The Bobtails and the Cousins

Author: Arthur Yeomans
Genre: Children
Series: Bobtails Adventures #2
Pages: 204
Release Date: November 20, 2023
Publisher: Wise Path Books

Now that the adoption is final, and the addition complete, the Bobtails are settling into their new house and family. But Aunt Grace writes to her brothers and says they need to come for a visit. Not all of the cousins are thrilled to come and spend time on a dairy farm, however. And they certainly get more than they expected!

The Bobtails series is set in 1889 Vermont and revolves around a set of orphans, adopted by their widowed aunt, coming to terms with their father’s death, adjusting to life in their new family, learning new responsibilities, and making new friends. In this installment, their cousins visit, and everyone learns a lot about farming, horse breeding, sermonizing, and living together. The Bobtails series teaches lessons about responsibility, duty, difficult obedience, and, above all, trusting God through difficult circumstances.

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Reviewer: Diana Lea

I recommend The Bobtails and the Cousins as a great choice for a family read-aloud. Family togetherness, old-fashioned values, and a glimpse of life on the farm give us much to ponder and discuss.

This is the second book in the Bobtail Adventure series and could be a standalone. Important back-story items from Volume 1 are woven into their thoughts and conversations so that meaningful moments are appreciated.

The Bobtails received a visit from their cousins this particular summer. I loved how the children’s individual abilities were honored and promoted. I was happy to see the farm children grow from the learner to the instructor. They demonstrated both confidence and sensitivity as they found ways to bring their cousins along so they too could overcome either their perception of what farm life was or their lack of experience and become successful and happy there.

Written from the perspective of the visiting cousins, we see reactions ranging from impatience and adventurousness to apprehension and feeling accomplished. Their thoughts and actions are described with detail enough to bring amusement, followed by a head nod and a high-five as the reader progresses with them.

While I found it a bit confusing to learn new characters, each of the three times the new cousins arrived, I was also joyful as the visitors overcame and triumphed with all that life on the farm brought their way.

I look forward to more adventures with these families.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Wise Path Publishers through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.

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Reviewer: Tracy Derksen

In this newest installment of the Bobtails adventures, we see the siblings settling into their new life in the country and welcoming their city cousins out for vacation. This country lifestyle is quite an adjustment for most of their cousins. The author is very intentional in showing life in the late 1880's and does this well.

The story itself is sweet, but with three different sets of cousins, there are a lot of points of view. This can be distracting and difficult to keep track of. Some of the characters even had the same names, and we were resorting to calling them "young Jonathan" and such. While I understand that this was common practice at the time, I did find it distracting from the story.

I think children who find this time period interesting will enjoy these stories. They would also foster good discussion about how times have changed. I would caveat that there is a fair amount of talk about women's pregnancy and babies' nursing. This would be a detraction for my boys.

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Wise Paths Books through Interviews & Reviews in exchange for my honest review.

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Reviewer: Linda Klager

I give this book 3 stars. The reason I only gave this book 3 stars is because I did not care for the format of the book. I would have liked a continuous story, not a diary-type book.

The year is 1889. The book is written like a diary. Each day is recorded.

The children in this book were very well-featured. The girls did not like visiting their cousins in the country. They were brought up in the city and did not understand country life. As time passed, they seemed to "fit in" with how folks lived on the farm. The hard part for the girls was getting past the idea of using the outhouse. These girls did learn a lot about how to make delicious food for their families.

The boys loved going fishing and swimming after the chores were finished for the day. These families worked so hard. I liked how they enjoyed life. Family times were so important to them. They had a strong faith in God, too. They did not have a lot of material things, but they had the love of God and family to their credit.

I learned a lot about cooking, baking, and horse breeding by reading this book.

I received a complimentary review copy courtesy of Wise Path Books through Interviews & Reviews for my honest opinion.​

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