Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival

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Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival

by Kirby Larson (Goodreads Author), Jean Cassels, Mary Nethery (Goodreads Author)

4.37 of 5 stars 4.37 · rating details · 508 ratings · 149 reviews

Bobbi and Bob Cat are the best of friends. When their hometown of New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina, many lost everything. But not Bobbi and Bob Cat—they still had each other. Only by staying together could they survive. This is the story of their remarkable friendship.

Hardcover, 32 pages

Published August 5th 2008 by Walker Childrens

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Mar 14, 2012 Eva Leger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pets-animals, read-with-julia

I saw this mentioned in a friends review of another book - Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends if I'm not mistaken - and I had to check it out. When I looked on-line at my local library I saw there was a DVD also so I ordered both. The DVD happened to already be at my library so I was able to check it out right away. (We're still waiting for the book.)
I'm so, so happy I saw my friends review mentioning this. This is as lovely as it is sad. And it has a happy ending! I...more I saw this mentioned in a friends review of another book - Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends if I'm not mistaken - and I had to check it out. When I looked on-line at my local library I saw there was a DVD also so I ordered both. The DVD happened to already be at my library so I was able to check it out right away. (We're still waiting for the book.)
I'm so, so happy I saw my friends review mentioning this. This is as lovely as it is sad. And it has a happy ending! I've found myself wondering quite a few times since watching this (we've watched it twice now in the past two days) how these two met. Were they already friends? Were they strangers who came together because they were both needed? Did Bobby pull Bobcat out of flood waters and save her life? I have so many questions, some of which can't be answered.
The boss at the construction company - he allows a worker to have one dog but not two dogs and a cat? I'd be honored and proud to employ someone who sees an animal in need and doesn't turn away. Then again, why do I expect everyone to be like me?
How were they left if they were owned? Bobby was tied to a porch, according to the movie, which also portrayed food left out. I honestly don't mean to judge but why did so many leave their animals? I'm sure I'll be slammed for this so let me say this upfront - no, I have never lived through something like Hurricane Katrina. Yes, I do think I know myself well enough to say, with a degree of certainty, what I'd do in 'x' situation. I'd put my dog on my back and swim through filthy floodwater - against the tide - if I had to. I'd swim back for more if need be. Basically I would do whatever was necessary to get my animal(s) out. I'd do whatever was necessary to get anyone's animals out. I dare say I'd do some 'unethical' things if need be.
Obviously there are things to be considered - maybe a pet owner was elderly, injured, etc. Okay. But it seems there were a lot of the able-bodied people leaving their animals behind as well.
Another thing I want to mention that will hopefully make someone out there think - why is it that when an animal lives through something like this or does something heroic - and is profiled on t.v./the newspaper - that everyone and their mom wants to adopt them? Do these people not know about the bursting to capacity animal shelters right down the street from every single one of them? Do they know the term 'high-hill shelter'? That bothers me to no end.
It's also worth pointing out that the authors noted how hundreds of people applied to adopt both Bobbies. One woman got in her car and drove through however many states to meet the two Bobbies. One. As far as I know she had no assurance she'd leave with these animals. Yet she went. None of the others did. I suppose both Bobbies should have been hand delivered to them. In short, most humans make me sick.

We read the book a few days after we watched the movie. The book goes hand-in-hand with the movie. They can go together or they can can be enjoyed separately. "Enjoy" is a strange word to use I guess but there's a happy ending for these two, not to mention their new owner, so I'll keep it.
(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 10, 2008 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Animal lovers, Owen and Mzee fans

Recommended to Becky by: Evan

Shelves: picture-books, nonfiction, art-medium-watercolor

Awwwwww, geez! This was enough of a tearjerker without the twist at the end! The illustrations are wonderful (and the illustrator is from New Orleans); dog and cat faces are hard to get looking "right" when you are working in a realistic style, but these are perfect, right down to the two friends' contented expressions. Animal lovers, this book is for you.

5 likes · like · see review

Aug 21, 2008 Abigail rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Young Animal Lovers / Anyone Who Loved the Story of Owen & Mzee

Recommended to Abigail by: Lori

Shelves: picture-books

Review Temporarily Removed.

3 likes · like · see review

Nov 08, 2012 June rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: animal lovers

Shelves: friendship, animal-books, non-fiction, tragedy

I am an absolute sucker for these across animal species friendship stories! Checking it out for my boys.

