Review by Booklist Review
Katie composes a letter to her family's car, purchased when she was an infant. As a toddler, she called it Bob, and ever since, the whole family has used the name. Bob took them to the Wichita Annual Dance, where Katie wore traditional regalia and participated in her first "Tiny Tots" event. She recalls getting sick in the back seat after eating "too much fry bread at the Indian Hills Powwow and--uh--- oh. . . . Sorry about that." Bob has carried this happy family to the kids' baseball games, to Grand Teton, and to the Smoky Mountains to visit Aka:h, their grandmother. After a new baby is born, Bob even takes the family to buy a larger car. The letter is Katie's goodbye to a vehicle that she regards as a supportive, protective family member. Interwoven with her sadness are many happy reminiscences, sometimes tied to her family's Native heritage. An appended note comments on the Wichita and Cherokee people. The expressive illustrations capture Katie's memories as well as the happiness of another family that appears to be choosing Bob as its new car. Imaginative children from many backgrounds will empathize with Katie's feelings and her reluctance to say goodbye. An engaging, emotionally resonant picture book.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
An Indigenous child's love for a beloved family car drives this loving epistolary reminiscence from Wichita author Rogers and Diné illustrator Nelson. Young Katie addresses the vehicle, called Bob, noting how "Mom and Dad... bought you at the dealership when I was a baby" and describing its initial fresh paint, "feather-soft" seats, and a new-car smell. Across daily life, memorable mishaps, and road trips (to Wichita Annual Dance, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone), Bob is a trustworthy and cared for member of the Wichita-cued family. It's there on a visit to Aka:h at Sliding Rock, "the day Grandma last remembered things about Grandpa," and until a new baby's arrival requires the family to consider a new vehicle. Easy prose and crisply drawn digital illustrations give equal weight to each member of family caring for its members through life's seasons. An author's note and glossary conclude. Ages 4--8. (Sept.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 3--This is a letter to Bob, a family car, from a girl who feels that the car is part of her family, tying together events from their family history. She talks about seminal events in her family's time line: trips that they took together, like to the Wichita Annual Dance, where Katie danced in the Tiny Tots division, and an epic trip to Yellowstone. There are also less monumental events, like when things were dropped or spilled, as well as ordinary things like going to the dog park or to friends' houses. Bob the car carried the family safely to all of these things. Eventually, the family has to say goodbye to Bob, but not without some sadness at the parting. The artwork shows all the happy memories, using color to help readers understand the emotions at all the different events that the family has shared. The outings are common enough to help readers make connections to Katie as well as the family trips and gatherings, but specific enough so that modern Indigenous culture is allowed to shine through. VERDICT This would be a good choice for libraries needing mentor texts on family history or books showcasing modern Indigenous culture.--Debbie Tanner
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A Wichita girl, Katie, writes a letter to Bob, her family's trustworthy white sedan, after it's determined they need to trade it in for a larger vehicle. Katie describes how they cared for the car with tune-ups and fender-bender repairs and kept Bob clean and shiny. She reminisces about the many ways Bob helped her family: taking them to the hospital when little sister Jenna was born, going to the library, visiting friends, attending the Oklahoma State Fair and the Wichita Annual Dance, and getting to school -- all were made possible by reliable Bob. Readers also experience trips to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons, where Bob helps them speed away from a large moose. "You brought us there and back all in one piece." Katie remembers journeys to Powwow, especially her first experience dancing as a tiny tot. The narrative of the many uses of Bob provides a universal story line with which many children can identify while also matter-of-factly incorporating activities specific to Indigenous families. The engaging illustrations show Bob as a standard car without eyes, mouth, or other human features, and yet Katie's heartfelt narrative enables readers to imagine Bob as an actual family member. Appended with a glossary of Cherokee and Wichita terms. Naomi R. CaldwellNovember/December 2023 p.67 (c) Copyright 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
An Indigenous child's touching tribute to Bob, the trusty family car. "Dear Bob," begins Rogers' (Wichita) latest picture book, told from the perspective of a kid named Katie. "Mom and Dad told me about / the day they bought you / at the dealership / when I was a baby…. / They said that your paint sparkled in the sun, / your seats felt feather-soft, / and you had that new car smell." What starts as a simple ode to a well-cherished sedan quickly becomes a more nuanced love letter to Native families, accompanied by emotion-driven, comic art from Nelson (Diné). Readers will find themselves riding along as the family attends the Wichita Annual Dance, speeds away from a formidable moose while on a road trip to Grand Teton, visits Aka:h (Wichita for grandparent) in her Shaconage (Smoky Mountains) home, and goes on everyday excursions to school, the library, and friends' houses. Far from a mere piece of machinery, Bob is a treasured member of the close-knit family--"When we got into / a fender bender, / you kept us safe, / and we took care of / you then, too." The narrative ends with a bittersweet so:ti:c'a (thank you) and goodbye as Bob is traded in for a car to better fit the growing family. For its tender vignettes of modern Indigenous life, this tale will make a glowing addition to any personal, school, or public library. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Slice-of-life Native stories told with joy and reverence. (author's note, glossary, info on current tribal locations, publisher's note) (Picture book. 4-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
