Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2017 Hilda’s three pet monkeys create havoc every time she leaves them alone. Although she spends a great deal of time cleaning up after the naughty pets, she feels even more sad when she thinks Tim, Sam, and Lulu have disappeared. Parents seeking good behavior models for their children will have to look elsewhere, but children, who—let’s face it—are the real audience here, will find the monkeys quite entertaining. Each time Hilda goes out, she tells the monkeys to be good. They try, but they are easily bored and go in search of playthings. Whether it is umbrellas, boots, and hats; knitting, newspapers, and flowers; soap, soup, and cleaning brushes; or toilet paper, toothpaste, and shampoo, no room’s contents are safe from the adventurous monkeys. Clark’s colorful mixed-media and collage artwork gives the images a fanciful three-dimensional quality. In the tradition of Curious George and the Cat in the Hat, children will laugh at the animals’ antics, secure in the knowledge that Hilda loves them no matter what. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2— Many people have dogs and cats as pets, but Hilda Snibbs has three naughty little monkeys that she loves very much. They live a splendid life in Paris, where the woman feeds them dainty slices of carrots, apple, and banana. When Hilda has to go out to run errands, the monkeys become bored and get into trouble. They make a terrible mess of the house and destroy many of Hilda's belongings. The indulgent Hilda is just about at her wit's end when one day, she returns home and finds that everything is in perfect order. Alarmed, she begins to search for them everywhere. Upon finding them in the linen closet, Hilda realizes that even with the mess, her life is better with her three mischievous monkeys. She is now able to relax and settles into bed only to discover a naughty surprise. Children will react to seeing what mischief the naughty monkeys are creating on each page. The text is rich and not oversimplified for the young audience. Bold, bright, contrasting colors and interesting and diverse patterns bring this picture book to life. The elaborate illustrations brilliantly display the chaos and excitement of the text. VERDICT A fun and fresh naughty little monkey story in a gorgeous setting. Perfect for one-on-one and small group sharing.— Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.