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Stella
Bob is a tiny stray dog who lives at the Big Top Mall. While Bob is proud that he’s a stray and insists that he doesn’t actually have a home, he does spend nearly all his time at the mall. He sleeps every night on Ivan’s belly and regularly checks Ivan’s beard for crumbs. Bob came to the mall after someone threw him and his siblings onto the highway when they were tiny puppies; Bob was the only one to survive. In part because of this experience, Bob takes a very dim view of humans. Humans, in his opinion, are cruel, selfish, and are beyond even trying to understand. It’s shocking to him when Ruby or Stella suggest that humans are capable of kindness. However, it’s hard to tell how much of this is a front and how much of this Bob truly believes, as Ivan sometimes notices Bob sitting with Julia and allowing her to pet him—clearly, Bob doesn’t believe that all humans are horrible. In addition, Bob is honest to a fault; he isn’t always willing to go along with Ivan’s insistence that he lives in a domain rather than a cage, for instance. He also tells Ruby that Ivan is going to get her out of the mall—which is true, since Ivan promised Stella he would—but Ivan resents that Bob told Ruby this, since he sees success as unlikely. Ivan also notes that Bob is a “useful” friend, since he can sneak around the mall and gather information that Ivan, who can’t leave his domain, cannot. Though Bob is supportive of Ivan’s painting, he also resents that Ivan smells of paint and is spending his nights painting instead of allowing Bob to sleep on him. But not long after Ivan moves to the zoo, he learns that Bob allowed Julia’s family to adopt him.
Bob Quotes in The One and Only Ivan
The The One and Only Ivan quotes below are all either spoken by Bob or refer to Bob. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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change—worry Quotes
“A good zoo,” Stella says, “is a large domain. A wild cage. A safe place to be. It has room to roam and humans who don’t hurt.” She pauses, considering her words. “A good zoo is how humans make amends.”
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As Stella tells Bob and Ivan a story one night, she explains to Bob what a zoo is (he’s never seen or heard of one). Stella’s description of what zoo enclosures are like makes it clear that in comparison, the way that she and Ivan live doesn’t come anywhere close. The domains at the zoo are large (while Ivan describes his and Stella’s domains at the mall as very small) and “wild,” which is a far cry from the glass, concrete, and metal that make up Ivan and Stella’s domains here. Stella also defines the zoo as “safe,” with “humans Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesentium. Ex consequatur magnam. Aliquid iste enim. Sequi aut maxime. Adipisci voluptate et. Voluptas suscipit alias. In et eveniet. Eaque et r
I’ve heard the Jambo story many times. Stella says that humans found it odd that the huge silverback didn’t kill the boy.
Why, I wonder, was that so surprising? The boy was young, scared, alone.
He was, after all, just another great ape.
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Stella has just told Ivan and Bob the story of Jambo, a silverback gorilla in a zoo who kept watch over a little boy who fell into the gorillas’ enclosure until the boy regained consciousness. Jambo then led the troop away and humans rescued the boy. The fact that humans would expect Jambo to kill the boy illuminates how humans look at gorillas. They see them as dangerous, violent animals who are both capable and willing to kill humans if given the chance. This helps explain why Mack chose to depict Ivan on the billboard as such a fearsome beast: Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis
“Bad humans killed my family, and bad humans sent me here. But that day in the hole, it was humans who saved me.” Ruby leans her head on Stella’s shoulder. “Those humans were good.”
“It doesn’t make any sense,” Bob says. “I just don’t understand them. I never will.”
“You’re not alone,” I say, and I turn my gaze back to the racing gray clouds.
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Ruby has just told a story about a time when she fell in a hole—and “good humans” saved Ruby from that hole. Bob and Ivan are having a hard time understanding that humans can be both good and bad. Bob, especially, has had such negative experiences with people (humans abandoned him and his siblings along a freeway when he was a puppy) that he doesn’t believe humans could also be compassionate. Ruby, however, realizes that some humans are good and others are bad, despite the fact that she’s relatively young and immature. Not every human will be one thing or Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui
the next morning—photo Quotes
Mack turns on the TV.
We are on The Early News at Five O’Clock.
Bob says don’t let it go to my head.
There we all are. Mack, Ruby, me. George and Julia. The billboard, the mall, the ring.
And the claw-stick.
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The day that reporters come to interview Mack, George, and Julia about Ivan’s billboard painting, the mall ends up on the evening news—and the piece prominently features a shot the claw-stick that Mack uses to hit Ruby when training her to do tricks. At first, both Ivan and Bob seem to believe that ending up on the news is just another aspect of Ivan’s growing fame. Ivan has always been somewhat famous, simply for being a gorilla in captivity but also for being an artist. His fame has only grown since George and Julia put his painting up on the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tene
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Bob Character Timeline in The One and Only Ivan
The timeline below shows where the character Bob appears in The One and Only Ivan. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
hello—the littlest big top on earth
...Stella lives next to Ivan in her own domain, and along with a dog named Bob, she’s Ivan’s closest friend. He doesn’t have any gorilla friends.
