Publisher's Hardcover ©2016 | -- |
What better medicine for a bad cold is there than a little parental TLC? But when sick, miserable Louis calls for his "BOB!" in a "weird, all-wrong, stuffed-up voice," he gets Bob, the slobbery dog. "NO!" he wheezes, "BOB! NOT BOB!" He doesn't want "bedicine" either, or a "bubba bat," or a "dap." Even his mom is confused, but she knows what to do: climb in for a loving snuggle. In time, Louis gets better, so when he calls "BOB!" he actually wants his dog t if his mom sometimes comes running, too, that's not so bad. Real moms are likely to consider this last notion a nonstarter, and the plain English translations supplied for Louis' nasal rants aren't necessary, as the tale is preceded with the instruction to read it "as though you have the worst cold ever." Still, the story makes a droll read-aloud, and in Cordell's scribbly cartoon illustrations, the affection shared by Louis, his little sister, and their apparently single mom (all three brown-skinned) d, of course, Bob palpable.
Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)Little Louie has a bad cold: "All he wantedwas his mother." But with his stuffy nose, his calls for "MOM!" sound like "BOB!"--the name of his big, slobbery dog, who comes running. Soon, everyone, including faithful Bob, is frustrated and confused. The co-authors' narrative is satisfying beyond the funny gimmick, offering depth and heart. Cordell's expressive loose-lined illustrations enhance the humor and help move the plot forward.
Kirkus ReviewsWhen you're sick and stuffy, some letters—like T's and L's and M's—disappear.Little Louie, a young—well, "it wasn't like he needed his mom every minute of the day"—black kid, has caught a cold. A nasty cold: ears crackled, brain full of sog, nose dripping enough mucus to launch a ship. And when you get a nasty cold, well, "maybe his mom should check on him kind of often." The cry goes out: "BOB!" Now, as it happens, the house pooch, an ever faithful Great Dane, is named Bob. So, Bob comes running. Little Louie tries again: "I wan by BOB, not BOB!" (Sharp-eyed youngsters will note that one "Bob" has a heart in the middle of the O, and one does not.) Soon enough, kids will figure it out: it's a case of the stuffed-nose, missing M. Scanlon and Vernick's text is sweet without treacle, and it gives Little Louie's long-suffering couple of sick days a good ride. Cordell's artwork is terrific. The pages have action without clutter, and Louie has a little chicken-necked balloon head with brown skin, feverish red cheeks, and the most splendid mauve pajamas. For a book that really comes down to a sick kid yelping for his mother, his nose so clogged it needs dynamite to clear, the story has a lot of adorable acreage. (Picture book. 3-5)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)Scanlon and Vernick-s opening description of their young hero, Louie, creates instant intimacy: -Little Louie wasn-t all that little. It wasn-t like he needed his mom every minute of the day.- But after Louie gets a terrible cold, his calls for -Mom- come out sounding like -Bob- (the family dog), and the big, lolloping hound -came running. And slobbering.- Cordell (
PreS-Gr 2Little Louie has a bad cold. His nose is clogged. His brain is fuzzy. In a sudden urge to abandon self-sufficiency, he yells for his mombut congestion makes it sound like he's asking for "Bob," which is coincidentally the name of his dog. Instead of a warm, comforting parent, Louie gets his drooly, high-strung dalmatian. This is the central joke of the book. (For the former Bob, the "o" is stylized to look like a heart, while for the latter, it simply looks like an "o.") Readers are told that the text should "be read as though you have the worst cold ever." The story is child-centric if a bit unfocused and is in keeping with busy families and the havoc caused by ailing children. Cordell's Jules Feifferesque illustrations are entertaining, even though the unvaried white background could use more pep. VERDICT Wheezy, sneezy kids are likely to enjoy hearing about someone who's as sick as they are and to giggle at the ongoing confusion. A competent but one-note addition.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Starred Review Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
ALA Booklist (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
School Library Journal (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)
Wilson's Children's Catalog
From the Caldecott Award-winning and bestselling team of Audrey Vernick, Liz Garton Scanlon, and Matthew Cordell comes a hilarious sick-day read-aloud!
Little Louie is stuck in bed with a bad cold. His nose is clogged, his ears are crackling, and his brain feels full. All he wants is his mom to take care of him, but whenever he calls out for her, his stuffed-up nose makes it sound like he's summoning slobbery dog Bob instead! This silly but sweet picture book will make kids laugh out loud as Louie tries to make himself understood. They won't be able to help joining Louie in crying out, "Bob, not Bob!"