The One and Only Bob

by Katherine Applegate, Patricia Castelao (Illustrator)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

From the New York Times bestselling author of One and Only Ivan comes another one and only—a dog named Bob. Equal parts fun and deeply resonant, this is a modern classic animal story that will delight young readers.

A #1 New York Times bestseller and a #1 Indie bestseller!

"Good dog Bob. Great to have a best friend.”—Danny DeVito

Return to the unforgettable world of the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling novel The One and Only Ivan in this incredible sequel, starring Ivan’s friend Bob! Catch up with these beloved friends before you see the star-studded film adaptation of The One and Only Ivan, now available on Disney+!

Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family.

Bob, Ivan, and Ruby have touched the hearts of millions of readers, and their story isn’t over yet. Catch up with these beloved friends before the star-studded film adaptation of The One and Only Ivan hits theaters in August 2020!

One and Only Bob is an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, embraced by new and old fans of Katherine Applegate's beloved One and Only Ivan. Great for summer reading or anytime! A Today show pick for “25 children’s books your kids and teens won’t be able to put down this summer!"

In the tradition of timeless stories like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create an unforgettable story of friendship, family, and hope.

The One and Only Bob features first-person narrative; author's use of literary devices (personification, imagery); and story elements (plot, character development, perspective).

This acclaimed middle grade novel is an excellent choice for tween readers in grades 5 to 8, for independent reading, homeschooling, and sharing in the classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062991331
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	05/05/2020
Series:	Ivan and Friends Series , #2
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	147,020
Lexile:	570L (what's this?)
File size:	10 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Katherine Applegate is the Newbery Medal-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of numerous books for young readers, including the One and Only series, the Endling series, Crenshaw, Wishtree, the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter books series, and the Animorphs series. She lives with her family in Nevada.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/06/2020

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. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Bob proves to everyone (and finally himself) that there is a big heart in that tiny chest…and a brave one too. 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." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Ricocheting between entertainment and poignancy, the dog’s musings on his past and present give way to an urgent chronicle of survival. 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." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"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. Readers will be lining up to read this sequel." — School Library Journal (starred review)

"Explore[s] themes of forgiveness, redemption, and heroism. A playful canine glossary and expressive spot illustrations further enhance the appeal of this sequel." — Horn Book Magazine

"Bob supplies a sharp, lively voice that young readers will enjoy. Fans of the first book will love catching up with cherished friends, and newcomers, too, will enjoy this heartfelt story of survival." — Booklist

"Much like Bob himself, this book has an appealing mix of frenetic energy and somber contemplation. Commentary on animal welfare and climate change is carefully woven into the narrative, giving readers food for thought but never overwhelming what is ultimately a tale of friendship and forgiveness." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Applegate writes that she was delighted when she heard DeVito would be the voice of Bob in the upcoming film adaptation of Ivan, and we agree: DeVito's voice is Bob’s. This is a heartfelt and entertaining listen." — Booklist (starred review of audio edition)

From the Publisher

"Much like Bob himself, this book has an appealing mix of frenetic energy and somber contemplation. Commentary on animal welfare and climate change is carefully woven into the narrative, giving readers food for thought but never overwhelming what is ultimately a tale of friendship and forgiveness."

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Explore[s] themes of forgiveness, redemption, and heroism. A playful canine glossary and expressive spot illustrations further enhance the appeal of this sequel."

Horn Book Magazine

"Applegate writes that she was delighted when she heard DeVito would be the voice of Bob in the upcoming film adaptation of Ivan, and we agree: DeVito's voice is Bob’s. This is a heartfelt and entertaining listen."

Booklist (starred review of audio edition)

"Bob supplies a sharp, lively voice that young readers will enjoy. Fans of the first book will love catching up with cherished friends, and newcomers, too, will enjoy this heartfelt story of survival."

Booklist

"Bob supplies a sharp, lively voice that young readers will enjoy. Fans of the first book will love catching up with cherished friends, and newcomers, too, will enjoy this heartfelt story of survival."

Booklist

"Much like Bob himself, this book has an appealing mix of frenetic energy and somber contemplation. Commentary on animal welfare and climate change is carefully woven into the narrative, giving readers food for thought but never overwhelming what is ultimately a tale of friendship and forgiveness."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

★ 05/01/2020

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

School Library Journal

Danny DeVito voices the part of Bob in the upcoming movie THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, and here he enhances the self-centered canine in this audiobook. DeVito’s rough-and-tough humorous performance is a perfect fit for Bob. His narration of the free-form verses reveals Bob’s sardonic nature. He’s “never been accused of being a good dog.” He eats cat litter, hogs the couch, and “may or may not have eaten” a turkey when “nobody was looking.” He grudgingly loves and occasionally obeys the humans he’s come to live with. And yet, there is something lovable that lurks beneath his attitude. This is a fabulous family listen! S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2020 - AudioFile

★ 2020-03-25
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)

Kirkus Reviews