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gone—the beetle
Bob loves TV too, though he prefers watching bowling and commercials for cat food. Bob and...
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...a lot. She’s like a mountain; Ivan is just a rock next to her, while Bob is as tiny as a grain of sand. Ivan and Stella talk every night after...
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bob. Ivan shares his plan with Bob, but Bob isn’t convinced. He insists that Ivan’s appetite isn’t the issue, hops onto Ivan’s...
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Bob is very tiny. He’s like a brown “barking squirrel,” and his tail is always moving....
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That first night, Bob slept in the mud and was so cold that he could barely get up. The...
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wild. Ivan asked Bob once why he doesn’t want a home. Ivan knows that humans love dogs and, to...
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drawing bob. Ivan adores the pictures that Julia draws of Bob. She draws him in all sorts of poses: running, hiding, or sleeping on Ivan’s belly....
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bob and julia. Bob doesn’t let humans touch him, insisting that the smell of humans “upsets his digestion.” Occasionally,...
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...tells Stella that he can’t sleep. She notes that he’s “the king of sleepers,” and Bob tells Ivan to be quiet—he’s dreaming about chili fries. Ivan says he’s tired, but he’s...
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...since he noticed her limping earlier. Stella admits it hurts a little. Everyone sighs, and Bob drools. Stella suggests that Ivan eat something, since that always makes him happy. Ivan eats...
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...bugs move on from Ivan’s domain quickly, so Ivan wonders if the bug is okay. Bob offers to eat the beetle, but Ivan declines. As Ivan finishes his last picture, Mack,...
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change—worry
guessing. Bob is afraid that they’re going to get a huge, dangerous cat, but Stella insists that...
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...she’s fine. Ivan asks her to tell the Jambo story—it’s one of his favorites, but Bob hasn’t heard it. Stella knows lots of stories, and Ivan knows he can’t be picky....
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...men took the boy out of the domain. The boy was okay in the end. Bob asks if the story is true, and Stella says that she always tells the truth—she...
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...understand why. The boy was young and afraid—and besides, the boy was another great ape. Bob asks Ivan why he and Stella aren’t in a zoo. Ivan and Stella look at...
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arrival. After the four o’clock show, the baby elephant arrives. Bob runs to tell Ivan and Stella as the truck rumbles through the parking lot. Mack...
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...other and at Ruby. The truck shudders as scrambling and pounding noises come from inside. Bob whispers that he already likes Ruby as Mack says that he’s going to get Stella...
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...door shut. Ivan can see Stella and Ruby’s trunks intertwined and hear Stella whispering, and Bob welcomes Ruby to the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, Home of the...
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...to talk to Ivan. Ivan will admit that Ruby is adorable—but he’s “handsome and strong.” Bob snuggles on Ivan’s belly and tells him he’s old news as Julia starts to draw...
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...Ivan introduces himself. Ruby asks if Ivan is a monkey, and Ivan says he isn’t. Bob, asleep on Ivan’s belly, says that Ivan is a gorilla, while he’s a dog. When...
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...Ruby down. Ruby asks if Ivan has parents, and Ivan says that he used to. Bob chimes in that parents are “unavoidable.” Ruby shares that before she was a part of...
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elephant jokes. Ruby wakes Ivan and Bob up early the next morning. She says she didn’t want to wake Stella up since...
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...time she fell into a big hole. Humans dug the hole, she says. At this, Bob perks up—he loves stories about digging. Ruby explains that the hole was full of water...
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Ivan shudders and asks what happened. In a dark tone, Bob says he knows what happened: the heartless humans caught Ruby and shipped her here in...
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the promise—a visit
five men. According to Bob, who heard it from a rat, it took five men and a forklift to get...
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the one and only ivan. When the humans have left the mall, Ivan sends Bob to check in on Ruby. Bob returns and says that Ruby was shivering, so he...
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...the night moaning and crying. Ivan stays awake in case she needs something, even though Bob encourages him to get some rest. After a while, Ruby calls for Ivan. She sobs...
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nine thousand eight hundred and seventy-six days. Ivan watches Ruby and Bob sleep, but his mind is racing. He’s remembering his past for the first time. He...
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a new beginning—another ivan
Julia sits to watch Mack and Ruby when she and George arrive. Bob also keeps a close eye on the training session. Mack leads Ruby around the ring...
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...the claw-stick back. Julia screams, but Mack says he’s not going to hurt her. As Bob snarls, Mack brings the hook down so that it passes right above Ruby’s head. He...
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a bad dream. Ivan and Bob are awake, peeling and licking paint off themselves. Ivan keeps an eye on the claw-stick...
