Bob, Not Bob! (To Be Read as Though You Have the Worst Cold Ever), by Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick and Matthew Cordell

Bob, Not Bob! (To be read as if you have the worst cold ever) by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick with illustrations by Matthew Cordell definitely SHOULD be read as if you have the worst cold ever and, if you can channel the emotions that go with having a nasty cold when you read this picture book, all the better. I guarantee you will not only engage your listeners but you will also get big laughs. I read this book out loud to all four first grade classes last week when I also happened to have a cold and by the time I got to the last page, they were all shouting, "Again, again!"

Little Louie has a cold, and when he got sick, "he felt littler than usual." He just wanted his mom, "every three minutes or so," would be ideal. Scanlon and Vernick capture the qualities of having a cold perfectly, whether you are young or old. Little Louie's, "nose was clogged. His ears crackled and his brain felt full. (He didn't know of what.) But mostly, his nose. It was disgusting." To make matters worse, every time Little Louie calls for his busy mom, it sounds like he is calling for his enthusiastic, slobbering Great Dane, Bob.

Little Louie suffers through his cold and his communication roadblocks. Cordell's illustrations of the sick little guy are hilarious and the pages are filled with action, thanks to Bob. In the end, Little Louie gets what he wants most - a cuddle with his mom. Bob, the dog even gets in on the love. And, while Little Louie, "wasn't all that little, and he didn't need his mother every minute of the day, well, it was still awfully nice to have here there. Bob, too."

Bob, Not Bob! ends with one final great visual joke. If you are or have been the parent of sick little kids, you can look at the illustration above and guess what happens to mom a day or so later...

Source: Review Copy