Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2024 A boy sat in a chair, begins this debut picture book from fantasy super-duo Sanderson and Kibuishi. A boring opener, to be sure, especially with the text set against a double-page spread of white space—although the young Victorian man sitting nervously in the chair does give a hint of intrigue. That's it. He just sat in a chair, confirms the next spread; however, the white space has been filled with clouds and blue sky, and the boy in the chair is now falling. Thus begins a whirlwind plummet, anchored by the classic gag of a humdrum text seemingly unaware of the madcap action in the illustrations. As the falling boy boringly looks at clouds, watches for birds, thinks about laundry, and does math, he thrillingly dodges gyrocopters, fends off a dragon, breaks his fall, and calculates a way to survive. Kibuishi does the heavy lifting, of course, leaning into a steampunk aesthetic in an ongoing series of full-bleed action shots that deliver a nice, quick thrill ride. A surefire crowd-pleaser.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Sanderson and Kibuishi are both giants in their categories, sure to bring a lot of interest over into the picture-book space. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.