A story of a cat and dog who survive Hurricane Katrina together. Four months later a worker on a construction crew begins feeding them. He trims the dogs chain, but leaves some because the cat seems to like following it. After feeding them for a week, his boss tells him that he has to get rid of them. The dog won't let him touch the cat, but he lures them in the van with food. He takes them to...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 17, 2011 Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: any animal lover, any child who has a disability or knows one with a disability.

Recommended to Joan by: June Krell

Shelves: animals, cats, disabled-interests, j-books, american-history, picture-books

This charming story of interspecies friendship is a keeper. The cat and dog both survived Katrina after being abandoned by their owners. Eventually they were taken to a shelter and separated. Both animals threw fits. Finally they put them back together. After watching them together, they realized the cat was blind and the dog guided and protected the cat. Both, btw had bobbed tails which inspired their names.

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 11, 2009 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

A cat and dog separated from their owners help each other survive after Hurricane Katrina. As a librarian, I frequently read picture books. Once in several years, I will read a picture book that I just have to buy in spite of the fact that I have no small children. This book is one that I must have. Two Bobbies, is a wonderful TRUE story that touches people of all ages.

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Nov 20, 2008 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cap-choices, picture-books

7-10.The heartwarming true story of the unlikely friendship between Bobbie the dog and Bob Cat the cat and their survival following Hurricane Katrina. The two are peas in a pod, and both without tails.

*spoilers*
Although likely embellished at times (because who knows the real truth), they are inseparable following the storm and roam the streets of New Orleans for several months because getting rescued by a construction worker who brings them to a shelter. Bobbie was chained during the storm, the...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 08, 2013 Julia Jasztal rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

(Mommy's review from 3/14/12)

I saw this mentioned in a friends review of another book - Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends if I'm not mistaken - and I had to check it out. When I looked on-line at my local library I saw there was a DVD also so I ordered both. The DVD happened to already be at my library so I was able to check it out right away. (We're still waiting for the book.)
I'm so, so happy I saw my friends review mentioning this. This is as lovely as it is sad....more (Mommy's review from 3/14/12)

I saw this mentioned in a friends review of another book - Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and Dog Who Became Best Friends if I'm not mistaken - and I had to check it out. When I looked on-line at my local library I saw there was a DVD also so I ordered both. The DVD happened to already be at my library so I was able to check it out right away. (We're still waiting for the book.)
I'm so, so happy I saw my friends review mentioning this. This is as lovely as it is sad. And it has a happy ending! I've found myself wondering quite a few times since watching this (we've watched it twice now in the past two days) how these two met. Were they already friends? Were they strangers who came together because they were both needed? Did Bobby pull Bobcat out of flood waters and save her life? I have so many questions, some of which can't be answered.
The boss at the construction company - he allows a worker to have one dog but not two dogs and a cat? I'd be honored and proud to employ someone who sees an animal in need and doesn't turn away. Then again, why do I expect everyone to be like me?
How were they left if they were owned? Bobby was tied to a porch, according to the movie, which also portrayed food left out. I honestly don't mean to judge but why did so many leave their animals? I'm sure I'll be slammed for this so let me say this upfront - no, I have never lived through something like Hurricane Katrina. Yes, I do think I know myself well enough to say, with a degree of certainty, what I'd do in 'x' situation. I'd put my dog on my back and swim through filthy floodwater - against the tide - if I had to. I'd swim back for more if need be. Basically I would do whatever was necessary to get my animal(s) out. I'd do whatever was necessary to get anyone's animals out. I dare say I'd do some 'unethical' things if need be.
Obviously there are things to be considered - maybe a pet owner was elderly, injured, etc. Okay. But it seems there were a lot of the able-bodied people leaving their animals behind as well.
Another thing I want to mention that will hopefully make someone out there think - why is it that when an animal lives through something like this or does something heroic - and is profiled on t.v./the newspaper - that everyone and their mom wants to adopt them? Do these people not know about the bursting to capacity animal shelters right down the street from every single one of them? Do they know the term 'high-hill shelter'? That bothers me to no end.
It's also worth pointing out that the authors noted how hundreds of people applied to adopt both Bobbies. One woman got in her car and drove through however many states to meet the two Bobbies. One. As far as I know she had no assurance she'd leave with these animals. Yet she went. None of the others did. I suppose both Bobbies should have been hand delivered to them. In short, most humans make me sick.

