Along with his litter, Bob was left to fend for himself from very young. He survived on scraps he could find, eventually discovering the Exit 8 Big Top Mall & Video Arcade. This was heaven for Bob, gobbling up left over hot dogs and other delicacies, then eventually finding a hole in a cage. This cage belonged to Ivan, a full grown gorilla, and they’ve been besties ever since. But that was Ivan’s story (The One and Only Ivan).

Now Ivan and Ruby (a young elephant) have a much nicer home in a proper zoo, and Bob has been adopted by a keeper’s family. Bob is loved and treated well, but he prides himself on remaining street-savvy, barely trainable, and as smelly as he can get away with. For such a little dog, he’s full of swagger, but secretly, deep down, he remains wary, expecting his good life to be taken away from him. He’s also hiding a deep guilt from the day he and his litter were discarded on the side of a highway.

Bob can smell something strange in the air. The weather is changing. They say a storm is coming, and it could be really nasty. When it hits with hurricane force, Bob is visiting Ivan and their young elephant friend Ruby in their zoo enclosures, and to their horror a tornado is along for the ride, slicing through the zoo.

Bob’s bravery is put to the test as he looks for his friends in the aftermath. The tornado might be gone, but the rain is unrelenting and the water is rising. Zoo animals are roaming free, and a nearby animal shelter has been known to flood before…

Just like The Newberry Medal winning The One and Only Ivan, this sequel’s animal point of view has been deftly handled by the author. Bob is a scruffy, spunky, savvy, but very small dog, who loves his humans, while still being wary of losing that love. This vulnerability, along with his cockyness, and swagger makes Bob thoroughly likeable.

He’s funny, always hungry, telling his story in snippets of chapters. He’s loyal, and surprising himself most of all, brave when he needs to be. With The One and Only Ivan soon on the big screen, Bob is sure to capture hearts of movie goers.

This would make a great class read-aloud, or read for any animal lovers who may be reluctant readers. A glossary of canine terminology and examples of dog body language add even more to Bob’s story. 

Author – Katherine Applegate

Illustrator – Patricia Castelao

Age – 7+

Book Trailer here

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(2020, Harper Collins, Animals, Zoo, Tornado, Courage, Siblings, Friends, Storm, Hurricane, Rescue, Sequel, Natural Disaster, Flood, Guilt, Secret, Love, Trust, Humour, Funny)