Chez Bob

by Bob Shea

Overview

“A perfect book.” –Sandra Boynton, bestselling author

From the hilarious author of Who Wet My Pants?, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great, and the Dinosaur Vs. series comes a kid pleasing favorite about a devious alligator who learns to love!

Welcome to Chez Bob, which seems like a real restaurant...until you realize...it's on an alligator's NOSE! Bob's got a hidden plan for his customers: "Birds will come to eat, but I will eat the birds!" As they fly in from all over the world to dine on Bob's face, something starts to happen that takes the lazy, hungry reptile by surprise—the birds stay. "More yummy birds!" he rejoices—he'll want for nothing! But when the time is right, will Bob make the right choice?

Comic genius Bob Shea cooks up a tasty tale that proves anyone, even hungry alligators, can have a change of heart and learn to be a good friend.

Don’t miss some of these favorite Bob Shea titles:
Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great
Dinosaur Vs. Bedtime
The Scariest Book Ever
Who Wet My Pants?

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316483117
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Series:	Chez Bob , #1
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	41,375
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bob Shea has created many hilarious books for young people, including Chez Bob, the popular Dinosaur Vs. series, Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great, The Scariest Book Ever, and the early readers featuring Ballet Cat. He has also written stories such as Who Wet My Pants?, illustrated by Zachariah OHora and Big Plans, illustrated by Lane Smith. He lives in Madison, Connecticut and invites you to visit him at bobshea.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 05/17/2021

Bob, a bright yellow alligator intent on laziness, thinks, “Maybe if I ask nicely, a bird will fly in my mouth and down into my belly.” When that comes to naught, he hits on the idea of opening a birdseed restaurant for birds—on his nose—and figures he’ll get rich franchising it (“I will have diamond teeth and a solid-gold hat!”). But Chez Bob becomes so popular that its avid avian following builds a town around the restaurant, and Bob, now the proverbial small business owner, finds himself a pillar of the community. When he finally has the opportunity to get his mouth around his feathered patrons and neighbors, he makes a new choice. Shea (Who Wet My Pants?) puts a fresh spin on the tale of a villain reformed by spoofing contemporary rhetoric around the communal good: as a “positive role model for the birds I’m going to eat,” Bob even coaches a local bird basketball team. Shea’s always-striking art has a marvelous lightness here, thanks to the bevy of bird characters and a cheery tropical palette, making for a book that’s funny and lovely to look at, too. Ages 4–8. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2021
A Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education Best Book of 2021
An Amazon Best Book of 2021
A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of 2021

"Chez Bob is beyond glorious. Seriously: It’s a perfect book. Which is actually pretty infuriating."—Sandra Boynton

* "Shea puts a fresh spin on the tale of a villain reformed by spoofing contemporary rhetoric around the communal good: as a "positive role model for the birds I'm going to eat," Bob even coaches a local bird basketball team. Shea's always-striking art has a marvelous lightness here, thanks to the bevy of bird characters and a cheery tropical palette, making for a book that's funny and lovely to look at, too."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Readers will laugh at this funny story... kids will cheer for the heartwarming ending. Appropriately droll illustrations perfectly match the lively shenanigans and depict Bob with a toothy, expressive mug. This is one to devour."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “Delightfully mischievous…. Terrifically funny and surprisingly sweet. The splashy illustrations are distinctive and detailed, perfectly suiting the silly tone. Visit Chez Bob with no reservations.”—Booklist, starred review

* "A fabulously fun read-aloud…Readers will come away giggling but will also retain a renewed sense of the importance of kindness and belonging. Laugh-out-loud funny, sweet, and a surefire hit for story time."

—School Library Journal, starred review

“Playful details in the art, varied perspectives, and effective page-turns enhance the story’s humor…. From its punny, self-referential appetizer of a title (flip the author’s name) to its sweet ending, Chez Bob offers a story-time feast.” —Horn Book

"The deadpan humor will be appreciated even by older siblings who just might be glancing over younger shoulders."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"One of the funniest picture books of the year."—Parents Magazine

“Slyly funny in both story and illustration.”—The Boston Globe

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2021

PreS-Gr 2—This quirky tale of a nefarious plan gone wrong follows Bob, a proudly lazy alligator who devises an elaborate scheme to lure his meals to him instead of hunting. He builds a birdseed restaurant on his snout to attract birds, making it a snap to gobble them up. However, when the first customer arrives, Bob realizes it would be prudent to allow the bird to fly free and spread the word about "Chez Bob," thereby attracting even more potential snacks with ease. Despite his worst intentions, Bob becomes unwittingly attached to his trusting new companions and the lively community they form around him. He joins a book club and coaches the basketball team, but will he actually make a meal of his feathered friends? The suspense is drawn out until the very end. Young readers will delight in this tale of a flawed protagonist and will cheer for his eventual change of heart. Witty prose and dialogue invite dramatization, making for a fabulously fun read-aloud, while Shea's signature bold, colorful, stylized illustrations serve up a visual feast. Surprisingly touching themes of friendship and caring underpin the narrative's zany humor. Readers will come away giggling but will also retain a renewed sense of the importance of kindness and belonging. VERDICT Laugh-out-loud funny, sweet, and a surefire hit for story time. Bob Shea fans will rejoice.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Lib., CA

School Library Journal

★ 2021-06-02
A reptile cleverly lures his favorite prey.

Bob, a rapacious, lazy alligator, expects birds to fly into his mouth without his lifting a claw. Observing how they home in on seed scattered atop grass, he devises an ingenious idea for enticing feathered types to flock his way: opening a restaurant. By sprinkling birdseed (well-seasoned, so customers will be especially flavorful) on his snout, Bob figures unsuspecting birdies will zoom to “Chez Bob” so he can gobble them up. The first satisfied diner promises to recommend the place; Bob decides to forgo eating him. Soon, the restaurant attracts a global clientele, a new town thrives around it, and Bob becomes a civic-minded entrepreneur. By this point, readers will have noticed a shift in Bob: He hasn’t swallowed any customers, despite ample opportunities and repeated self-reminders to do so. When a storm breaks and Bob invites his winged neighbors to shelter between his jaws, kids might believe the climax has arrived. What happens next proves a devious alligator can change and kindness and friendship can prevail over predaciousness (though Bob expects accolades for being selfless—he is not entirely reformed). Readers will laugh at this funny story, told mostly via Bob’s hilariously self-centered, dryly witty dialogue. He’s a riotous hoot whose nature is shown to develop subtly, and kids will cheer for the heartwarming ending. Appropriately droll illustrations perfectly match the lively shenanigans and depict Bob with a toothy, expressive mug.

This is one to devour. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews