Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cheer-worthy tale of traumatized dog's quest for family.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
THE ONE AND ONLY BOB, aka the scruffy little dog befriended by Ivan the artistic gorilla in The One and Only Ivan, has a pretty good life in the wake of Book 1's events. He's been adopted by Julia, the little girl who played a big role in freeing Ivan from the horrid roadside zoo. Ivan and Ruby the baby elephant now live in a sanctuary with others of their species, cared for by Julia's dad, and Bob gets to visit them all the time. But Bob, traumatized by his previous hard life, doesn't really trust it all, and he's troubled by a nagging sense that his sister survived the incident that killed the rest of his siblings, and is still out there. In the chaos as a tornado strikes the town where they all live, Bob makes a break for freedom and sets out to find her.
Is It Any Good?
Katherine Applegate's compelling, ultimately uplifting tale, told by a snarky, formerly abused dog who's still confused about it all, takes Ivan the gorilla and his friends to new adventures. Animal-loving kids in particular will relate to Julia, who's adopted Bob the dog and does her best to give him a happy life. And they'll love the quality time with Ivan (now happily living in a sanctuary), Ruby, and the many other friends of The One and Only Bob. As in The One and Only Ivan, Applegate pulls few punches in describing the physical and emotional cruelty of humans to animals and its traumatic, sometimes deadly impact -- and also introduces plenty of kind humans who know better and act that way.
Sensitive readers may have trouble with passages like this one, where Bob recalls the aftermath of being ripped from his mother and thrown with his littermates from a truck window:
"Being man's best friend can mean a lot of things. Companionship. Belly rubs. Tennis balls.
"But it can also mean a dark, endless highway and an open truck window.
"It can mean the smell of the wet wind as hands grab the box you're in with your brothers and sisters and you go sailing into the unkind night and still, still, crazy as it sounds, you're thinking, But I'm yours, I'm yours, I'm yours."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories narrated by dogs, and how they see the world. How does The One an Only Bob compare with other dog "autobiographies" you've read, and how does Bob's life compare with the ones described in those stories.
The One and Only Bob offers plentiful examples of people being cruel to animals, and vividly describes how it feels to be on the receiving end. It also features many people being kind and supportive, even heroic, in protecting the animals. Do you come away from the story with more empathy for those being abused, animals and humans? Does it give you any ideas for ways you might help protect them?
Have you visited a wildlife park where animals like Ivan and Ruby can live in natural habitats instead of cages? What did you find most interesting -- or surprising -- about it?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Patricia Castelao
- Genre : Animals
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Harper Collins Publishers
- Publication date : May 5, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 352
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate