A magical middle grade story that weaves family, friendship and finding home all together. Delightful read!

Enjoyable read that is quick and fun. Great characters and interesting story. Couldn't put it down.I

Little girl, Livy, comes to visit her grandmother but had no of her last visit. Slowly memories come back including Bob. The story switches between their perspectives and is enjoyable to see the two different characters and how they feel and they think as the story continues to progress. Everything is connected and is well put together.

Two fantastic middle grade authors team up for an endearing and thought provoking book about childhood friendships, change, growing older and still remembering what it was like to be young

This is a really sweet story, though for those who like hard and fast reality, it may not do. Bob is, after all, a very mysterious creature and it's not entirely clear what or who he is for much of the book. However, this is a great family read-aloud I'd say for those with kiddos ages 6-10 or so. It's a sweet story told in two perspectives, with themes about growing up and saying good bye to things that are "childish" -- but not growing up too soon or before we're reading, and holding on to the sense of awe and wonder that we have as children. It's well written and sweet.

What a sweet read! I included this book in The Young Folks List: Books For Animal Crossing Fans with the blurb:

A story of friendship and magic with an endearing little creature, I feel like the similarities between Bob and Animal Crossing aren’t hard to grasp. The cute illustrations are also sweet like Raymond or Merengue.

A quirky book about a non-zombie named Bob and his human friend Livy on a quest to discover Bob's origin story. This is a sweet book, but I don't think it will easily find readers. One to be "hand sold" by a librarian to a reader who is o.k. with a more leisurely tale. I think it would also make a good read aloud.

Bob is a utterly charming non-zombie who steals the show in this book. With his chicken suit that is falling apart and fools (mostly) everyone and his fierce loyalty tempered with a touch of indignation he is a fascinating character. This story explores friendship, devotion, teamwork and seeing the magic around us. My husband thought Bob was an imaginary friend from an excerpt he read. While it could have been the setup, (as alluded to by a conversation in the book), he is actually a magical creature who helps life on Earth be better for all.
This is a middle grade book. As an adult, I found some plot gaps and wished for more character development. However, for young readers, it is absolutely perfect. This book isn't too hard for struggling readers and is great for advanced readers because the content isn't too "old" or mature.

I receive a dARC from the publisher via Netgalley. This is my honest review.

I have to say, I didn't know where this was going, but it sucked me in and kept me going to the end, and I am really glad it did. Though it is a story with fantasy elements, the mystery of just what kind of fantasy creature Bob was drove of the entire plot. Piece by piece, readers gradually piece together what's going on and become more and more vested in finding out what Bob's backstory is. Livy's story is interesting, but trod fairly typical adolescent issues of self-conscious behavior shielding her true personality. Bob's story was wholly unique, and I have to say that after I finished the book, I went fruitlessly searching for folklore about creatures like Bob. For a collaboration between two authors, this melded fairly well, though I feel like the plotting reminded me more of Rebecca Stead's other work than of Wendy Mass's. In all, I will be recommending this to my students not only when they are fans of the two authors' other work, but also if they are fans of mystery. Nicely done.

Bob is the story of a girl named Livy and a creature named Bob. Livy had befriended Bob when she was five and living in Australia. She had made him a chicken suit, taught him chess, and hid him in her closet. But when Livy and her mother left Australia, she had completely forgotten about him until the day she opened the closet and there he was, still waiting. Livy is determined to finish what she started at the age of five, figuring out where Bob came from and how to send him home. A delightful story told in two voices. I hope they will write the prequel because I would love a book about Livy and Bob at age five.

My students love this book! It's hard to know if Bob is an imaginary friend or something else. Friendship is alive and well between Livy and Bob, even though they haven't seen each other in 5 years. There's a major problem that needs to be solved and with help from friends and a surprise ending, you will love this sweet book, too.

An wonderfully odd little book about friendships and imagination. I was happy to see Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead team up.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the illustrations in this book. The cover is eye-catching. The story is sweet and has some great characters. I love that it includes an imaginary friend. Fun read for middle graders.

I love this book! This is a wonderful book about friendship. When Livy returns to her grandmother's house in Australia after 5 years, she finds a surprise waiting in her closet. Bob! Who is Bob and how did he get there? And why doesn't Livy remember who he is? You have to read it to find out!

