My Name Is Bob

My girlfriend, Tammy, and I both love cats. She has two adorable ones that I have fallen in love with: Riley and Jessie. They changed my life. I can sympathize with James Bowen of “My Name is Bob.” Our lives just don't feel complete unless we have someone, human or pet, to share them with. Animals can fill us with joy, lift our spirits, and give us hope. When I lived in Knoxville, Tennessee, I once belonged to a group called “Pets on Wheels.” We took dogs, cats, and even rabbits to nursing homes. The patients would come alive when they handled our pets. Some of them appeared younger, healthier, and happier. And, we were told, they would remain that way for hours after we had departed.

This children’s hardback novel was an enjoyable, inspirational read and a feast for the eyes. The writing was simple enough for children to understand and complex enough for adults, like myself, to enjoy. The story is truly heartwarming and appealing to all age groups. Tammy read the novel, "A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life" and said “My Name Is Bob” was a good version of it as seen from the eyes of the cat. I would've enjoyed “My Name is Bob,” even if I didn't love cats. (Coincidentally, Tammy's cat, Riley, is a yellow tabby just like Bob; it's no wonder she loves Bob and all the books based on his life.) I highly recommend "My Name is Bob." You should introduce it to all the cat lovers in your life.

Joseph B. Hoyos

Our local schools have a homework assignment for ALL of the children. They are required to read every single night. I love it! Tonight my granddaughter was doing her homework at my house and I pulled out this book. She reads at just above a second grade level and was able to read it through.

This does start out sad, and the fact that there are animals who don't have a home made her sad. But the sad is a prelude to the fulfillment - the love of an owner and forever family. This seems to be true of most classics, there can be no overcoming without something to overcome.

But the true ending of this story isn't in the text itself, it is in the note in the back. You see, James and Bob don't just write these books, but they raise funds so that maybe there will be a day when there are no more homeless pets.

My granddaughter's cat, a pound rescue, looks a lot like Bob, so she appreciated the actual photos in the back and the importance of pet adoption. Recommended.

MY NAME IS BOB, by James Bowen and Garry Jenkins, is the true story of street musician James Bowen and Bob, a cat. This children's version of the true story is told from the cat's viewpoint. Telling the background of how Bob became homeless is a little hard to read to young children and will need to be handled carefully, with sensitivity, depending on your child. My 4 year old grandson was very interested in how both Bob and James came to be in their situations. He was, however, pleased when they bonded and wound up together and happy. The beautifully detailed illustrations by Gerald Kelley set the stage for the tender and loving story. My grandson loves to take time to look at all the illustrations in his books and was very excited when he saw the photographs of the real James and Bob at the end. I think children from 4-7 would get the most out of this book.

What a tear jerker this story is! Although I knew about Bob the Cat from reading the news, this short story hit home. Bob's original owner had died and he was found homeless until James, a street musician, sees him cowering in a stair case. He brings him inside the apartment for milk and tuna, and a bond develops.

What I really liked is that the two man characters are men. It's nice to see men portrayed as cat lovers as well. Too many nasty people out there do harm to cats, but James is my little hero.

Add to that the beautiful illustrations, and you have a wonderful child's book summarizing Bob's story. Bob and James make quite a pair! It's also nice to know that money is raised for homeless animals and people through the sale of this book. You go, Bob!

This is the extremely simplified true story of James Bowen and how he and his cat, Bob, met on the streets when both were homeless. A meeting that eventually helped inspire James to get off the streets for good. Told from Bob's perspective, the artwork is portrait-like realism, with bright warm colors that contrast with the bleakness of some of the story's elements.

It's a decent way to open a conversation with very young children about the homeless, but it's so totally glossed over that it almost seems borderline appealing, at least if you have a friend to share it with, rather than the horror it must actually be.

I was a little torn between three and four stars for this one, but was won over by Bob's charm.

Before reading this book, I’d never heard of James Bowen or Bob. I’m very curious to read the books about their lives now, though.

In My Name is Bob, we see what COULD have happened to Bob before he met James. Of course, there’s no way to know for sure. It’s a sad story, but with a happy ending. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m super emotional, but when I got to the end, and saw all the pictures of James and Bob, I just cried like a baby. I’m glad they found each other, though. It’s obvious they have a close and sweet relationship.

Awww. I work at an animal shelter. Volunteer with animals. Have animals in my home. I love them. I also volunteer regularily at the local homeless shelter. This book touches all those corners of my heart. Everything living and breathing needs a place to be comfortable, a place to belong. This book tells you how Bob became a street cat and his journey to find a place he belonged. The pictures are great. The story is sweet. Even the teenagers in the house enjoyed the book.

This children's book is basically an offshoot of the biographic work - "A Street Cat Named Bob." Even if you're not familiar with the original source material this is still a cute and charming animal tale with very cozy and warm illustrations by Gerald Kelley.

The physical hardcover edition is beautifully constructed with full color printing on quality paper stock. The slightly oversized dimensions 11.8 x 9.7" also makes for nice display on the shelves.

A touching story with well drawn if a little dark and somber illustrations, My Name is Bob is about the guessed at beginnings of what I guess is now a celebrity level cat to a busker in England named James.

Trouble is the opening. While its never explicitly stated, the gist is that the grandma who originally owned Bob dies at the start of the story, leaving bob alone on the street after he chases the ambulance far from home. I own a cat that I've been introducing to my new family, and the 5 year olds reaction after I read this story to him was in typiclly 5 year old logic: you own a cat + cat's only change owners when Grandma dies = your grandma must've died for you to have this cat. A r ather awkward conversation given I thought I was sitting down to read a bedtime story about finding a loving family and how caring for someoen is a good thing to do.

While the baby shouldn't go out with the bath water, this should've been more thought out given the intended audience. Either this is a somber but hopeful tale intended for the 10-12 year old crowd, in which case it shouldn't have been written with 6-8 year old level language, our its for the 5-8 year old crowd, and should've been less about Bobs former owner and more about his life with James, and more about their frienship and how they cared for each other, not about his brutal life on the streets with a abrupt "But they still somehow lived happily ever after. The End!" in the last three pages.

This book is so touching it made my friends, myself, and even my mate tear up. It tells a possible scenario of how Bob lived BEFORE he was on the streets. It's perfect to read to children and has pictures. It's so sad, cute, and wonderful all at the same time. Everyone should meet Bob.

The beautiful illustrations are the best part of this book, but the story falls short. It's a very short story book, and the opening where the cat's owner dies, leaving him to fend for himself, definitely is a subject not best for the young children this book is intended for. Older children that won't have issues with the abandonment of the cat won't have more than passing interest in a book obviously for much younger children. I'd recommend passing on this and getting the author's other stories of Bob and their special relationship.

Perfect book for children and even adults (I'm an adult and I love it - but probably I'm not the rule, since I'm a very childish human being who loves animals, children's books and everything that's cute, sweet and innocent.