Bob and Dob by Sean E Avery

There are words (in English) that make me shudder. I think I should make a list of them but the one from today is dobber or dob. Perhaps because I don't have siblings, the act of dobbing did not really feature in my childhood and so that might explain why this word seems so utterly dreadful to me. 

The next thing you need to know is I have a fairly finely tuned "didactic" meter. IF a book even feels slightly agenda driven I usually either switch off or just reject it. Kirkus agree Bob and Dob is not overly didactic saying: A thrilling tale with a gently conveyed moral.

These two things - my dislike of this word and my 'allergy' to didactic stories - could mean I might not enjoy this new book - Bob and Dob and yet somehow Sean E Avery pulls this off. Yes, it is about dobbing (by Dob) and there is a lesson to be learnt but it is done with a light touch, humour and appealing illustrations. Each page has a varied and interesting layout, and I do like the purple and maroon/red colour palette. 

Dobber definition: a person who secretly tells someone in authority that someone else has done something wrong.

The earliest known use of the noun dobber is in the 1830s in the UK and I am not entirely sure the word dobber is used in the US. There is also a complication with defining the word dob because search engines wrongly assume you mean the acronym Date of Birth! 

On the back cover the word dobber has an asterix and at the bottom of the cover there is a word list: blabber-mouth, big-mouth, grass, informer, nark, rumour-monger, sneak, snitch, tattle-tale, whistle-blower. (see also crying wolf). 

Here are some other synonyms for dobber:

Back to the story. Bob and Dob are brothers. 

"Dob was a small bird who enjoyed telling tales. He enjoyed telling small tales, big tales and especially enjoyed telling tales that would get his brother Bob into trouble."  Into trouble with their mother. 

And yes, as the definition suggests, he did this quietly - whispering to his mother when he saw Bob 'breaking the rules' such as flying too high or hunting for worms alone. 

Bob is fed up of course but over time his mother also gets tired of the dobbing by Dob. 

Now the story flips. It might be good at this point for you to think about the story of the boy who cried wolf. Dob sees Bob in real danger from a crocodile but now his mother will not listen. SNAP - Bob is gone. How can Dob save the day? If I was reading this book to a group I might stop at the SNAP page and ask how Dob might save the day.

This book is sure to delight your young reading companion or library group. It is noisy, funny and contains fantastic words such as outrageous, ridiculous, audacity and best of all egad! And of course, this book is sure to be a fabulous discussion starter about this important topic because I know young children often love to dob in their classmates. Congratulations to Walker Books on anther terrific book. I am sure we will see this book listed as a 2026 CBCA Early Childhood Notable. 

Here is a further quote from the Kirkus review - how thrilling to see our Australian book reach this prestigious review journal even though it is clear the word dobber is not used in the US:

Avery presents the events in carefully manipulated vignettes, employing a narrator’s description as well as word bubbles containing characters’ statements placed within the illustrations, which depict Bob as blue, Dob as red, and Mother as an imposing purple. Their every expression is captured by slight changes in their beaks, pupils, or eyebrows, indicating joy, consternation, or anger. Little ones will love reading this story and returning to find new details. Though the word dobber isn’t defined, its meaning is clear in context.

You already know I loved Frank's Red Hat by Sean E Avery.

Frank's Red Hat

Look in your library for versions of The Boy who cried wolf: