Despite being surrounded by a horde of fellow seagulls and assorted shore creatures, Bob feels left out and lonely. A chipper bird sporting a snazzy red jacket notices the gull’s dejected state and offers Bob his coat. A little stunned, Bob peppers the bird with questions, ending with a bewildered, “Why?” The bird replies simply that he no longer needs it, mentioning that there are fries in the pocket as he flies away. The new jacket buoys Bob’s outlook, evident as he sunnily greets blue crabs, a pelican, a seal, flounders, and, finally, his own flock of seagulls. All respond with equal good humor, and Bob credits the jacket with the change in his social status. Disaster strikes when a large wave hits the beach, submerging Bob and taking the red jacket out with the tide. Bob searches desperately, asking all that he encounters if they’ve seen it. By the time it’s returned, Bob realizes his friendships are not dependent on the red jacket and so he passes it on—complete with fries—to cheer a mopey turtle. Bright colors and a comic visual style pair perfectly with a text told completely in dialogue bubbles, the exchanges perfectly capturing the diverse personalities of the animal community where Bob finds friendship and gains confidence. (Ages 3-7)

Perfect for fans of Jory John and Pete Oswald's The Bad Seed and Jon Klassen's I Want My Hat Back!

Bob loves his red jacket.

The red jacket makes him feel swanky cool.

The red jacket makes other seagulls notice him and even speak to him.

But when a wave washes it away, will Bob lose his cool and his newfound friends, too

Bob Holt's spare text and humorous artwork come together perfectly in this charmingly humorous tale about a seagull who learns a lesson or two about style, "fitting in," and confidence.