This is the amazing true story of Bobbie the Wonder Dog, a legend in
his own time who warmed the hearts of a nation. The Scotch collie mix
was lost on a family trip from Oregon to Indiana in 1923 and walked all
the way home, a six-month and almost 2,800-mile journey, to return to
the people he loved.
"Brown takes a sensational news story and focuses on the devotion of one
remarkable dog to bring this amazing story to young readers for the
first time. Porter's illustrations combine rich colors and vintage
details to bring Bobbie to life on the pages through all of his
adventures and hardships. A dog story as incredible now as it was nearly
a century ago, gives Bobbie the Wonder Dog all the makings of a
timeless classic."
--Midwest Book Review
"Porter's detailed and dramatically lit paintings trace Bobbie's
difficult solo trip back to Oregon, crossing through snowy forests and
rain-soaked fields. An end note reveals additional details about
Bobbie's remarkable life, fleshing out a quietly inspiring story that's
just as engrossing now as it was some 90 years ago."
--Publishers Weekly
Bob was an average-looking collie puppy in every way, except for his
bobbed tail . . . and maybe that's why the Brazier family named him Bob,
or Bobbie. But he was average in no other way. In 1923, Bobbie joined
Frank and Elizabeth Brazier for a cross-country drive from Silverton,
Oregon, to Indiana, Frank's home state, where they planned to visit
family. During a stop in Indiana, Bobbie was chased off by loose dogs,
and after a week of searching and placing newspaper ads, the
broken-hearted Braziers had to give up and start the drive home.
Six months to the day after he was lost in Indiana, a very thin Bobbie
was spotted on a Silverton sidewalk, his coat matted, his paws raw from
wear. Unbelievable as it seemed, the three-year-old dog had WALKED
almost 2,800 miles to get back home.
Though weak and tired, Bobbie went berserk with joy when he was reunited
with his family, and from that day, all of their lives changed. In the
weeks and months that followed, his story tore across the country in
newspapers and even in a hardcover collection of pet stories. He was the
main attraction at an Oregon home-builders convention in Portland, where
thousands lined up to pet him, and he starred in a short feature film.
Also, the Braziers eventually heard from people along Bobbie's
homeward-bound route, places where he'd stopped long enough to recoup,
and then he was gone again. These stories verified their thinking.
Bobbie had done the impossible.
When Bobbie died, he was buried in Portland, Oregon, by the Oregon
Humane Society. Rin Tin-Tin was there to lay a wreath at his funeral,
which was officiated by the mayor of Portland. This incredible story is
all true, and the origins of Lassie Come Home are said to be traced to
the story of Bob of Silverton, also known as Bobbie, the Wonder Dog.
