Meet the Bobs and Tweets

March 15, 2016
Bob Seven and Tweet Seven may seem to be in the wrong families, but they're a perfect fit as friends. "A mob of Bobs lives like slobs, / A mob! / Of Bobs! / Oh, such slobs. // Seven Bobs are in the mob. / Can you see that six are slobs?" They make such a mess that they need to move. Mo the Realtor sends them to Bonefish Street. "Now meet the Tweets. / A fleet of Tweets. / Of seven Tweets, just six are neat." They want to move to someplace where they can be even neater. Unscrupulous Mo sells them the house across the street from the Bobs. When the clans meet at the neighborhood pool, a brawl ensues. Dean (Bob Seven) and Lou (Tweet Seven) seek lifeguard assistance to quell the fight, but surely these neighbors are headed for more clashes. Springfield's series starter tells a tale even those just starting chapters will be able to predict. Repetitive, simple rhymes make for easier reading, but the bland story and several hiccups in the meter will discourage repeated readings. Caldwell's energetic, full-color, Sunday-comics illustrations are satisfyingly chaotic, doing their best to lift the story up; all Bobs and Tweets as well as Mo appear to be white. Final art not seen. Falls far short of the Seuss it attempts to achieve; here's hoping Volume 2 can gain some traction. (Fiction. 5-8)

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May 1, 2016

Gr 1-4-Out of seven Bobs, six are slobs, and out of seven Tweets, six are neat. A deceptive realtor has both families believing they are moving into a neighborhood of like-minded people. But when the Bobs run their jet ski through the community pool while the Tweets practice their laps, lifeguard Mark intervenes and divides the pool in half with a rope: the left side for slobs and the right side for neats. The seventh member of each family, Tidy Dean Bob and Sloppy Lou Tweet, become friends as they discuss their differences. Rhyming text may entertain and provide syntactic cues for some newly independent readers, though the rhymes often seem contrived. Lively, full-color, full-page illustrations provide and extend many details of the text. Though the design is colorful and appealing, the story is ultimately forgettable.

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2016
Grades 1-3 When the rowdy Bobs and neat Tweets move into their new homes on Bonefish Street, conflict is inevitable. Still, in this Seussian series opener, Dean Bob and Lou Tweet, youngest in each family, forge a friendship. From the opening line, A mob of Bobs lives like slobs, the rhyming text suggests humor, and the exaggerations will fulfill expectations. Unlike the others in his large, messy family, Bob Seven is natty and composed. Caldwell's colorful illustrations show him neatly dressed (hat, sweater vest, and bow tie), smelling flowers while the others play wildly around him. Lou Tweet, on the other hand, would rather be playing a video game or practicing handstands than tidying the house or swimming laps with her kale-eating parents and siblings. Inevitably the families collide at the neighborhood pool, but the two youngest find something to do together. The tetrameter doesn't always trip off the tongue, but the rhyme will support struggling readers. Antics abound, and kids will be eager for more in future adventures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)