This was such a cute story about a little girl and her invisible friend, Bob. Magical, full of feels, and a must-read for Tweens.

Charming, endearing, magical book about the strength of friendship even after a long absence. Great read for younger middle grades. Beautiful prose engages the reader making this an enjoyable journey from beginning to end.

Bob is an uplifting story of friendship and magic co-written by two mega stars of the children literature world. Livy, now ten, doesn’t remember much about the last time she visited her grandmother in Australia five years before. When Livy rediscovers a weird, green, diminutive creature dressed in a chicken costume called Bob hiding in a closet, she promises to help Bob figure out who he is and where he came from, and to solve the mystery of how she’d forgotten about him in the first place. The story alternate between Livy’s and Bob’s first-person perspectives. I enjoyed reading Bob's chapter the most as it was filled with warmth and humor. There are illustrations by Nicolas Gannon are sprinkled with illustrations, monochromatic and golden-brown, provide a nostalgic feel.

Although I enjoyed the positive message in the book, I felt underwhelmed by the story. The book moves at a leisure pace even though the chapters are short. I had hoped we would find Livy and Bob actively searching for answers, but the climactic plot twist is rushed and the environmental message feels tacked on and unexplored. Unfortunately, Bob did not meet my high expectations, but I would still recommend it to younger readers who are looking for a feel good story.

I chose this book because I had enjoyed Rebecca Stead's previous novel, When I Reach You. Like that one, Bob keeps readers guessing throughout the book.
This is a great story of friendship for young readers, with just a little magic thrown in. Although I felt it all wrapped up a little too neatly, the ending made perfect sense and fit well with what had come before. There is enough suspense to keep young readers interested and curious, without it being too intense or stressful. The alternating narration between Livy and Bob really adds to the story as the reader gets to experience it from their different perspectives.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to upper elementary students.

If Holes by Louis Sachar (also a movie) and the movie Home (based on the book The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex) had a baby, you would get Bob. I think what this means is that Bob is a cinematic story, and is destined to be a film.

In spite of the fact that I loved both of those stories, I wasn't a big fan of Bob. I enjoyed the illustrations, the mystery, and the fairy tale-like quality of the story. However, the writing just didn't grab me. I'm sure that kids will LOVE it and I understand why there has been so much buzz for it. It's well done, it just wasn't for me.

"Bob" by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead is a fun tale about a young girl who grows up. Does she no longer need an imaginary friend now that she has new interests and new friends? Is Bob, a small creature dressed in a chicken suit who promised to wait for her, an imaginary friend at all or is he something else? This tale follows the two as they grow up, grow apart, and grow back together through circumstance. If anything, this is a story about friendship, believing, and growing.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but had enjoyed Wendy Maas's The Candymakers and Rebecca Stead's When You Reach Me. Bob tells the story about the friendship between Livy and a magical creature.



When Livy returns to Australia to spend time with her grandmother on her farm, it's a difficult time of transition. Grandmother has suffered from a drought and the farm is close to bankruptcy. The drought forced Grandmother to get rid of her horses and much of her animal stock and if it doesn't rain soon the farm's crops and animals won't be able to survive. Livy's also been having a hard time with the birth of her younger sister. With her parents seemingly focused entirely on her sister, Livy finds herself unable to sleep away from her parents. This separation anxiety has started to affect her own friendships as she no longer stays for sleepaways. This stay with her grandmother will be a big change for Livy and her stomach has started to ache as she thinks about her mother and her baby sister leaving.



In the 5 years since Livy's visit, she's forgotten much about her stay with Grandmother. Her favorite toys and things to do, etc. - but Livy discovers an old friend, Bob. Bob is green, small, and dressed in a chicken suit that Livy made 5 years ago. He's been waiting for her to return - 5 years much of it spent in Livy's closet playing chess by himself, reading the dictionary, crying and missing his friend.



When Livy and Bob are reunited, it takes less than a day before their friendship comes back in full force. They try to solve the mystery of Bob's origins, but there is only so much a 10 year old girl and her magical friend can do.



Bob is a fun read - it celebrates friendship without being overly sentimental. There are moments of magic, humor and sadness. It's the sort of book one can read to a child or they are likely to enjoy reading themselves.