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.