The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
*Small spoilers for The One and Only Ivan (the first book)*
In The One and Only Bob, our main character is a dog named Bob. He has been relocated to a home with Julia and her father after living on his own in a shopping mall for so long. One day, Bob visits Ivan, a gorilla, and Ruby, an elephant, at the sanctuary they have been moved to after living in the shopping mall with Bob. A storm looms on the horizon, and a tornado hits the sanctuary. Bob is separated from Julia and her father, lost in an animal enclosure. Then, while everyone is already scrambling, a hurricane strikes. Bob begins a search for his long lost sister, while along the way working with Ivan and Ruby to help the rest of the animals in the sanctuary recover.
*End of spoilers*
One thing I found interesting about this book is how the narrative tone varies from the first book in the series. While the first book is narrated by a calm and wise gorilla, the second book is narrated by a lively and conversational dog. This aspect gives the characters depth, and since I have not read the third and fourth book yet, I am excited to see what the narrative tones are like for the other characters. Another thing I found interesting is the events that shape the story, such as the hurricane. This gives the book lots of action, making it exciting and urgent throughout more than half of the book. This kind of tone also matches Bob's personality, which emphasizes the importance of narrative tone.
The One and Only Bob is a heartwarming and exciting book that I enjoyed reading. There are two more books in the series that I have not read yet, called The One and Only Ruby and The One and Only Family. They also made a film on The One and Only Ivan a few years ago, which I have not watched. Thank you for reading my blog post!
Hi Sloane, I did not know that there was a film for The One and Only Ivan! You also describe the book really well, so good job!
ReplyDeleteHey Sloane! I haven't read The One and Only Bob but I have read The One and Only Ivan. I like how you compare the narrative tones of the two books, and the differences in the characters of Bob and Ivan. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that there were more books in the series after The One and Only Ivan, but this books sounds interesting. Giving the narrator of this book and the previous one very different tones could help make the two stories more distinct. Good job!
ReplyDeleteComment written by Naomi:
ReplyDeleteHi Sloane, I haven't read this book, but the way you described it seemed interesting! Do you think you'll watch the movie anytime soon? Thanks for the awesome post!
Hi Sloane! I remember reading The One and Only Ivan a long time ago, but I had no idea there was a sequel! It sounds like such a heartwarming and interesting read — I’ll definitely have to check it out sometime!
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