Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 09/01/2013 PreS-Gr 1—Clanton transforms a common household task into an adventure in this quirky story. Young Izzy is proud when Mom allows her to take on the responsibility of setting the dinner table. Each night, she instructs her anthropomorphic friends, Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup, and Napkin, to take their appropriate spots, but soon the chore becomes tedious. Izzy's pals think that switching places at the table is "the best idea since macaroni and cheese," but the imaginative girl's parents don't agree. Unhappy with returning to their accustomed arrangement, Dish runs away with Spoon. Izzy and the others worry about the missing pair until they receive a series of letters from around the world. When the travelers finally return, they bring with them two new friends, a pair of chopsticks. The author sprinkles the text with silly jokes to make young readers giggle ("Did you hear that Pot boiled over? Yeah! He was really steamed.") and gives a sly nod to Mother Goose's beloved nursery rhyme. The pencil and watercolor illustrations in pastel shades contain comic-book elements and add more humor to the story. Izzy is a bright, likable character with her bobbed hair and rosy cheeks. Pair this book with Simon James's hilarious Baby Brains and RoboMom (Candlewick, 2008) to help youngsters learn about helping around the house.—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2013 Little girl Izzy and her pals, Dish, Fork, Knife, Spoon, Cup, and Napkin, are elated when Izzy’s mom decides they can finally set the table themselves. After a few days, they shake up the routine and try out new places for everyone, but Izzy’s parents require a return to the proper order. Dish and Spoon rebel, running away together, sending international postcards to their friends at home, and returning home only after Izzy calls them back. Finally, the utensils assume their proper places . . . until a pair of friendly chopsticks (friends made on Dish and Spoon’s journey) show up to join the household. Both the subject matter and the abundance of amusing puns (Knife is “really cut up” about Dish and Spoon’s absence, the chopsticks want to “stick around awhile”) hold obvious appeal for fans of Amy Krouse Rosenthal’s Spoon and Chopsticks (BCCB 2/12). Bits of visual humor-unicorns make a recurring appearance on a TV show and as an item on a grocery list, and Spoon blushingly toots while standing in Cup, who is filled with milk-add to the fun. The mixed-media illustrations are clean and elegant, with crisp, graceful pencil outlines keeping the action tidily and attractively contained against plenty of white space; muted blues, browns, and golds are accented with bright red touches while textured elements give the compositions depth. This could be used to prep kids for taking on this evening chore or as part of a silverware-themed storytime; further enrichment could ensue with the addition of a Sharpie and some disposable dinnerware. JH - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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