The Great Detective Bob

Hi everyone,

Yesterday some friends, Bob and Zoë Alley, sent a note saying their 30-year-old daughter, Cassie, asked them why a line from a book had popped into her head. She quoted it as: “Never worry, never fear, the great Detective Bob is here.”

It really made my day, especially when I went to Amazon and found it still listed and selling pretty well in spite of being 40 years old. Parents Press published the book in 1980 but now it’s listed as a March 1, 1981 Dutton Childrens Book. One recent reader reviewer (2018) gave it 5 stars and wrote, “I had this book as a child, and the version my parents have is so beat up and so well loved it’s funny. My daughter fell in love with it when we went to visit them and I was so happy to have found a copy to keep at home for her to read any time she wants. It is an adorable story with lots of laughs and still so much fun to read 30 years later.”

Bob is a prolific, terrific artist and Zoë is a talented author of a number of stellar children’s books. Bob has new PADDINGTON BEAR books and as an author/illustrator duo they have two reissues coming out: THERE’S A WOLF AT THE DOOR and THERE’S A PRINCESS IN THE PALACE. My thanks to Cassie and her thoughtful mom and dad for making Friday a great day for me by bringing back such a fun memory.