like a film director. You know, I think about the camera angle. The creepy books in particular are supposed to feel kind of like film noir. So I'm doing a lot with lighting and camera angles, trying to make it feel really dramatic, which is part of the joke. The idea that this absurd, ridiculous story. Creepy pair of underwear. Are you kidding me? Is treated like a Hitchcock film, you know, with like, all this drama and shadows and whatnot. That's pretty funny. Even though kids might not know what Phil Noir is or what Alfred Hitchcock is, you know, they get the sort of inherent spookiness and drama that comes with these black and white illustrations and These dramatic camera angles and everything. And so it's a fun challenge, you know. And yeah, like Fred Gets Dressed or some of my other books are a little quieter. The Curious Garden was a book I made years ago which is, you know, was really just supposed to be this like love fest for nature in an urban environment. And so I painted it. I don't always paint my illustrations, but for that book I painted the old fashioned way. I use a really bright, colorful color palette. And yeah, it's a really fun challenge each book to sort of figure out how can I tweak my way of doing things just a little bit to make it a bit more appropriate for this particular story. And it's fun. Yeah, it's a good job.

[Zibby Owens]

So I was grilling you about the next book and sorry about that. But in terms of illustrations, do you have other books? Isn't there another creepy book coming out?

[Peter Brown]

There is, yes. Thank you for mentioning that. There's Aaron and I, Aaron Reynolds and I have this new kind of spin off series of creepy books. So the star of the picture books, the three picture books that have already been published, the star of that series is Jasper Rabbit. And this new picture, this new kind of early reader series is called Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales in which he's kind of like the host, almost like, I don't know if you ever watched that old Twilight Zone show where Rod Serling is like the host of the show. He introduces it and then it cuts away to this unrelated story which unfolds. And then at the end we see Rod Serling again to kind of close out the show. We're doing that with Jasper Rabbit. So you open the book and there's Jasper who's like, I hope you're ready for what's about to happen because this story is about to get weird, right? And then you turn the page and you meet this new character, not Jasper, somebody else. We see their whole creepy story unfold and then at the very end there's Jasper again who's like. And that concludes our story. I hope you survived. You like, tune in next time. And so it's really going to be kind of fun. It's a little older for slightly older readers. Slightly creepier stories for sure. So get ready for that. And yeah, so we're really excited. The first one, so the series is Jasper Rabbit's Creepy Tales. And then each book has its own individual title. The first one is called Troubling Tonsils. Look out for that. That's really kind of gross. But fun. Kids are going to love it. And that comes out in September. And then we have two more in the series kind of in the pipeline and we'll see. Who knows? I wouldn't be surprised if we make more of them eventually. But yeah, I'm excited to see kids. Kids really love those creepy books. So I think they're gonna love this new spin off series too.

[Zibby Owens]

Amazing. Well, we've definitely had a lot of fun reading them out loud and having my father in law read them out loud and it's easy to act out. And anyway, maybe Jasper will have to find his way into a wild robot background, like an extra in that series or something.

[Peter Brown]

Oh, yeah.

[Zibby Owens]

What do you want kids to know? You are speaking to kids all the time in different ways, in different mediums and words and paint and what is like something that you're like. If I could just communicate this to kids, my job here is done.

[Peter Brown]

Yeah, I think the big theme throughout all my books, at least the books that I write, I love working with Aaron Reynolds because he writes stories that I would never write on my own. And so he gets my imagination to places I wouldn't have gotten to otherwise. But I think the big theme throughout the stories that I write and illustrate myself is that we are all connected, you know, and that we all kind of need each other in. In some way like that. We're part of a community. I made a book called Mr. Tiger Goes Wild where he's sort of going through this identity crisis on his own and has this sort of solo journey. And we're watching him get wilder and wilder and. And then eventually he realizes that his wildness, he's so wild, he's out in the jungle by himself. He doesn't want to be alone. And he realized it took him to. That he had to get to that point for him to realize that actually what he really wants is to be allowed to be his true self in the company of his friends and neighbors. And so he goes back to the city where his friends and neighbors are and they welcome him home. And he finds this sort of great equilibrium where he's part of the community and he can be his true self. And that's. I think that's the big theme. I mean, Fred Gets Dressed is about a boy who feels free to explore and experiment. And he knows that his family loves him no matter what, and he can kind of do what he wants and they'll be there for him. He's part of this community of his family, you know, and he feels that. And we see it demonstrated and it's a beautiful thing to watch. Even, you know, the Wild Robot books as well. I mean, they're all about community and about home, about where you belong and finding a way to connect with unlikely characters, you know, so that's. I think if I could. If I could just really communicate one idea to young readers, it would be that we're all part of a community. Sometimes it can be hard to see that or feel that, but I think it's important to recognize that because once you remember that we're all together in this together, we're all part of this, like, global community, I mean, it suddenly makes sense to take care of the earth and the planet, right? Because this is where we all live. We all will benefit if we take care of the environment. We all will benefit if we take care of each other. That's a theme that I think I'll probably be banging away at for the rest of my career.

[Zibby Owens]

It's an amazing message and one a lot of grownups need to hear as well, so that's great. And by the way, congrats to your wife. She's also now a successful ch. Children's book illustrator and everything. I mean, you two are like the power couple. So congratulations.

[Peter Brown]

She is doing so great. Her name is. She publishes as X Fang. Her first name is in Chinese, and it starts with the X, and so she just uses her initial. Her middle name is Susan, so most people call her Susan, but she is really. I mean, it's impressive to watch her career take off. It's very different than mine. My. My career was a very slow beginning, and I keep trying to, like, lower her expectations and be like, you know, you might just take a while to get your first book deal, and your first book might not, you know, may not get much attention. And, like. And every tip of the way, every step of the way, she just keeps, like, blowing me out of the water and being like. And I'm like, all right, never mind. Forget it. Clearly you don't need my advice, so I'm going to stay out of this. So. Great. Yeah. Thank you.

[Zibby Owens]

Oh, that's amazing. Well, Peter, thank you. Thank you for the hours and hours of entertainment you brought to my family, and I'm really quite grateful personally. So thank you.

[Peter Brown]

This has been fun. Thanks a lot.

[Zibby Owens]

Okay, thank you. Congratulations. Bye.

[Peter Brown]

Bye.

[Zibby Owens]

Thank you for listening to Totally Booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have Time to Read Books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review, Follow me on Instagram, izippyowens and spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.

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[Peter Brown]

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[Indalmet Kinsu]

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