Born in Scotland in 1947, Bob moved to New Zealand with his family in 1952. He studied at Canterbury University from 1965 to 1969, then spent several years travelling internationally (1970–1975). Married with two children, he worked as Manager of the National Film Library (1980–1989) and later as a Reference Librarian and book selector at the National Library (1990–2010).

Now retired, Bob continues to review children’s and young adult literature through his online platform, Bobs Books Blog.