Bound To Stay Bound

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Booklist - 05/15/2016 *Starred Review* In this pseudo horror picture book, Ian, who is a consummate rule-follower, and his sister, Jenny, who is not, take a family vacation to a house in the woods. There are plenty of rules to follow (“Remove muddy shoes,” “Replace any firewood you burn”), and Ian is happy to oblige. But Jenny breaks the most important rule of all: “Never—ever—open the red door.” That night, the objects in the house come to life, determined to make “rulebreaker soup” out of Jenny and eat her for dinner. Ian does the only sensible thing a little brother can do: he runs away. But rules or no rules, that doesn’t feel like the right thing to do. Barnett and Myers (Battle Bunny, 2013, with Jon Scieszka) have created a winning tale of sibling rivalry and, ultimately, loyalty. Barnett’s trademark dry humor appears in full force, and Myers’ illustrations are wonderfully detailed. Ian’s holier-than-thou rule-following tendencies are evidenced by his perfectly parted hair and neatly made bed (a “Do Not Remove” tag in display on the mattress), in stark contrast to Jenny’s messy ponytail and filthy shoes. The denizens of the house—a bearskin rug, a shower, and a potbellied stove—quickly shift from unassuming to ominous. Kids will eat this up—while hoping, of course, not to get eaten themselves. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Anything with Barnett’s name on it is going to be big, and this latest from a best-selling duo will walk itself right off the shelves. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 06/01/2016 K-Gr 2—Ian likes rules. His older sister Jenny does not. The woodsy vacation house where their family is spending the summer comes with a posted set of rules, including a prohibition against opening a certain red door. Naturally, Jenny ignores all the rules, even the one about the red door. Her defiant opening of this door during an argument with Ian changes the genre of the story from realistic to fantastical, as all the household devices whose rules she's ignored ("Remove muddy shoes before you enter the house") come alive, each claiming that it will have rule-breaking Jenny for dinner. As the errant rug and appliances chop vegetables and sing made-up songs, Ian saves the day by citing a rule that they themselves have broken, giving Jenny the opportunity to help scare the creatures away. An early page showing trails through the woods literally causes the plot to wander, but occasional pages featuring just one line of text add suspenseful pacing. Painterly illustrations quickly transform frightening images into comical ones, creating a mixture of silliness and creepiness—and alert viewers will notice the red eyes on the stove and rug just before they awaken. VERDICT A scary but silly sibling story about times when breaking the rules might just be okay. The perfect read to prepare for a stay at a vacation house.—Jill Ratzan, Congregation Kol Emet, Yardley, PA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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