Review by Booklist Review
The circular black-and-white-striped residents in the village of Bobville, prisoners of conformity, all go by the name of Bob. Detailed drawings show that they eat the same food, have the same hobbies, think the same thoughts, and endorse the same music, movies, and books. Most of all "they did not like anyone not named Bob." But one day a bored Bob gels his hair, orders colorful clothes, and presents himself in a joyful vertical spread as a yellow-attired guy named "Bruce!" So the council decides to kick the Person Formerly Known as Bob out of town. They even build a wall to keep out anyone else who might be thinking like that. Meanwhile, Bruce goes out to discover a big exciting world and--you guessed it--lives happily ever after. Illustrator (Bob!) Staake accesses his own inner Bob to digitally produce the goofy cartoon drawings in pen, ink, and paint. While the Bobs remain uniformly boring in all their activities, the renegade Bruce joyfully explores a world of vibrant colors, faces, and personalities. It's a fun lesson with a not-so-subtle message that promotes pushing boundaries and embracing differences.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The citizens of Bobville are the epitome of conformity: all named Bob, they also look and act the same. Staake (The Book of Gold), leaning into his stylized aesthetic, draws the Bobs as black-and-white figures with rotund, striped bodies; mostly bald pates; and bulbous noses. "Life could get a little dull," writes Winter (Mother Jones and Her Army of Mill Children), but the Bobs cherish their way of life--which also includes hating any outliers. When a renegade community member renames himself Bruce and starts wearing red striped pants and a variously patterned bright shirt, the reaction in Bobville is swift and draconian. "The Person Formerly Known as Bob" is banished, and the Bobs build a tall brick wall around the town "for keeping out other not-Bobs"; Bruce, looking not at all displeased, finds happiness in "the big, exciting world outside," which is populated by people (plus one robot, two Martians, and a unicorn) of every color, wardrobe, and lifestyle. The creators devote so many pages to the Bobville orthodoxy that Bruce's new life feels shortchanged, but the laudatory, relevant premise offers a clear way forward for non-Bobs everywhere. Ages 3--7. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
An independent thinker challenges the norm in Winter's zany -- and relevant -- story. Things can get confusing in the city of Bobville, where everyone is named Bob and "everyone looks exactly the same." How do you know who you are if everybody is identical? The answer is, of course, "You're Bob! Just like everybody else!" But things can also get dull, because all the Bobs (comical figures each with uniformly floppy facial features and spindly limbs attached to black-and-gray-striped spherical bodies) get up at the same time, eat the same food, enjoy the same hobbies, go to the same movies, listen to the same music, and read the same books. In fact, everyone in Bobville even thinks the same thoughts ("If one Bob was thinking, I'd rather be fishing, you could bet your life that all the other Bobs were thinking that, too"), and they are highly suspicious of anyone not named Bob. When a freethinking Bob makes the choice to gel his hair, don colorful clothing, and declare himself "Bruce," he is maligned and booted out of Bobville. The departure is marked by a shift in the color palette as the grays and muted pastels are replaced by bright and vibrant hues. Outside the town limits, Bruce is welcomed to the "big, exciting world" and by a quirky and dynamic cast of characters bursting with unexpected colors and geometric shapes. A reminder of the importance of independent thinking and the joy of being different wrapped in a silly yet thought-provoking tale. Emmie Stuart September/October 2020 p.79(c) Copyright 2020. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
In a town where everyone looks the same, individuality finally shines. In Bobville, everyone is named "Bob" (according to their nametags), and everyone looks exactly the same. Striped shirts stretch over rotund bodies, noses flop, and skin and clothes are drab in grayscale shades. Every Bob does the same thing as the next Bob--they eat the same food, think the same thoughts, indulge in the same hobby (playing accordion, of course), and dream the same dreams at night (watching paint dry). They have heard of suspicious others who are not named Bob but see those only on the news. One day, one intrepid Bob wakes up and decides instead to be called "Bruce." Bruce gets a new, very colorful wardrobe and steps outside. The town is appalled. They immediately ostracize the "Person Formerly Known as Bob," quickly building a wall to keep Bruce out forever (and any other errant "not-Bobs," too). Luckily, Bruce just might find a new, more accepting community, after all. Aptly named Staake fills the art with sly asides: a sign that states "Curb Your Bob," a supermarket shelf filled with Bob-related cereals, and a "Bobhound" bus, to name a few. Background colors in Bobville are muted to pastel shades; the other side of the wall is splashy, diverse, and bold. A clever look at tolerance and understanding. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