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...Ruby. Ruby wants to know why she only has two feet in the picture, and Bob says it’s because of “artistic license.” With a sigh, Ruby asks for another story. Ivan...
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how. After a long time, Ruby falls back to sleep. With a yawn, Bob asks how Ivan is going to get Ruby to a zoo. Suddenly feeling exhausted, Ivan...
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remembering. Bob and Ruby sleep, but Ivan doesn’t. He thinks about his promise to Stella, his pictures...
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days—finally
...heat at night. Ivan thinks that Ruby looks thinner and more wrinkled, so he asks Bob if Bob thinks that Ruby is getting enough to eat. Bob isn’t sure, but he...
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bad guys. Ivan dozes until late afternoon, when Mack approaches and Bob hides under Not-Tag. Mack notices a painting sticking out from under Ivan’s pool. Ivan tries...
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ad. Bob says this is great news: Ivan will get more paint. Ivan notes that he doesn’t...
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not-tag. Ivan pulls Not-Tag’s stuffing out and then hides his paintings inside of her. Bob complains when he tries to sleep on her, and then he says that he misses...
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...this, Ivan isn’t pleased with his painting for Ruby. It’s huge, but it’s missing something. Bob accuses Ivan of being “a temperamental artist,” since he has the elephants and the zoo...
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twelve. Bob lies on Ivan’s stomach, and they both watch Julia do homework. Ivan can tell that...
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Ivan lays out 16 pieces of paper in a square. Bob, annoyed, is even more upset when Ivan says that this has to do with the...
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...Ivan digs through his paintings and tries to hold a couple up against the glass. Bob drags some paintings over to Ivan, and Ivan then passes them out through the crack...
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...drop what’s in their hands. Ivan storms around his cage, bellowing and beating his chest. Bob hides, and Ivan thinks that he’s finally angry. Now, he has someone to protect.
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the next morning—photo
...come to visit and buy Ivan’s paintings. He paints for the visitors and even paints Bob, so that Bob can be on the billboard. In the afternoons, Mack and George put...
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...night. One night, after telling Ruby a story to help her fall asleep, Ivan tells Bob that this isn’t working. Bob suggests that Ivan be patient, but Ivan is tired of...
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...at Ivan’s floor, Ruby’s hay, and the water bowls. Mack scowls as he watches, and Bob hides outside, unwilling to let the man see him.
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...object click and gives Ruby treats when Ruby touches the box. In a disapproving tone, Bob explains to Ivan that this is clicker training—the woman wants Ruby to learn that when...
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...live. Ruby says that this is her home, and she wants to live with Ivan, Bob, and Julia. But Ivan says that this place is her prison, not her home.
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...spends an hour inspecting Ruby, and then he enters Ivan’s cage. Since Ivan can’t copy Bob and hide under Not-Tag, he beats his chest. The doctor leaves Ivan’s cage and says,...
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more boxes. When Ivan wakes up from his morning nap, Bob is on Ivan’s belly watching four men with a big metal box—a box Ivan’s size....
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...their hands are very similar. Julia sniffs that she’s going to miss Ivan, Ruby, and Bob, but that Ivan deserves better than this. Ivan wishes he could respond.
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...to have a good life. Ruby reaches out to touch Julia as Julia asks where Bob is. George hasn’t seen him, and Julia wants to know what will happen to Bob—especially...
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...the box and into the cage—and then he has a fantastic idea. He suggests that Bob sneak into the box and come live at the zoo. Bob, however, insists that he’s...
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photo. Late that night, Mack opens Ivan’s cage. He seems smaller for some reason. Bob races away to hide, but Mack tells him it’s not worth it. Then, sitting on...
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leaving—mighty silverback
...Ivan’s elephant joke about the refrigerator. Ivan suggests that she also tell them about him, Bob, Julia, and Stella. Ruby agrees, and then the humans roll her box out to a...
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Now it’s Ivan’s turn. The humans don’t seem to notice Bob hiding in Ivan’s cage, so while they’re busy doing other things, Bob sneaks out to...
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missing. Ivan misses his cage, his art, and Bob. His belly is cold now.
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more about romance. Ivan wishes that Bob were here to give him advice. He thinks about all the romance movies he and...
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...Ivan tells his troop about his life. He tells them about his parents, Mack, Ruby, Bob, Stella, Julia, and George. They look away when he’s done, but Kinyani moves closer and...
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...wall, dances, and hoots as Julia and George wave. Then, from Julia’s backpack, Ivan hears Bob tell him to stop acting like a chimp. Bob pokes his head out of the...
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Bob explains that George starts his job at the zoo next month. In the meantime, Julia...
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...to his new family. Then she thanks George for everything. As they turn to leave, Bob sticks his head out of Julia’s backpack and calls that Ivan is “the One and...
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