Two Bobbies
By Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery
Illustrated by Jean Cassels
Walker Books 2008
ISBN 0-8027-9754-7

One of the most enduring stories to come out of the aftermath of Katrina and the levee failure was that of the animals left behind. Day after day on television we saw someone waiting to be rescued with their dogs only to have to choose between rescue or their pets. The Animal Planet specials a few months later were the worst: we saw the thousands of pets in shelters surrounding the city, and people walking up and down calling out names hoping to find their missing best friend. The only reason I wasn’t a sobbing mess at the end of those was they always included a least a few happy endings (although honestly, those made me cry, too).

Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery saw a story about two such lost pets on Anderson Cooper’s show one night and were intrigued enough to find out more. The resulting picture book, Two Bobbies, is a great way for younger children to get a grasp on what happened in New Orleans while also enjoying one of the better stories of animal friendship I have ever come across. I’ll go ahead and divulge a spoiler here and let you know it has a happy ending — no Old Yeller fears — but the full scope of just how amazing this story is really has to be read to be believed.

With Jean Cassels’ big, colorful illustrations stretching across the pages, Larson and Nethery write about a dog and cat that were left behind. No one knows for sure if Bobbi and Bob Cat started out together or just eventually found each other, but with two bobbed tales they seemed destined to end up as a couple. Bobbi had a chain still attached to her collar, so it is clear she was someone’s pet, but Bob Cat’s origins are completely unknown. The authors weave a convincing story though, of the two animals waiting out the flood from a covered porch and then eventually abandoning it in search of food and water. They stuck together for several months in the desolate city with both becoming increasingly thinner until they wandered onto a construction site and were befriended by a crew member who cut Bobbi’s long chain down to size and provided them with regular meals. It is this worker who brought the animals to Celebration Station where Best Friends Animal Society had set up a temporary shelter. The animals were initially separated but after their obvious and immediate stressful response at being apart, they were quickly reunited. It was then that volunteers learned the startling nature of just how significant the relationship between them was.

I won’t spoil the twist by revealing all the details, but suffice it to say it was clear that Bobbi and Bob Cat (who were named at Celebration Station) had to stay together. The organization did try to find their family (or families) but were unsuccessful and so, after transferring them to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah, they found a new home with someone who gratefully took them both. From New Orleans to a ranch in southern Oregon, it is clear the dog and cat will never want for anything again and can enjoy each other’s company (as well as many other animal friends) for the rest of their lives. There is even a photograph of the two at the book’s end so readers can see just how much Cassels’ illustrations mimic the real animals.

To say that Two Bobbies is an uplifting story would be a huge understatement. It says a lot about how hard so many people worked to save the animals of New Orleans, but more importantly, how much these two animals were dedicated to each other in even the most severe circumstances. The authors tell a wonderful story that is perfectly complemented by the realistic artwork. This one is a big winner for kids who love animals or stories of unorthodox friendships and should be part of all elementary school classes touching on the hurricane. My six-year old son loved it (and was worried about the ending from the very first page). I’m delighted that Larson and Nethery gave their talents to the story of Bobbi and Bob Cat and found a way to make sure it received a broad audience.