We read the book a few days after we watched the movie. The book goes hand-in-hand with the movie. They can go together or they can can be enjoyed separately. "Enjoy" is a strange word to use I guess but there's a happy ending for these two, not to mention their new owner, so I'll keep it. (less)

like · see review

Nov 27, 2011 Catherine Kirk rated it 3 of 5 stars

Informational

This is the true story of a cat and a dog who lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. They are named Bobbi and Bob Cat because neither of them have a tail. Throughout the storm, they stay together through the winds and rain. Once the storm is over, they wander the streets searching for food and clean water. One day, a construction worker notices them and starts to feed them, but each time he tries to pet Bob Cat, Bobbi growls at him. Eventually, his boss tells him that he can...more

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May 04, 2011 Peacegal rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: humane-education, library-gifts

Two Bobbies is a wonderful true story that belongs on the top shelf of your humane education bookshelf.

The “Two Bobbies” are Bobbi, a dog, and Bob Cat, a cat, so named for their “bobbed” tails. The animals had been left homeless by Hurricane Katrina and had been roaming the devastated streets of New Orleans for an unknown period of time before being discovered and rescued. People who encountered the two were amazed by their devotion to each other—Bob Cat followed Bobbi everywhere, and Bobbi was...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Lauren Gibson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: eced-221

I read the book Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson
SUMMARY: This book is about two unlikely friends. A cat and a dog that share a bond over being deserted by Hurricane Katrina. The cat is named Bob Cat and the dog is named Bobbie. They both seem to have no tails. These two animals are left to fend for themselves after their family desert them when the disaster hits. They then wonder around the city looking for shelter and food to try to survive. They get send to Best Friends Animal Shelter in the hopes...more I read the book Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson
SUMMARY: This book is about two unlikely friends. A cat and a dog that share a bond over being deserted by Hurricane Katrina. The cat is named Bob Cat and the dog is named Bobbie. They both seem to have no tails. These two animals are left to fend for themselves after their family desert them when the disaster hits. They then wonder around the city looking for shelter and food to try to survive. They get send to Best Friends Animal Shelter in the hopes of being adopted by a loving family.
CRITIQUE: This book follows the literary guidelines. The plot is universal. There is a conflict between the main characters and nature. The cat and dog are faced to try to survive on their own after the natural disaster. The point of view of this book is very unique. Most people only think about the poor families that lost their homes in this tragedy. This book shows how the abandoned pets had to live the rest of their lives trying to scramble up food without a family. The characters are developed through what they have to go through in the story. The cat and dog grow a stronger bond with each other because they need one another to survive. This is very evident when we find out at the end of the book the cat was actually blind. SO all that time the dog was essentially "her eyes".The language of the book is skillfully crafted. It gives some background to New Orleans to give children a background in what the place is like before reading the story. The diction is easily understandable and read by children. The illustrations communicate symbolically especially in the beginning of the book. You can see the sadness and desperation is the animals' eyes as they begin their journey to a new life. It also communicates literally on the page with the flooding. That is an eye opening to many children because they probably haven't been exposed to pictures like that. The text and illustrations compliment and enhance each other. The main part was when the book was describing how hungry and starved the animals were. In the illustrations you could see the rib cage on Bobbie and the color starting to strip from Bob Cats fur.
RESPONSE: I really enjoyed reading this book. I think this is a great way to show children how friendships can grow stronger in tough times. This is a good book to have in the classroom to not only teach children about natural disasters, but also about friendship and loyalty. This can be used in a friendship lesson because it shows diversity. A cat and a dog are very different creatures and if they can be accepting and best friends then it will show children to accept others who are different from them. (less)

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Sep 10, 2010 Sarita Rucker rated it 5 of 5 stars

It is a true story about a cat and a dog who survived Hurricane Katrina, and who were abandoned by their family when the hurricane hit. The cat is Bob Cat, and the dog is Bobbi. They both have bobbed tails which is how they earned their nickname "the Bobbies."

Not only is it an animal story, it's also a story about friendship. Bob Cat sticks close to Bobbi, and Bobbi is very protective of Bob Cat. In fact, if it weren't for Bobbi's protection, Bob Cat probably wouldn't have survived long enough f...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Laura Osborn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature

Audience: The audience for this book would primarily be early grades, just because it is a picture book. However, intermediate teachers could use this book to introduce a variety of subject matter such as weather, history,animal life, and guidance units on friendship, survival or disabilities.

