Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda [Paperback]

Margaret Atwood (Author), Dusan Petricic (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2004

And now, a new tongue-twisting adventure from Margaret Atwood! The internationally renowned Margaret Atwood once again turns her talents to a story for kids of all ages. Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda is a boisterous and delightful dissertation on discovering the uncharted depths of one?s personality. Abandoned by his bubble-headed mum and raised by a bunch of dogs, Bob is understandably bashful around humans. Deprived of her parents while still in diapers, Dorinda endures a dreadful existence with distant relatives. On a dark and drizzly December day, Dorinda and Bob meet on a vacant block bestrewn with bushes, buttercups, and benches. They become fast friends. One day, a bewildered buffalo bounds over a barrier at a nearby Botanical Garden. Amid billows of dust and the beeping and blaring of horns, Bob and Dorinda band together to save the day. Relying on their wits?and the useful deployment of Bob?s dog buddies and Dorinda?s distracting dust mops?the dynamic duo restore order and emerge from the episode victorious. No longer bashful and doleful, Bob and Dorinda discover that they can be brave and daring. With Atwood?s trademark rollicking wordplay accompanied by Dusan Petricic?s mischievous art, Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda is a tale to be treasured.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–As in the author's Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut (Workman, 1995) and Rude Ramsey and the Roaring Radishes (Bloomsbury, 2004), sophisticated wordplay drives this story. Bob was abandoned beside a beauty parlor as a baby. Raised by three dogs, he barked when bothered and would bound behind bushes or burrow under benches. A block away, Dorinda has problems of her own. Dumped on distant relatives when her parents disappeared, she has lived a Cinderella-like existence, dealing with dirty dishes in a disreputable dive. When Dorinda meets up with Bob, she teaches him how to talk, and together they thwart the advances of a bewildered buffalo wrongly labeled a begonia by a bungling bureaucrat. The simultaneous exploits of the characters are shown in Petricic's line drawings. Color is used to great effect–Bob's scenes have a muddy gold wash and Dorinda's are rendered in purple. The witty, albeit ridiculous plot plays not only with language, but also with fairy-tale conventions. However, despite the happy ending, the relentless alliteration becomes tiresome.–Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Great for reading aloud, this fractured fairy tale retells the Cinderella foundling story with wild wordplay and lovely, playful line-and-watercolor illustrations. Abandoned as a baby by his bubble-headed mom, Bob is raised by dogs in a vacant lot. Doleful Dorinda's parents disappear in a dreadful disaster, dumping her with despicable relatives dripping with diamonds. They make her drudge from dawn to dusk . . . until she departs and befriends Bob; together they prove themselves brave and daring. Finally, their parents find them, and they all live together in "blinding bliss, delirious with delicious delight." Unlike many adults who write for kids, Atwood isn't condescending; alliteration is a big part of the fun, and the pictures, in shades of mauve (for Dorinda) and brown (for Bob), give the brave children a distinctive look. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Key Porter Books (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1552636097
• ISBN-13: 978-1552636091
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 9.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,163,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MARGARET ATWOOD, whose work has been published in over thirty-five countries, is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. In addition to The Handmaid's Tale, her novels include Cat's Eye, shortlisted for the Booker Prize; Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy; The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; and her most recent, Oryx and Crake, shortlisted for the 2003 Booker Prize. She lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Add the funny wordplay and you have an exceptional story., January 6, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda (Hardcover)

Bob's been abandoned by his mother and raised by a bunch of dogs, so is bashful around humans, while Dorinda's own tough childhood with distant relatives has made its mark on her personality. Their similar experiences leads them to be close friends, and when a buffalo bounds over a barrier at a botanical garden, they join to salvage the situation and emerge victorious - discovering, in the process, they can be brave and winners as well. Add the funny wordplay and you have an exceptional story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious for all ages, November 25, 2010

By 

Lexsea Mom (Honolulu) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda (Hardcover)

I agree with another reviewer that this subject is dark. But if you're blessed with a healthy family, this is a very intelligent, clever, enriching book for people (of all ages) who love wordplay and language. It's not for everyone, only those who love dark humor and scintillating language. The illustrations are also witty and original. My 11 and 14-year olds both ask me to read it aloud to them repeatedly.

5.0 out of 5 stars One of our favourite books., March 5, 2010

By 

Twwly Suicide - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda (Hardcover)

Disclosure #1: Our son is named Bob. Disclosure #2: We're Canadian, and I know personally, whenever I read this story to my three year old, I hear Margaret Atwood's voice behind my own.

The alliteration in this book is truly delightful. My son's vocabulary has indeed benefited. The story moves quickly, which endearing characters and a happy ending. And the humor! Just our type. May not be yours, but it is indeed ours.

Two thumbs, or five stars up.