Sequel to The One and Only Ivan. This one is from the dog’s viewpoint, and it takes place mostly after the events in the old shopping mall, although there are some flashbacks where Bob describes their time there, or his memories of puppyhood before. He was a scrappy street dog, had to rely on his wits and definitely did not trust humans. But now he’s in a comfortable home, taken on walks, even entered into obedience school (which he defies). He’s worried about “going soft.” The best days are when his family takes him to visit the zoo, and he gets to see Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the elephant again. The first part of this story is Bob explaining his situation and reflecting on the relationship between dogs and humans. He’s sarcastic about it all, doesn’t quite agree with most dogs’ fawning on their owners, and makes pointed remarks about some famous dogs (Chaser the border collie who knows a thousand words and Hachiko who waited nine years for his owner- neither are actually named in the book but it’s obvious who they are). I did like some of his descriptive phrases: “homework, which smells like frustration with a hint of eraser.” Or this: “We live on a lonely ball called Earth, and humans have basically been throwing it against the wall for so long that the poor ‘ol ball is falling apart.” Yeah, the dog talks like he knows more than animals actually could, but so do all the other animals in this story. And they all talk to each other.
About halfway through the book, a huge natural disaster strikes. While Bob is at the zoo, visiting his old friends. He’s suddenly roaming through the debris, searching for his friends. Finding and helping other animals in distress, in spite of himself. While humans are trying to rescue animals from the rubble and capture or subdue the dangerous ones that have gotten free, Bob is mostly worried about Ivan. A flood follows the initial blow, and Bob (against his will) winds up in the animal shelter nearby, where more humans are trying to evacuate the animals. He encounters someone from his past there, and finally is able to lay to rest an old hurt. To find forgiveness for himself, for a wrong he thought he’d done (but nobody else held it against him). He goes on yet another rescue mission, determined to succeed where no one else can. But he needs the help of his old friends in this, too.
Wow, there was so much tension with the disaster and aftermath in this one. It was pages and pages and pages of action- all happening in what seemed just twenty-four hours, as the animals scrambled around trying to survive and save each other. Bob finds he’s just as brave and plucky as he ever imagined himself to be, but more importantly, that he also cares more about others than he would have admitted. It’s very touching and heartwarming, but a much too. With the disaster events. Not sure if I would have liked this one as a kid. It looks like a really thick book, but it’s actually not that long. All told in brief paragraphs and one-liners spaced down the page, almost like poetry in style. So a quick one. I did like that the voice of this was very different from the previous book, as Bob is not at all like Ivan. But I think that’s why some other readers didn’t like it as much.
Borrowed from the public library.
