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8th out of 39 books
—
27 voters
I Must Have Bobo! (Bobo the Sock Monkey)
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.
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
January 25th 2011
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
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the wonderful tommy tomato gave me this book, and since i rarely review my picture books, i figured now was a good time to start.
this book is so cute!
it is all about a little boy who cannot function without his stuffed monkey, bobo. i can totally relate - if i have to sleep without my bunny, i become very unhappy. i no longer carry him everywhere with me, as i did my entire freshman year of college (job interviews were fun, let me tell you!) earning me the nickname "bunny girl," but i still hav...more
this book is so cute!
it is all about a little boy who cannot function without his stuffed monkey, bobo. i can totally relate - if i have to sleep without my bunny, i become very unhappy. i no longer carry him everywhere with me, as i did my entire freshman year of college (job interviews were fun, let me tell you!) earning me the nickname "bunny girl," but i still hav...more
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This is a heavily requested read-aloud at my house this week. Perfect for preschoolers (Warning! included in the book are the following scary things: bitey bugs, big slides, and oatmeal WITH raisins). I want a print of the illustration of the boy, Bobo and Earl on the couch together - too sweet.
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"I Must Have Bobo" deals with the age old dilemma of a child (Earl) losing a beloved belonging - in this case, a sock puppet monkey named "Bobo." Earl soon discovers that his pet (a cat?, Earl, is just as attached to Bobo as he is, and whenever Willy sets Bobo down, Earl runs off with him. Every kid can relate to losing something important to him or her. I still think about the day that my mom sold my wooden doll cradle at a garage sale without asking me - when I was in my twenties! In this sens...more
Linus had his blanket, but most of us clung to a stuffed animal during our younger years. Mine was a well-chewed grey dog named Woofie that disappeared for years, only to turn up at the bottom of our deep freezer in the basement. I still blame my sister.
In I Must Have Bobo!, Willy's morning gets off to a rocky start when he discovers that his beloved socky monkey has vanished. Billy is distraught. How can he cope with all the uncertainties in life without Bobo?!
The story is a delightful battle...more
In I Must Have Bobo!, Willy's morning gets off to a rocky start when he discovers that his beloved socky monkey has vanished. Billy is distraught. How can he cope with all the uncertainties in life without Bobo?!
The story is a delightful battle...more
Minimalist and retro are the words that come to mind with the illustations particularly and this book in general. Author Eileen Rosenthal's husband Marc Rosenthal is the illustrator and his digitally colored pencil drawings contain the bare minimum to get the story across. The majority of almost every page consists of the cream background color with just the characters (Willy, Bobo the sock monkey stuffed animal, and Earl the cat) drawn in and colored along with a few supporting details on each...more
Picture books in which beloved toys go astray are the heart and soul of the industry. The reasons are infinitely clear. When dealing with a four-year-old reader, you want to present them with a tale that taps into their insecurities and fears without going overboard. Showing them losing their mom or dad would be WAY too serious for the format, and that goes for the family pet as well. Better to keep it low-key. In this way books like Knuffle Bunny (in all three of its various incarnations) remai...more
I Must Have Bobo! by Eileen Rosenthal, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal is a book about the dreaded times when toys go missing. In this case the missing toy is a sock monkey named Bobo who is beloved by both a boy, Willy, and a cat named Earl. Willy needs Bobo to be there as a security blanket when he faces a steep slide or a scary dog. Waking up with Bobo gone is just wrong.
When Willy wakes up to find Bobo gone, he searches until he discovers that Earl has dragged him off. An epic battle of wills...more
When Willy wakes up to find Bobo gone, he searches until he discovers that Earl has dragged him off. An epic battle of wills...more
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What was your childhood most favorite toy?
Mine were a cheap, locally-produced, plastic jumbo jet with Garuda Indonesia logo sticker on its tail, and a made from metal and plastic Taiwan-produced toy bus. By combining those two with other toys, I've played countless times which scenario mostly was plane hijacking by a terrorist group. Sometimes, if I could borrow fire-spitting giant lizard that is Godzilla from a neighbor kid, I could add a different twist to the plot.
Now the kid in this lovable...more
Mine were a cheap, locally-produced, plastic jumbo jet with Garuda Indonesia logo sticker on its tail, and a made from metal and plastic Taiwan-produced toy bus. By combining those two with other toys, I've played countless times which scenario mostly was plane hijacking by a terrorist group. Sometimes, if I could borrow fire-spitting giant lizard that is Godzilla from a neighbor kid, I could add a different twist to the plot.
Now the kid in this lovable...more
When I saw the title of this book, I just knew we had to borrow it from our local library. The title is short, with such an urgent, almost desperate appeal to it - I just knew that our girls would walk around the house all the next day shouting, "I Must Have Bobo!"
