Bobbie the Wonder Dog: A True Story
Tricia Brown, Author
Cary Porter, Illustrator
WestWinds Press, Fiction, Apr. 12, 2016
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes: A lost dog’s journey, Human-animal relationships, Animals
Opening: “Bobbie was going on vacation! Just as his favorite man finished securing the luggage, the mix-breed collie jumped up in one easy leap. This would be his riding place.”
Book Jacket Synopsis: Frank and Elizabeth Brazier decided that they needed a farm dog and their two daughters needed a friend. They fell in love with a six-week-old puppy, with a bobbed tail, and named him Bobbie. He was the perfect herding dog for their farm animals. When the Brazier’s stopped farming to run a restaurant in town, they decided it was best to leave Bobbie on the farm with his new owners. Days later Bobbie showed up at the restaurant.
In August 1923, the Frank and Elizabeth took a trip from Silverton, Oregon to visit relatives in Indiana. Bobbie was known to jump off the back of the car and chase a rabbit and then show up an hour later further down the road. The evening they arrived in Indiana, Bobbie was with Frank when a pack of wild dogs chased after him. This time Bobbie didn’t return. The couple searched everywhere and there was no sign of Bobbie. They made the trip back home not knowing if he was all right.
Six months after Bobbie was lost in Indiana, a dirty and skinny dog limped into Silverton. Bobbie’s paws were raw and bleeding, but he had traveled nearly 3,000 miles home to Frank and Elizabeth.
Why I like this book:
I am a sucker for a really good dog story, especially when it is based on a true story. Tricia Brown’s heartwarming story about this famous collie is destined to become a classic. Both children and adults will relate to the love and unbreakable bond between Bobbie and his owner, Frank.
Brown’s storytelling is compelling and her pacing keeps readers fully engaged. The author’s attention to detail demonstrates the amount of research done to portray Bobbie’s unbelievable story as accurately as possible. Bobbie’s 3,000-mile journey that fall and winter across mountain ranges, across rivers and through bone-chilling weather, shows his loyalty to Frank and his family. Bobbie just wanted to go home. All the characters in the story are memorable. The ending makes you want to curl up with the book and start all over again.
Cary Porter’s large, richly textured illustrations are bold, colorful, emotive and significantly contribute to Bobbie’s story. They capture the vintage 1923 automobiles and tractors, the first gasoline pumps, rickety wooden bridges, sleepy towns with dry good stores, dirt roads and cobblestone pavements. The characters are dressed in period clothing. Perfect marriage of stunning artwork and text.
Resources: This is a beautiful book for families. It will prompt many questions from children about what would happen if they lost their pet and how important it is to have pets registered with chips. Encourage kids to come up with a plan if they lose or find a lost pet. Make sure you read the author’s page about the real Bobbie (1921-1927) and his remarkable journey that sparked nationwide interest. Bobbie became a star overnight and people flocked to Silverton, Oregon to see him. Silverton erected a statue and a seventy-foot mural to pay tribute to their famous dog.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.
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