Appeal: The younger children who read/listened to this story would definitely be engrossed in this book by the animals. A dog and cat who are friends would surely be enticing to younger students.
Older stud...more

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Nov 24, 2011 Betsie Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

INFORMATIONAL PICTURE BOOK

This is a true story about Bobbi & Bob Cat, a dog and a cat who lived in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit. They were abandoned at their home, and wandered around the streets of New Orleans for four months until they were found by a construction crew. A member of the crew brought them to an animal shelter, and the volunteers discovered that Bob Cat was blind, and Bobbi had been her seeing eye dog the whole time! The pair appeared on national television, and ado...more

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Mar 09, 2009 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

This tells the touching story of a dog & a cat left behind in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Months later the animals were found together, with the dog not even allowing anyone to touch the cat. They were brought to a shelter where they were seperated until the dog barked so much they put them together and they were then peaceful. If it isn't enough of a miracle that these two survived and that someone then found them and cared enough to take them to the shelter...it was there that it...more

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Jan 05, 2011 Clare rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Bobbie and Bob Cat have lived together since the very beginning, and they are the best of friends. They stay with each other through everything, and I mean everything. When Hurricane Katrina hits their town of New Orleans their owner is forced to leave the town, leaving the two friends behind. Read the rest of the story to figure out what the true meaning of friendship really is.
This book was bitter-sweet for me. I never liked the idea of animal cruelty, and I wish that it never happened. It wa...more

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Nov 24, 2008 Jill rated it 5 of 5 stars

My students loved this story! It is based on a true story of a cat and dog who are abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. If you can read this book without getting a huge lump in your throat-you're tougher than me.

1 like · like · see review

Jan 10, 2011 Patrick F. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished the picture book the Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson, Jean Cassels, and Mary Nethery. The Two Bobbies story takes place post Hurricane Katrina, in the devastated city of New Orleans. The Two Bobbies is a true story about friendship and survival of Hurricane Katrina. Bobbie dog and Bob cat's owner was forced to leave them in New Orleans after the storm. All the Bobbies have left is each other. The Two Bobbies go on an adventure traveling from place to place, and from shelter to shelte...more

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Nov 20, 2008 Andy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

A touching story about two friends in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. If this book doesn't engender an emotional response, you can't be human!

1 like · like · see review

Jan 15, 2013 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1st-grade, 2nd-grade, 3rd-grade, 4th-grade, 5th-grade, good-read-aloud, j-fic, j-non-fic-animals, j-non-fic

A beautiful story of friendship, loyalty, and survival. I saw this while at work and thought I'd like to read it, but knew that it would make me teary-eyed so I didn't read it at the info desk. I took it home and gave it to my daughter to read since she loves animals. I ended up having her read it aloud while we were in the car, waiting for a flu shot, and then in the car again. My son was also captivated by the story--he was so worried they would be split up. When we got home, I finished it, al...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Dylan F. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading the awesome book Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson. The book was about hurricane Katrina and the devastation afterward. Two animals, a cat and a dog are trying to survive in the ruined city. They both have bobbed tails and some think thats what brought them together. The illustrations in this book are fantastic and the story line is magnificent; this is a long picture book with a big paragraph on each page and a supe...more

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Nov 29, 2010 Cheryl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, animals

In a true story of love, loyalty and perseverance, two animals who were abandoned in New Orleans during hurricane Katrina search for someone to care for and love them. Bobbie the dog and Bob Cat (the cat) are inseparable as they roam the streets of New Orleans in hope of finding food and water. For four long months they suffer from hunger, thirst, animal attacks, and exposure until they are taken in at a temporary shelter. Will anyone care enough about them to help? Beautifully illustrated this...more

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Oct 28, 2012 Gayle Irwin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Love this book! I have used Kirby's story about two pets when I've visited classrooms and talked about friendship, responsible pet ownership, and disabilities in pets. My dog, Sage, was a blind Springer Spaniel, about whom I've written stories and books as well, and this book, in conjunction with my own stories about Sage, have helped engage children in greater understanding about pet adoption, pet ownership, and disabilities. I am SO GLAD Best Friends Animal Society and Kirby teamed up to share...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Kayla Lutz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: informational-picture-book

