Humans, in his opinion, are cruel, selfish, and are beyond even trying to understand. In part because of this experience, Bob takes a very dim view of humans. Bob came to the mall after someone threw him and his siblings onto the highway when they were tiny puppies Bob was the only one to survive. He sleeps every night on Ivan’s belly and regularly checks Ivan’s beard for crumbs. While Bob is proud that he’s a stray and insists that he doesn’t actually have a home, he does spend nearly all his time at the mall. (Special thanks to Dr.Bob is a tiny stray dog who lives at the Big Top Mall. With the help of his wise friend, Ivan, and his playful friend, Ruby, Bob finds out he is not as selfish as he proclaims.

In the aftermath of a tornado, Bob searches his inner self to realize he does not look out for numero uno. Each character brings depth and pivots to the story. We also meet a few new characters: Snickers (Bob’s nemesis), Nutwit (a gray squirrel), Kimu (a grey wolf), Kinayani (a female gorilla), Kudzoo (a baby gorilla), Stretch (a giraffe), and so many more. HIs obsession with food, his harassment of squirrels, and his desire to roll in garbage to enhance his aroma gives us a clear idea of the type of dog Bob is.Īs the story continues, we are reunited with Ivan and Ruby. In the first chapter, the voice of Bob brings laughter from the first line, “Look, nobody’s ever accused me of being a good dog.” It doesn’t stop there. We are introduced to terms such as crazy mutt, me-ball, and water bowl of power. A canine glossary appears in the prologue. The character development of Bob is masterfully done through unique craft moves.

Through his journey to rescue his friends and family in the wake of a devastating tornado, we learn how he becomes to be known as The One and Only Bob. Although, he believes to come from Chihuahua and Papillon descent. In the sequel, Katherine steals our hearts again.īob is a mutt of uncertain heritage. As the story of Ivan’s journey to a zoo unfolded, we fell in love with him and all his friends. Ivan, a Silverback gorilla, was trapped off exit 8 at the Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.

Katherine Applegate won our hearts in the beautifully crafted Newbery Award winner The One and Only Ivan.

The one only bob