Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival »

Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery are the best of friends, just like Bobbi and Bob Cat. They first saw the Two Bobbies on Anderson Cooper 360° and found hope in the Bobbies’ story of friendship and survival. Kirby is the acclaimed author of many books for children, including the 2007 Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky. Mary is the author of many picture books, including Mary Veronica’s Egg. Kirby lives in Kenmore, Washington, and Mary lives in Eureka, California. The authors will be donating a portion of their proceeds to Best Friends Animal Society. Visit their Web sites at www.kirbylarson.com and www.marynethery.com

Jean Cassels has illustrated more than fifty nonfiction nature titles. Her other titles include Groundhog Stays Up Late and Br’er Rabbit Captured! Jean lives with her husband in New Orleans. They left the city with their three dogs a day before Katrina, and it was six weeks before they could return home. Although there is still much left to accomplish throughout the city, Jean is glad to say that through the efforts of the residents and the visitors who have come to help, New Orleans is making a comeback. Visit her Web site at www.jean-cassels.com

Bobbi and Bob Cat are the best of friends. When their hometown of New Orleans was struck by Hurricane Katrina, many lost everything. But not Bobbi and Bob Cat—they still had each other. Only by staying together could they survive. This is the story of their remarkable friendship.

Booklist

Neither Bobbi the dog nor Bob Cat has a tail, and some say that's what brought them together." Abandoned during the Katrina evacuations, pets Bobbi and Bob Cat wander dangerous, debris-strewn streets seeking food and water. Eventually taken to a rescue shelter, the Bobbies show distress when separated but remain calm when together. Workers then discover that Bob Cat is blind and that Bobbi seems to serve as his seeing-eye dog. A national news appearance ultimately results in the animals' shared adoption in a happy new home. The descriptive, sometimes folksy prose and realistically rendered gouache illustrations accessibly convey the Bobbies' experiences and mutual devotion. An afterword, with a photo of the real-life furry friends, notes the parts of the narrative that are speculative, such as the animals' preshelter experiences. This moving story about the importance of friendship and home highlights the plight of the hurricane's lost and left-behind animals, as well as the value of animal shelters.