As I read the book aloud with our girls I felt like I needed to channel my inner King Julien III from the movie Madagascar. There's no way that I can imitate the voice, but he has that same demanding, almost whiny kind of plea to his...more
As I read the book aloud with our girls I felt like I needed to channel my inner King Julien III from the movie Madagascar. There's no way that I can imitate the voice, but he has that same demanding, almost whiny kind of plea to his...more
I got surprisingly invested in this battle of wills between Earl and Willy--rooting for Earl all the way. Loved the expressions on the cat, and loved the cat getting the last word. Illustrations of the boy reminded me just a little of Charles Schulz & early Peanuts.
I selected this book because of the sock-monkey. Well, maybe BoBo isn't a sock monkey, but that's what my first thought was when I saw him. The sparse text of this story is perfect for the meaningful illustrations. Bold colors and strong lines clearly evoke plenty of ideas here. A boy who loves is cuddly monkey wakes to find BoBo is missing. He begins looking for BoBo and find the cat has taken BoBo. apparently the cat loves BoBo too. I found the emotional quality of this book to be similar to K...more
Did you ever have a favorite something whether it was a stuffed animal, blanket, or toy that you just couldn't live without? In this case, it is Bobo. Little boy Willy does absolutely everything with his stuffed monkey, Bobo. But when he wakes up one morning to find that Bobo is missing, there is trouble! Laugh along as Willy searches for Bobo while we find out that Earl, the cat, is just as fond of Bobo.
This is a very simple book with simple text and pictures. I'm not a huge fan of the retro,...more
This is a very simple book with simple text and pictures. I'm not a huge fan of the retro,...more
You might think that just because it's a picture book, it doesn't have to be particularly witty, original, or even coherent--pretty pictures are the only requirements for a decent read for a kid who probably can't. But I disagree. As authors like Mo Willems and Ian Falconer have shown us, adults, and indeed people of all ages, should be able to delight in the words and visuals of such books. However, this is not an example. The illustrations are just OK and the story truly dull. The cat Earl kee...more
I Must Have Bobo is a delightful book that any child who has a favorite stuffed animal or blanket will connect with. In this book, Willy wakes up to fins that his fvorite stuffed animal, by the name of Bobo, is missing. He looks all around for it and discovers that Earl, his pet cat, has conficated it. Well, since Bobo is Willy's best friend, this is unnacceptable.
Willy proceeds thoughout the day with Bobo and Earl keeps coming around and stealing him. In the end, we see that Willy, Earl, and Bo...more
Willy proceeds thoughout the day with Bobo and Earl keeps coming around and stealing him. In the end, we see that Willy, Earl, and Bo...more
Willy wakes up horrified to discover that his stuffed monkey, Bobo, is missing. He explains to the reader why he 'must have Bobo'. When he goes searching for his stuffed friend, he discovers that Earl, the cat, is also determined to have Bobo.
This is another fun book that showcases the independence of spirit that cats are known for. While Willy is willing to compromise with Earl, Earl is most definitely not willing to compromise with him. Anyone who has spent time around cats is likely to laugh...more
This is another fun book that showcases the independence of spirit that cats are known for. While Willy is willing to compromise with Earl, Earl is most definitely not willing to compromise with him. Anyone who has spent time around cats is likely to laugh...more
A Willy the boy needs his bobo monkey, but Earl the cat wants it too -- or does he just want to thwart the boy? A charming picture book tale of hiding and finding, love and rivelry, that almost has a sweet ending. At last the boy finds Bobo, with Earl asleep next to him, and he too wraps his arms around them both and falls asleep. Until the page turns and the viewer sees Earl slinking off again with Bobo.
Preschoolers will side with Willy and find the ending lacks resolution and is somewhat dis...more
Preschoolers will side with Willy and find the ending lacks resolution and is somewhat dis...more
Willie has a favorite toy - Bobo the sock monkey. Bobo helps Willie with everything. They go down the slide together. Bobo holds Willie's hand when they walk past the big dog. And, just like Willie, Bobo doesn't like raisins in his oatmeal. Somehow Bobo keeps disappearing. It's that evil cat, Earl! The text is minimal, and the illustrations focus on Willie, Bobo, and that despicable Earl. While these three characters are in color, the rest of the picture is outlined in brown on cream pages. This...more
Willy's sock monkey, Bobo, is his sidekick throughout the day and brings him much security. When Bobo goes missing, Willy is appears lost...only to discover that his cat, Earl, is the one stealing him. The two go back and forth with Bobo until finally they find a happy ending. Or do they?
There is a an additional story to this tale, but children would have a good time writing their own sequel.
You could pair it with Patricia Polacco's BETTY DOLL. Betty Doll
There is a an additional story to this tale, but children would have a good time writing their own sequel.
You could pair it with Patricia Polacco's BETTY DOLL. Betty Doll
An adorable childrens book featuring Willy (the boy), BoBo (the sock monkey) his beloved favorite toy, and Earl (the cat) who loves BoBo as well, and tries to steal him and hide him whenever he can.