I absolutely loved this true story about two tailless friends who survived Hurricane Katrina with each others help. This is the perfect informational text for young readers. The text gives valid information about Hurricane Katrina and the events that occurred after the hurricane struck. This book is perfect for children because it is about the tale of two friends, a cat and dog. I loved how the end of the book showed a real picture of the two bobbies! This is definitely a must-have informational...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Mrs Bond rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: picturebook, animals, 2011, friends

Normally I don't care for animal stories, particularly those based on true events. They tend to be too sweet, too nostalgic, too moralistic. A colleague highly recommended the story so I felt the need to give it a try. Thankfully this tale of friendship between a cat and dog is just right in all three areas. These tail-less pets (hence the "bob" names) keep each other company, and perhaps help each other survive during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Gouache illustrations are...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Sarah Sammis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed, read-in-2011, exwishlist

The events of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on New Orleans are still fresh in my mind. I've only been to the city once and it was a business trip. I spent most of my time behind stage at the Convention Center and would have to walk back to my hotel every night because the roads were blocked for the various Mardigras parades. The walking helped me get a sense of the geography and architecture (at least for the corner of the city I was in).

Disasters and recoveries have many stories associated...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Betsy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Children's authors have commonly found that the only way to really write about a huge recent disaster for small tykes without irreparably scarring them for life is to find some kind of human-interest story to focus on. When 9/11 happened it was The Man Who Walked Between the Towers that ended up being the best picture book to make reference to the tragedy, and it didn't even talk about it all that much! Similar books like Fireboat and September Roses made their focus a boat and a delivery of flo...more Children's authors have commonly found that the only way to really write about a huge recent disaster for small tykes without irreparably scarring them for life is to find some kind of human-interest story to focus on. When 9/11 happened it was The Man Who Walked Between the Towers that ended up being the best picture book to make reference to the tragedy, and it didn't even talk about it all that much! Similar books like Fireboat and September Roses made their focus a boat and a delivery of flowers but somehow neither really twanged the heartstrings effectively. What's particularly interesting about these three books is that none of them involved animals in any way. Critters were few and far between around the Twin Towers that day. As a result, authors had to scramble especially hard to find something, ANYTHING, to that kids could relate to. Newbery Honor winning author Kirby Larson and her partner in crime Mary Nethery have it a little easier. Focusing on an animal interest story from the time of Hurricane Katrina, Larson and Nethery could have easily phoned in the tale of Bob Cat and Bobbi, but the story that emerges here is one of grace and delicacy. Steady hands present us with the story of this cat and dog team. It is an actually touching story, with none of the faux emotions or cloying techniques sometimes employed with lesser true-life dog/cat tales.

They were abandoned like many pets when their human owners evacuated New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A dog with a bobbed tail and a cat, also with a bobbed tail, the two stayed close together in the time that followed. Fighting starvation and thirst, they walked the streets trying to find sustenance. A kind construction worker fed them, and in time the two were taken to a nearby shelter where they were named Bob Cat and Bobbi. To the surprise of the workers there the two did not want to be parted. Stranger still, it was determined that Bob Cat was completely blind. When no one adopted them their story was told on Anderson Cooper's 360 and they found a new owner with a ranch and other dogs. There the two have stayed every since. A note at the back of the book includes a photograph of the real Bobbi and Bob Cat.

There have been quite a few inter-species friendship stories that have fared well as children's books. Koko's Kitten, the tale of a gorilla and her pet cats, was one of the earliest. More recently there was Owen Mzee, in which a baby hippo was "adopted", in a sense, by an old tortoise. These stories inevitably involve tragedy (dead kittens, dead mothers, etc.), making them ideal subject matter for the author's pen. So I admit to being a little surprised that only Larson and Nethery had the wherewithal, after seeing the Anderson Cooper 360 piece, to realize that this was picture book heaven. Jeanette Winter must've been napping that day.

