A scene from “The Wild Robot,” based on the book by Maine author Peter Brown. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks

Maine author and illustrator Peter Brown realized something really big was happening to him a few weeks ago in New York City.

When he looked up, he saw huge, animated billboards for the new DreamWorks film “The Wild Robot” towering over Times Square. The film is based on his 2016 children’s novel of the same name and opens in theaters nationwide on Friday.

“It was humiliating, and I really haven’t processed it all yet,” said Brown, 45, who lives in the Midcoast near Damariscotta. “It’s pretty expensive advertising.”

Seeing his book become a Hollywood film is exciting for Brown in more ways than one. The New Jersey native originally attended art school with hopes of becoming an animator for Disney. Instead, he chose the career path of an author and illustrator, writing his three New York Times bestselling novels, Wild Robot, and doing illustrations for other people’s books. The latest installment in the robot series, “The Wild Robot Protects,” was released last year.

“I think DreamWorks did a great job. It’s visually beautiful and different from many great animated films. it’s more picturesque,” ​​said Brown, who moved to Maine a few years ago. “And the story is different too. There’s a lot of heart and soul in it.”

Children’s author and illustrator Peter Brown in his home studio near Damariscotta. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Brown’s books focus on a robot named Roz, programmed to work with humans, who is shipwrecked on a forested island full of wildlife of all kinds but no humans. Among other things, she learns from the animals how to raise a young goose. She also learns about kindness.

The voice cast includes some pretty big names, including Lupita Nyong’o as Roz and Pedro Pascal as Finch, a fox. Nyong’o won an Oscar for best supporting actress for “Twelve Years a Slave” (2013), while Pascal starred in the recent HBO series “The Last of Us” and the Disney series “The Mandalorian.” Other cast members include Catherine O’Hara, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill and Kit Connor. The film was written and directed by Chris Sanders, whose resume includes successful animated films such as How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods and Lilo and Stitch.

When she reviewed the film for the New York Times, Natalia Winkelman wrote that it was a “stunning triumph of animation in which you feel the filmmakers’ attention in every frame.” In an invigorating departure from the witty, computer-generated extravaganzas that have characterized the film animated zoological canon, it is a work that is primarily concerned with two things: great feelings and great beauty.”

Brown was not directly involved in the making of the film, but consulted with Sanders, the director. In an email Thursday, Sanders praised Brown’s writing and said their discussions were crucial to finding the right spirit for the film.

A scene from “The Wild Robot,” based on the book by Maine author Peter Brown. Universal Pictures / DreamWorks

“Peter has given us a brilliant and wonderful story of motherhood, with characters who have such original voices and spirit, embedded in a narrative that is fresh and compelling. “It provided our artists with an amazing narrative canvas to explore and create this breathtaking world,” Sanders wrote. “In one of our early conversations about adapting the book, Peter revealed that a running theme – although not stated literally in the book – is the idea that kindness is a survival skill. When I heard I wrote that line down straight away, I knew I wanted to put it in the script, and it ended up being a line delivered by Fink the fox.”

Brown has traveled to screenings around the country in recent weeks, including some where he and Nyong’o answered audience questions. He said Thursday that he will soon embark on another tour to promote a film version of the book “The Wild Robot,” which includes color photos from the film. Brown did not create the artwork used in the film himself and his book illustrations are in black and white.

Lupita Nyong’o voices Roz in “The Wild Robot,” based on the book by Maine author Peter Brown. Charles W. Murphy / Universal Pictures

When he returns to Maine from touring for the accompanying film, Brown will appear in Portland at the Kids’ Lit Bookfair at the Maine Lit Fest at the Portland Public Library on October 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. His wife, children’s author X, will also appear. Catch, will occur. Her latest picture book, “We Are Definitely Human,” was published in August.

In June, Brown plans to publish a full-color children’s picture book based on “The Wild Robot.” He said that he wanted to bring Roz’s world to life in color since his novel illustrations were in black and white.

Brown said it took him a while to get used to the idea of ​​making a film based on his story but featuring other people’s art on screen. But he thinks the film turned out great and now sees the value in it not being an exact replica of his books.

“If the movie is exactly like my book, there’s no reason for people to read my book,” Brown said. “They both serve different purposes, and you will get something different out of each experience.”

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