Willy spends a lot of time trying to find his BoBo, who helps him find bugs, and protects him from big dogs. Things are not the same when BoBo is missing, but Willy just needs to find Earl the cat, and BoBo is sure to be safe at his side.
An adorable book with an old-fashion feel, beautifully illustr...more
Willy spends a lot of time trying to find his BoBo, who helps him find bugs, and protects him from big dogs. Things are not the same when BoBo is missing, but Willy just needs to find Earl the cat, and BoBo is sure to be safe at his side.
An adorable book with an old-fashion feel, beautifully illustr...more
Willy does everything with his stuffed monkey, Bobo, but he's not the only one in the house who loves Bobo. His cat, Earl, also loves to cuddle up with Bobo. When Willy wakes up one day and can't find his beloved companion, he seaches everywhere before finding Bobo nestled under the covers with Earl. From there on, the battle is on with Willy trying to keep Bobo to himself, and Earl dragging him off. The simple illustrations capture Willy's determination not to share, and Earl's own persistence...more
Sep 27, 2011
Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Shelves:
read-cat-books,
read-childrens-books
A boy who is psychologically attached to a toy sock monkey finds it missing one day, only to discover that Earl the cat has taken it. The boy takes it back, only to have Earl sneak off with it again. I'm not sure what the message here is supposed to be. The boy seems to have no thought of sharing. In fact, at one point he builds a "fort" and says "Earl can't come in," which isn't very nice. When the boy has the monkey, Earl the cat watches with a sad look on his face, probably thinking "Why can'...more
This was a happy accident: I thought I was checking out more books by Amy Krause Rosenthal, since this one was the same size and shape. Despite very simple artwork, the faces are amazingly expressive. I wasn't all that charmed by Bobo or Willy, but Earl won our hearts. And Natasha enjoys being the voice of a young child, so it was fun to read together.
Library copy.
Library copy.
Aw. Cute stuff. Willy's stuffed monkey Bobo is his constant companion, offering him comfort wherever he goes. Unfortunately for Willy, someone else has their eye on Bobo . . . Earl the cat. What ensues is a pint-sized battle of wits between Willy and Earl for possession of the toy. In the end, both seem to come to an adequate solution . . . but not quite. I'm a big fan of Marc Rosenthal's art, and this book makes for a perfect preschool readaloud. Good stuff. - B
Oh so good! It arrived at the bookstore today, and I just had to buy a copy for my son. (Actually, even if I didn't have a son, I'd probably buy it for myself.) Willy must have his pet sock monkey Bobo. Bobo helps Willy decipher the world around him. Unfortunately for Willy, his cat Earl has also taken a liking to Bobo. It becomes a battle of wills, and Willy and Bobo fight for possession of their precious Bobo. It all sees to end on a happy note, but cats are fickle.
Willy is distraught to find that his precious Bobo is missing when he wakes in the morning. Willy knows Bobo’s presence is essential to his happiness. And who has taken Bobo? Why, it’s Earl the cat who seems to have a penchant for the little monkey. Every time Willy turns his back, Earl sneaks off with Bob again.
I shared this book with second graders and Pre-K students today and both groups raved about how much they liked the story.
I shared this book with second graders and Pre-K students today and both groups raved about how much they liked the story.
A simple yet hilarious short account in the day of a young boy named Willy, his favorite stuffed monkey Bobo, and his naughty cat Earl. The author and illustrator captured the humor of Willy and Earl both fighting for Bobo, both needing Bobo for their own reasons. Willy's upset with Earl is understandable, but you give extra points to Earl for persistently trying to sneak away with Bobo. For ages five and up.
I like the cream stock of the pages. Combined with the minimal color palette of the simple illustrations, it gives the book a nice retro, mid-century feel. Wasn't crazy about the digital coloration of the illos, though. Very simple story that young ones will enjoy. Willy and his sock monkey Bobo are the main characters, but Earl the dog really steals the show. Should have given him more screen time.
Megan and I spent a lot of time in bookstores on our west coast swing (Powell's in Portland and City Lights in San Francisco). Reading a kids book in 45 seconds can be a fun diversion from trying to act all cool in front of Vladimir Nabokov.
In this postmodern classic, a young boy loses his bear to a cat, but eventually makes piece with his pet by snuggling both Bobo and Kitty. Trenchant.
In this postmodern classic, a young boy loses his bear to a cat, but eventually makes piece with his pet by snuggling both Bobo and Kitty. Trenchant.
Eyuch, really? How is this book getting such high reviews? The only charming factor is the image of the cat holding Bobo in its mouth. Cats holding stuffed creatures in their mouths are always well-received. Knuffle Bunny's Trixie would beat up the main character in this book for his total blockheadedness regarding the location of his beloved Bobo.
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