Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Traveling to her grandmother's drought-stricken, rural Australian community after an absence of five years, Livy remembers little about her previous visit. But when she opens her bedroom's closet door, Bob a short, skinny, green creature in a bedraggled chicken suit looks up at her and says, You're back. Took you long enough. They rebuild their friendship while Livy helps Bob figure out what kind of creature he is (not a zombie, as five-year-old Livy had supposed) and how he can find his way home. She has questions: Why don't adults seem to notice Bob? Why does she forget him when they're apart? Clearly magic plays a part in the story and its climax, bringing reunions, farewells, and rain, rain, rain. The very readable first-person narration alternates between Livy's voice and Bob's, and seen within well-realized settings, these endearing characters and their friendship drive the novel. Stead, whose When You Reach Me (2009) won the Newbery Medal, and Mass, author of the beloved Willow Falls series, combine their considerable talents to create an unusual fantasy with simplicity, immediacy, and wit. Illustrations (not seen) will appear throughout the finished volume.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten-year-old Livy, who lives in Massachusetts, hasn't visited her Gran Nicholas's house in Australia for five years. When she returns for a visit, Livy is struck by the feeling that something very important is waiting for her. Sure enough, a peek inside her closet reveals "a small zombie wearing a chicken suit," perched atop a dictionary. "You're back. Took you long enough," the creature says to the girl. Once upon a time, it seems, five-year-old Livy discovered this strange being, who goes by the comically understated name of Bob, and the two formed a secret bond. Picking up where they left off, Livy keeps Bob hidden while they hunt for clues about what he is, where he came from, and how to get him home. Authors Mass (the Willow Falls series) and Stead (Goodbye Stranger) team up for this irresistible tale of magic, mystery, and friendship that poses timeless questions about identity and belonging. Ultimately, the answers Livy and Bob seek are waiting in the pages of a cherished book-a tribute to the power of storytelling, which draws readers into the imaginative investigation. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. Authors' agents: (for Stead) Faye Bender, the Book Group; (for Mass) Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown Ltd. Illustrator's agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-7-After a five-year absence, 10-year-old Livy returns to visit Gran Nicholas in Australia and rediscovers Bob, the short, quirky green creature in her closet. As Gran and her neighbors struggle with a drought, Livy and Bob are trying to help Bob find his way home. Unraveling tales that include her falling in a well and looking for a buried time capsule, Livy and Bob become a team. There's magic that keeps Bob hidden from adults and a real search when neighbor child Danny goes missing. Narrators Nora Hunter and Bob Dircks bring the magical and human characters together with humor and mystery, though Dircks's Australian accent is occasionally unconvincing. -VERDICT This lighthearted mix of family, fantasy, and friendship adds a serious note about global climate -dilemmas.-Barbara S. Wysocki, formerly with Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Livy, now ten, doesnt remember much about the last time she visited her grandmother in Australia five years before. Still, youd think it would be hard to forget a weird, green, diminutive creature dressed in a chicken costume. Livy rediscovers the creature--Bob--hiding in a closet (Youre back. Took you long enough). She vows to help Bob figure out who he is and where he came from, and to solve the mystery of how shed forgotten about him in the first place. Chapters alternate between Livys and Bobs first-person perspectives, and the text is filled with warmth and humor: She said my name. Bob. It makes me feelwell, seenThe Great and Powerful Bob. The Bobster. His Bobness. Gannons occasional interspersed illustrations, monochromatic and golden-brown, provide an old-timey feel. A climactic plot twist sends Livy and Bob searching for a neighbor boy who wandered away from home and leads to an emotional reunion for the little green creature. Friendship, family, and ruminations on home, plus some magic (and an environmental message that feels a little tacked on), should appeal to creature-fantasy fans. elissa Gershowitz (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
