''My Best Friend, Bob'' is a 2003 children's picture book written and illustrated by

Georgie Ripper Georgie Ripper (born London, 1977) is a children's book illustrator, who is best known for her work on the ''Rainbow Magic'' series of fairy books. She won the Macmillan Prize for Picture Book Illustration in 2000 with ''My Best Friend Bob'' and ' ...

. It was published in the United States under the title ''Brian and Bob: The Tale of Two Guinea Pigs''.Disney Hyperion : Brian and Bob
/ref> The book received the Macmillan Prize for Picture Book Illustration in 2003.

Plot summary

Brian and Bob are guinea pigs who live in a cage in Pete's Pet Palace. One day they are separated, when Bob is sold and suddenly taken away from the pet shop. Brian is inconsolable as he now has no-one to play I-Spy with, and even a peanut cannot cheer him up. Misery sets in until he, too, is sold to the same owner as Bob, and the two guinea pigs are reunited in a touching final scene.

Reception

In a mixed review, ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' said, "An improbable tale, but a happily-ever-after one, so young readers will suspend their disbelief as they pull for the reunion of Ripper's guinea pig protagonists. Narrative and story architecture aren't Ripper's strong suits--left to them alone, she'd be wise to fold her hand--but she trumps readers with her winsome artwork: it's not easy to convincingly make a guinea pig scowl or to cross its arms in a huff, but it's visual magic when it works, and Ripper does it with aplomb." ''

School Librarian ''School Librarian'' is a quarterly publication of the School Library Association (SLA) reviewing and discussing the latest children's books. History and profile ''School Librarian'' was started in 1937. Each issue contains articles, regular fea ...

'' reviewed the book. Elizabeth Ward of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' called the book a "soon-to-be classic", comparing it to

Anne Mazer Anne Mazer is the American author of forty-five books, including '' The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes'' series encompassing twenty two books, ''The Salamander Room'', and The ''No-Nothings and Their Baby''. Mazer was born in 1953 in Schenectady, Ne ...

's 1991 book ''The Salamander Room''. She said both books are heart-rending to kids and educate them about what is essential for pets. She concluded that the scene where the guinea pigs Brian and Bob meet each other again is "among the most heartwarming denouements to be found in recent children's literature". ''Books for Keeps''s Martin Salisbury agreed, stating, "The ensuing happy reunion concludes a book whose success is built on the totally convincing visual characterisation of the animals. Their facial expressions, gesture and movement are all spot on. The image of the dejected Brian, lying in his food bowl, idly flicking a peanut in the air, is a particular delight." ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'' praised the book, saying, "Ripper's unadorned prose and pared-down watercolor compositions eloquently describe the joy of close friendship and the sorrow that comes from its loss." Calling the book "a charmingly illustrated tale", ''

Rocky Mount Telegram The ''Rocky Mount Telegram'' is an American, English language daily newspaper based in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. History Adams Publishing Group, a family-owned company led by CEO, Mark Adams, bought the ''Telegram'' in 2018 from Cooke Communica ...

''s Mae Woods Bell said, "this human wasn't able to resist this endearing little tale of friendship and Ripper's illustrations". ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its par ...

'' review Kathryn Ross stated the book was "a funny, heart-warming classic". '' The Herald'' said, "Illustrations and text combine powerfully to heighten anxiety as we wonder if the friends will meet again. The ending is suitably cathartic." ''The Noblesville Ledger'' found that "children in first and second grades love this book". Jean Westmoore of ''

The Buffalo News ''The Buffalo News'' is the daily newspaper of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, located in downtown Buffalo, New York. It recently sold its headquarters to Uniland Development Corp. It was for decades the only paper fully owned by W ...

'' praised the book, saying, "The expressive illustrations bring to life the different personalities of Brian and Bob", while Susan Nowak of ''St Albans & Harpenden Review'' said "it is Georgie's gorgeous larger-than-life pictures that really make the book".

References

{{reflist 2003 children's books British children's books British picture books Children's fiction books English-language books Children's books about animals Fictional cavies Children's books about friendship