Do you want to tour Europe with characters you’ve read about and bonded with? Or maybe you’d like to meet new characters while you travel? Look no further than The Bobtails Go to France, a historical novel by Arthur Yeomans for fifth and sixth graders.
This is Book 3 of Bobtails Adventures, a series of novels about four orphaned siblings, nicknamed the Bobtails. Only by this book, they’re adopted by their aunt and her husband. I wrote reviews on the first two books for you to check out.
The Bobtails Go to France starts in August 1889 and ends in September 1889. Aunt Grace, or Mother, receives an inheritance that requires her to visit France to claim it. The family and their friend Geoffrey join her, and they take marvelous tours in New York, London, and France.
The book introduces us to two boys the Bobtails meet on their trip. The first one is Charles, a boy from an English upper-class family with a French-speaking nurse. He meets the Bobtails on an ocean liner and helps them with their French. Even though the Bobtails aren’t upper class, he’s happy to befriend them, and as the story progresses, he’s more used to being with people not of his class.
The second boy is Francois, an orphan who’s easy to sympathize with. He’s poor and starving, and the Bobtails hire him to be their guide in France. While he stays with the family, though, he fears they would make him leave. However, rather than be thrown into the streets, he finds a home in a way he doesn’t expect.
Geoffrey, the Bobtails’ friend, is made babysitter of little Ruth, which I think is sweet. It’s adorable when Ruth calls him “Pweachew’s Kid,” using his nickname in her toddler lisp. When she runs off in Paris, Geoffrey chases her, adding humor and intensity to the plot. Thankfully, he catches up. One of my favorite scenes is where he and Ruth have their portrait done by an artist, and I’m sure they further bond then.
It’s endearing that Bobtail Roger struggles with his French grammar yet does his best. Interestingly, even though English is the Bobtails’ primary language, French isn’t too foreign to them. They live in Vermont close to the Quebec border, so their English has a hint of a French accent. Also, they call their girl cousins “cousines,” which comes from the French.
Throughout Bobtails Adventures, characters ride on trains, and Yeomans continues the train motif while adding hotel rooms and an ocean liner. The world building is superb, and there are curved dinner plates on the liner. Those are meant to keep food from sliding off with the waves. Coca Cola makes an appearance as well, as it was invented in 1886. Yeomans takes liberty in bottling the drink, and bottled Coke wasn’t in circulation until after 1889, though I speculate somebody might have bottled it before that became a trend.
Experiencing the Bobtails’ journey will be perfect for anyone who wants a vacation, even in their imaginations. So, read The Bobtails Go to France in between your summer trips.
K.A. Ramstad 