The One and Only Bob

Starred review from April 6, 2020
With this stellar sequel to her Newbery Award–winning The One and Only Ivan, Applegate sounds precisely balanced notes of genuine humor and heart-tugging tenderness through the voice of Ivan’s best friend, Chihuahua mutt Bob. Rescued by a loving family, former stray Bob regularly visits Ivan, who now lives in a wildlife sanctuary along with elephant Ruby. Tough-talking Bob, who was thrown out of a car with his siblings as a pup, acknowledges, albeit a bit defensively, that pampered domesticated life suits him: “So what if I’ve gotten a little spoiled? A tad soft around the edges?” Ricocheting between entertainment and poignancy, the dog’s musings on his past and present give way to an urgent chronicle of survival after a hurricane ravages Ivan and Ruby’s sanctuary while Bob is visiting. Applegate deepens the suspense (while, ingeniously, amplifying the humor) with the appearance of Bob’s long-lost sister. The novel’s fluid meshing of loyalty, forgiveness, and trust will leave readers hoping that the author has more one-and-only stories to tell. Final illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 8–12.

April 15, 2020
Tiny, sassy Bob the dog, friend of The One and Only Ivan (2012), returns to tell his tale. Wisecracking Bob, who is a little bit Chihuahua among other things, now lives with his girl, Julia, and her parents. Happily, her father works at Wildworld Zoological Park and Sanctuary, the zoo where Bob's two best friends, Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the elephant, live, so Bob gets to visit and catch up with them regularly. Due to an early betrayal, Bob doesn't trust humans (most humans are good only for their thumbs); he fears he's going soft living with Julia, and he's certain he is a Bad Dog--as in "not a good representative of my species." On a visit to the zoo with a storm threatening, Bob accidentally falls into the gorilla enclosure just as a tornado strikes. So that's what it's like to fly. In the storm's aftermath, Bob proves to everyone (and finally himself) that there is a big heart in that tiny chest...and a brave one too. With this companion, Applegate picks up where her Newbery Medal winner left off, and fans will be overjoyed to ride along in the head of lovable, self-deprecating Bob on his storm-tossed adventure. His wry doggy observations and attitude are pitch perfect (augmented by the canine glossary and Castelao's picture dictionary of dog postures found in the frontmatter). Gorilla Ivan described Julia as having straight, black hair in the previous title, and Castelao's illustrations in that volume showed her as pale-skinned. (Finished art not available for review.) With Ivan's movie out this year from Disney, expect great interest--it will be richly rewarded. (afterword) (Fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from May 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Lovers of The One and Only Ivan will rejoice over this new tale about Ivan's best friend, Bob. Bob is a street dog who survives on his own until he stumbles upon a roadside attraction featuring a gorilla named Ivan. Through his new friendships with Ivan and an elephant named Ruby, he meets Julia-a human he might just trust. After Ivan and Ruby are moved to a zoo, Bob moves into Julia's house. Bob isn't exactly content living as a house pet, but his favorite thing to do is visiting his friends at the zoo with Julia. During one of their zoo visits, a tornado hits and Bob is spiraled into the air and away from his three friends. In this story of true friendship, hope, and courage, Bob learns to appreciate and cherish those he loves. Driven by favorite characters from The One and Only Ivan, Bob's story is delightfully heartfelt and adventurous. Castelao's illustrations add additional beauty to the story. VERDICT With a motion picture coming out of best-selling The One and Only Ivan, readers will be lining up to read this sequel. Recommended as a first choice.-Julie Jesernik, Warrenville Public Library, IL

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
Grades 3-6 This companion to Newbery-winning The One and Only Ivan (2012) takes the same form?short sections of sparse, first-person narration?this time centered on Bob, Ivan the silverback's scrappy little dog friend. While Bob supplies a sharp, lively voice that young readers will enjoy, he can't quite live up to the charm and gentle otherness of the soft-spoken gorilla. The story picks up with Bob enjoying domestic life and Ivan comfortable in a zoo, along with Ruby the elephant. The plot drags in the first half, heavy with digressions as it catches readers up and fleshes out Bob's origins. A traumatic event as a pup (safe for young readers), it turns out, largely informs Bob's attitude. After a hurricane rolls in, wreaking havoc on the zoo and surrounding town, Bob is pushed to confront his guilt and become the big-hearted hero we know he can be. Fans of the first book will love catching up with cherished friends, and newcomers, too, will enjoy this heartfelt story of survival.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Buzz for this Newbery follow-up would be big even if there weren't a silver-screen Ivan adaptation on the horizon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)