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jenbsbooks 's review for:
The One and Only Bob
by Katherine Applegate
Middle Grade May ... I did a re-read of The One and Only Ivan (a listen really, went with the audiobook) and figured I'd finish the series this time, as I had picked up a couple of the books (this one and The One and Only Family) in physical format for my Little Free Library (#182597). While I know it's not necessary to read books before putting them in, I like to have that personal connection if possible.
I liked this - a solid 3* ... In addition to the physical copy, I borrowed the audio and Kindle copy from the library. I went with audio (more ear time than eye time). Danny DeVito narrates this, as the voice of Bob, the Dog (as he voiced him in the movie adaptation of the first book). I actually didn't love the narration. It was slow, I had to speed it up quite a bit.
Following the same format as the first book, a word/phrase as a header for the "chapter" although these are so short, they can't really be called chapters. It feels a little more like the books that are poetry (like Jason Reynolds books Long Way down, or The Crossover ... or the book Inside Out and Back Again) ... except these are poetry, just simple sentences that do move the story along, but SO much white space when viewed on the page. I think that is actually preferrable though, the visual of that breaks up the sections more than how it comes across in audio. Audio ends up feeling just a tad clunky and repetitive.
The story here was fine ... the other characters playing large parts still, it's not just Bob's story. SPOILER quite a bit of action with a big storm that pretty much destroys the zoo, animals hurt and escaped, and a nearby animal shelter flooding too. A little over the top convenient with Bob just happening upon his long lost sister, and then Ivan and Ruby getting out of the zoo to come and save them. It was sweet though. Like the first book, it had a "glossary" of dog terms at the start.
Again - in audio, the author's note read by a different male narrator ... why not the author? Is she that afraid of public speaking? It's just SO impersonal, it actually negates any positives from the author's note. I guess I would have done better to have just read it, she does include a handwritten signature in the text editions (kindle and physical books). They also have cute illustrations.
I liked this - a solid 3* ... In addition to the physical copy, I borrowed the audio and Kindle copy from the library. I went with audio (more ear time than eye time). Danny DeVito narrates this, as the voice of Bob, the Dog (as he voiced him in the movie adaptation of the first book). I actually didn't love the narration. It was slow, I had to speed it up quite a bit.
Following the same format as the first book, a word/phrase as a header for the "chapter" although these are so short, they can't really be called chapters. It feels a little more like the books that are poetry (like Jason Reynolds books Long Way down, or The Crossover ... or the book Inside Out and Back Again) ... except these are poetry, just simple sentences that do move the story along, but SO much white space when viewed on the page. I think that is actually preferrable though, the visual of that breaks up the sections more than how it comes across in audio. Audio ends up feeling just a tad clunky and repetitive.
The story here was fine ... the other characters playing large parts still, it's not just Bob's story. SPOILER
Again - in audio, the author's note read by a different male narrator ... why not the author? Is she that afraid of public speaking? It's just SO impersonal, it actually negates any positives from the author's note. I guess I would have done better to have just read it, she does include a handwritten signature in the text editions (kindle and physical books). They also have cute illustrations.