Newbery Honor winning author or not, human interest stories done as picture books can still fall flat if their accompanying illustrator is less than great. I can just imagine the discussions surrounding what kind of illustrator would work on Two Bobbies. Would they go with someone with a cartoony style? Someone who would, in a way, make the material younger and more small-child-appropriate? Or what if they found enough actual photographs of the real Bobbies and told the story that way? Grounding it in truth, if you will. Of course, the problem with that style is that Larson and Nethery begin their story long before any photographer thought to take a picture of the two pets. You'd have to make up for it in creative, questionable ways instead. The solution appeared to be somewhere between the two of these styles. Realistic illustrations would fill in many of the gaps in the Bobbies' past. Enter Jean Cassels, an illustrator prone to drawing more than sixty nonfiction nature titles. Best of all, Cassels is a New Orleans native, one who took her husband and her three dogs out of the city a mere day before Katrina hit. Cassels' style fits the story nicely. Once you hit the big reveal that Bob Cat has been blind all along, you can go back to the images and see that this makes a certain amount of sense. Pictures of Bob Cat show him placing one paw carefully in front of himself at all times, testing the ground in front of him. Other images of him show that he never looks at Bobbi. Not directly.

Now there were times when I wondered about the factual leaps taken by the story. I suppose Cassels, Larson and Nethery felt inclined to draw some conclusions from this tale. For instance, they seem to believe that Bob Cat and Bobbi were together from the start. We don't actually know that they were owned by the same people at the beginning, but it's something that seems natural to assume, given how close the two were. A story of a dog befriending a blind cat in the midst of a hurricane is a whole different kettle of fish anyway. Cassels then draws the kind of house they might have lived in, which is sketchy territory. Other stretches of the imagination don't bother me as much. The pair being snapped at by other abandoned animals or their wait on the porch of their home while the water recedes, both leaps in logic sound about right. You have to make some basic assumptions if you want to render this a fully fleshed out tale. I just think great care must be taken when we render supposition to be fact, particularly when we're dealing with four-year-old audiences.

Hurricane Katrina has lent itself to few changes in my library's children's collection. We've upped the number of hurricane books (and I suspect that the coming years guarantee that to be a sound investment) but those that actually discuss the hurricane itself are few and far between. How do you inform small children about government failure, loss of homes and lives, and general chaos? Cute animals can help, but only if their stories are real and (harder still) interesting. Two Bobbies hits all the right notes without falling too far into the realm of assumption and speculation. A great tale in general for cat people, dog people, and we-want-our-kids-to-read-great-books people.

Ages 4-8.(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Dolly rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: parents reading with their children

Shelves: 2012, childrens, nonfiction, other-usa, pets

This is a wonderful story, at times heartwrenching, but overall, a tender story of love, companionship and survival. The story illustrates to a small extent how many beloved pets suffered greatly during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. So many pet owners were devastated to leave their pets behind, and some refused to evacuate without them, choosing to brave the flood rather than desert them.

This event changed the perspective of rescuing organizations, to the point that when I attended a class on...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Sam B B rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson is one of the best picture books that I have ever read. The main story follows a cat and dog both named Bobby who are living in New Orleans when hurricane Katrina hits. The dog named Bobby stumbles upon a blind cat named Bobby. The dog protects the blind cat and leads the cat to safety and food. This was a very inspirational book and was very well written. Overall, this was an amazing book that really pulls at your heart strings. This a good book for first grade a...more

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Dec 04, 2011 Adriana Mendoza rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books, wide-reading-project, characterization, friendship, survival

The Two Bobbies is a story of remarkable friendship that survives the hardships of Hurricane Katrina. What’s more, the two Bobbies are a Cat and a Dog. In their attempt to survive, the two Bobbies take to the streets to find food in the streets. Eventually they are taken to a rescue shelter where the reveal that their friendship is so strong because they depend on each other. Bob cat is blind and Bobbie the dog serves as his guide. When the animals get adopted the shelter makes sure that they ar...more

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About Kirby Larson

Kirby Larson went from history-phobe to history fanatic thanks to a snippet of a story about her great-grandmother homesteading in eastern Montana. That bit of family lore inspired her to write HATTIE BIG SKY, a young adult historical novel, which won a 2007 Newbery Honor Award and Montana Book Award.

She's honored that Scholastic has asked her to write the lead title in the re-launch of the Dear...more

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Books by Kirby Larson

The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941 (Dear America)

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title link	preview: Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival
avg rating	preview: Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival Goodreads rating: 4.37 (508 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3149701-two-bobbies?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1312022408l/3149701.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3149701-two-bobbies?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson[/url]

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival

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