Bob, The little puppy
with the big personality, gets his day in the sun in this sequel to Newbery
winning The One and Only Ivan. Bob now resides with his new family
(don't use the term "owner", please!) Julia and her parents. Life is
pretty good. He gets two squares a day, a soft place to sleep, and-best of
all-he gets to visit his old pals Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the young elephant
at the zoo where Julia's dad works. At one such visit all is not as it should
be. Bad weather is coming and the animals can all feel it. Finally, terrible
rain morphing into hurricane enters the vicinity. The storm brings a tornado
and with it Bob goes flying--literally. Once the tornado settles down, he
catches his breath and surveys the damage. The zoo has been ram-shacked.
Habitats are destroyed and animals are wandering around freely. Bob begins to
search for his pals. Once he locates Ivan his worst fears are realized as the
once-powerful gorilla is now pinned underneath a steel bean and not moving. Can
Ivan be saved? Bob faces further danger as he hunts for Julia and hears a
familiar bark that brings both the best news and another dangerous situation.
How can a little guy save the day when he's pint sized and has no working
thumbs? Bob finds a way to do just that in this hilarious new sequel.
Published twelve years
ago to critical and popular acclaim, Applegate finally satisfies her fans with
a sequel to The One and Only Ivan, a book enjoyed
by children reading for pleasure, as well as being built into many school’s
curriculum. I like the original enough. It is an animal story that pulls at the
heart strings and it really connects with certain kids. Dare I say I may have
enjoyed the sequel better? Though not as heartfelt or rich as the first, this
installment was dog-gone funny! Bob is a wonderful character and narrator and I
found myself chuckling as I listened to the audio. The narrator is Danny Devito,
who also plays Bob in the upcoming film and this may have had something to do
with my enjoyment. Devito totally nails Bob's voice and personality and makes
for a highly entertaining experience. The main action does not get going for a
while, but readers will not care because Bob's musings about dog-hood are never
boring. Once the storm hits and the action takes off, readers will not be able
to stop turning pages. Some plot twists add to the excitement as Bob runs
around putting out fires, making new friends, reuniting with old ones, and
saving the day. Lovers of the first story may complain that there is not
enough Ivan in this book, but, frankly, I found Bob more fun. It is helpful to
have read the first book before plowing into this sequel, but not mandatory.
Applegate gives readers enough background information to get them up to
speed. A book about courage, friendship, and forgiveness that will make readers
chuckle-as they are holding their breaths.
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