Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2010 Gr 1–3—In three humorous interconnected stories, Gollie, a self-confident girl who lives in a fashionable, contemporary house, and Bink, her rumpled but lovable, impish friend, are adventure-seeking companions, each with her own strong will. In the first tale, Bink's outrageous socks offend Gollie's sartorial eye, but the two compromise for friendship's sake. The second story sends Gollie on an imagined climb up the Andes, shutting Bink out of the house until she arrives at the door with a sandwich, which they share on top of the "mountain." In the final episode, Gollie is jealous of Bink's new pet fish until Bink reassures her that no one can take her place. All three stories, written with short sentences, abundant dialogue, and some contemporary expressions, offer delightful portrayals of two headstrong characters who, despite their differences and idiosyncratic quirks, know the importance of true friendship. The delightful digitalized cartoon illustrations—mostly black and white, with color used for the two characters and in strategic splashes throughout—reinforce the humor of the text. Filled with movement, they successfully portray the protagonists' changing moods. Elementary listeners and readers will have no trouble relating to the two friends' antics and the bond they share.—Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, The Naples Players, FL - Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 10/01/2010 Though the two girls are best friends, Bink and Gollie, stars of a trio of tales, couldn’t be more different: squat little Bink is high-voltage and helter-skelter, while lanky Gollie lives in a house of airy, angled modernism and favors polysyllabic formality of speech. Nonetheless, the two BFFs enjoy a day out (though they have to compromise when it comes to Bink’s love of loud socks), overcome the difficulties when Bink keeps interrupting Gollie’s imaginary mountain climb, and negotiate the introduction of a third companion-Bink’s new goldfish, Fred-into the friendship. While the plots don’t unfold perfectly, the message that friendship trumps occasional differences is clear in every story. It’s the style more than the message that will appeal to young audiences, though: Gollie’s austere expressions (“Greetings, Bink,” she says to her friend on the phone. “I long for speed”) contrast comically with Bink’s perky directness (“All righty then!” she says brightly to a taciturn storekeeper), and the authors demonstrate a pleasing ear for rhythm in just about everybody’s dialogue. Fucile’s illustrations give the girls their real presence: bouncing, soaring lines have a tousled cartoonish vigor that dominates every spread, while gray shading adds dimension; the digital colors are limited mostly to the girls themselves, but there’s enough energy to ensure that scenes never feel drab. The art makes much use of slightly fantastical domestic scenery inside and out, and kids will be particularly riveted by the girls’ respective houses, Gollie’s a geometric wonder atop a tree, Bink’s a cozy, disheveled pile at the foot of that tree (a bench on a halfway-up branch is a convenient meeting point). With appeal both for reading aloud and alone, this might make an entertaining title for sophomore readers to share with younger kids, and they’ll relish teasing their tongues with Gollie’s vocabulary. DS - Copyright 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 09/15/2010 From two high-profile authors and an award-winning illustrator comes this zany hybrid of picture book, graphic novel, and early reader that introduces an endearing new pair of odd-couple friends. Short, blond, sprout-haired Bink and tall, tidy Gollie are complete opposites, but they’re also devoted pals who visit each other every day: Bink from her tiny rustic cottage; Gollie from her sleek, chic tree house filled with mid-twentieth-century furniture. Three episodes explore common friendship dilemmas: in the first, the girls discuss the meaning of compromise; next, Gollie longs for personal space; and finally, Bink’s new pet sparks Gollie’s jealousy. Reality is gleefully suspended here; parents and school don’t seem to exist. Although the scenes don’t quite combine into a developed story, the repetition of phrases and appealingly oddball elements (roller skates, pancakes, rainbow socks) create a sense of cohesion, while Fucile’s expressive, cartoon-style drawings, including several wordless spreads, extend the sense of character, story, and madcap adventure. Children will have fun filling in all the spaces this high-spirited, quirky, and warmhearted offering leaves to the imagination. - Copyright 2010 Booklist.