ALA Booklist

Bobo, a sock monkey, is a silent foil straight man for the toddler set this follow-up to I'll Save You Bobo! (2012). Here the stuffed toy finds himself ensconced in a bucket that drifts off on a stream. Little listeners will be swept away by the efforts of the little boy, Willy, as he tries to save the friend he imagines to be a sailor. While Willy tries his darndest to use a fishing line in the rescue, observant readers will note Earl the cat's own savvy heroism. Cheery yellow pages, splashes of bright red and green, and simple drawings that concentrate on the action help make for an appealing package reminiscent of the work of Marc Simont. A slam dunk for storytime collections.

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

After Willy and his stuffed-animal monkey poke around in the woods, Willy puts "sailor man" Bobo in a bucket, which drifts down the river. When Bobo is rescued, Willy takes the credit, but the joke, as the economical vignettes make clear, is that Willy's cat did the good deed. This third Bobo story may be about exploring, but it feels rather aimless.

Kirkus Reviews

Willy--the small boy whose self-absorbed attachment to a household sock monkey is shared by Earl, the family cat--has grown into a more adventuresome fellow (I'll Save You Bobo!, 2012, etc.). On an expedition outdoors, Willy boldly kicks at some "[p]oison mushrooms," notices acorns and delicate flowers, lets a caterpillar crawl up his shirt, and finally launches Bobo, the sock monkey, into a small creek in a found vessel--a red pail. Too smart to venture far on the slippery rocks to rescue Bobo, who has sailed into the middle of the current, Willy returns home for the proper rescue turnout and reappears in bright rain gear, fishing pole at the ready to snag the bobbing bucket. Meanwhile, readers get to see Earl step delicately across the rocks to claim Bobo. The ever-watchful Earl stands in sweetly for a vigilant protector--not of Willy, but of Bobo, which lets Willy's adventure seem quite independent. The story unfolds clearly through the illustrations, offering an opportunity for young listeners to return to retell the tale. The generous white space and bold lines of the illustrations, Earl's expressive, scheming face, along with the nicely visual, slapstick punch line all invite very young readers to identify with Willy. Endearing as a slightly exaggerated solo adventure with a stuffed animal--but then there's Earl, who adds a lovely dose of spice. (Picture book. 2-6)

School Library Journal (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

PreS-K Willy, a child with a vivid imagination, explores the woods with his favorite toy monkey, Bobo, while his pet cat, Earl, tags along. They find poisonous mushrooms, nuts, a fuzzy caterpillar, a comb someone must have dropped, and then-a river and a bucket. "Get in, Bobo. Now you're a sailor man!" Earl's personality and opinions shine through simply by virtue of the feline's facial expressions. Meanwhile, Bobo repeats the deadpan look found in I Must Have Bobo! (2011) and I'll Save You Bobo! (2012, both S &; S). The unpretentious artwork on a yellowish-beige background allows emphasis where it is important, such as on the red bucket that floats away with Bobo in it or the fluffy white clouds that take on shapes that allow the boy's mind to wander. Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA