I Must Have Bobo!

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I Must Have Bobo! (NOOK Kids) Pub. Date: 2/22/2011 Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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I Must Have Bobo! Pub. Date: 1/25/2011 Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

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Overview

When Willy woke up there was trouble. Where was Bobo? Willy needs Bobo. But, Earl the cat likes Bobo, too. A favorite toy is hard to share…even when it’s a sock monkey. With sparse text and a modern-nostalgic vibe, this retro-fun book about friends (sock monkeys) and frenemies (devious cats) is an ode to favorite toys everywhere. Oh, Earl! Leave Bobo alone.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In Eileen Rosenthal's first children's book, Willy, a small boy, and Earl, the family cat, battle over Bobo, Willy's treasured sock monkey. Earl is always sneaking off with Bobo, and illustrator Marc Rosenthal's (Phooey!) ability to capture Earl's feline deviousness—the way Earl cranes his neck to see if Willy is coming, or hides under the covers with Bobo—is one of the book's chief charms. Another is the contrast between the complicated things Willy pretends Bobo can do and the way Bobo hangs limply from Willy's arms, a passive participant in the boy's plans. "Bobo helps me with everything," Willy says; he bends over and prods a black bug with a stick. "Bobo, is that a bitey-bug?" he asks. But Bobo, under Willy's arm, simply wears that rigid stuffed animal expression every reader will recognize. In the end, Willy finds Earl curled up in an armchair with Bobo and curls himself around them ("Here's my Bobo," he says contentedly); Earl's sideways glance shows that the story won't end there. Soft pencil drawings on cream-colored pages add to the generally calm, bedtime atmosphere. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)

School Library Journal

PreS-K—"When Willy woke up, there was trouble." His favorite, do-everything-with sock monkey is missing. But Willy isn't the only one who thinks Bobo should always be by his side. Earl, a mischievous gray feline, waits in the background and snatches Bobo away at the most opportune moments. Kids who spend hours hunting for their favorite toy will relate to the boy's endless skirmishes with Earl. Willy's frustration, clearly decipherable from his facial expressions, is juxtaposed with the cat's impassive, innocent face, with the exception of a few over-the-top anthropomorphized expressions. Told in Willy's genuine preschool voice, the story also encompasses a hunt-and-find element, as readers can search for Bobo with Willy in the illustrations. Pencil drawings, digitally colored, are set against cream-colored pages, giving the tale a muted, calm feeling despite the infuriated laments of a foiled little boy. It is clear this battle will continue long after the story ends. An excellent choice for bedtime or storytime.—Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

Willy, the protagonist of this small domestic drama, is perfectly, appropriately self-absorbed, as he is barely out of toddlerhood and, as his monologue reveals, he relies on his sock monkey, Bobo, to help him negotiate the challenges of being so young. Bobo helps him, specifically, to confront dubious, possibly "bitey" bugs, go down the playground slide and walk past large dogs (friendly doggy smiles notwithstanding). Digitally colored and boldly lined pencil cartoons against cream-yellow background space put Willy and his feline housemate Earl (who has a marvelously blank, inscrutably entitled cat face) firmly in the forefront of the story. Earl likes Bobo, too! When Willy loses track of Bobo, his search grows anxious: Could Bobo have been stolen by pirates? Or...Earl? Small listeners may recognize themselves in the worn-out, napping boy, curled up with his arm around both Bobo and Earl—but some will also sympathize with Earl's relentless, devoted recapturing of Bobo (clearly a shared prize in this household). Hilarious for adult readers; an exercise in self-recognition and empathy for the intended audience. (Picture book. 18 mos.-5)

Pamela Paul

As boy and cat tussle over Bobo, fundamental preschooler emotions—desire, fear, frustration, despair—will play for appreciative giggles.
—The New York Times

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781442403772
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 1/25/2011
Pages: 40
Sales rank: 88,234
Age range: 3 - 6 Years
Product dimensions: 8.60 (w) x 8.70 (h) x 0.40 (d)

Meet the Author

A sock monkey has never come between Eileen and Marc Rosenthal. Unlike Willy and Earl, the couple enjoys working together (and even sharing). Marc is the creative mind behind Archie and the Pirate and Phooey. Eileen and Marc live in the Berkshires with their family.

Marc Rosenthal is the illustrator of many books for children including I Must Have Bobo, The Straight Line Wonder by Mem Fox and Phooey, which he wrote. Marc’s illustrations can be seen regularly in The New Yorker, Time, Forbes, Fortune, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and others. Visit him online at marc-rosenthal.com.

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