Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2019 PreS-Gr 2—As a young black boy is tucked into bed, he imagines both the ordinary and extraordinary things that might happen the next day. Popping with rhyme, humor, and imagination, the text takes readers from a mundane blue sky to a squirrel named Stu and Cousin Todd blowing a kazoo. Lane's mixed-media illustrations add vibrancy to each panel, lending a jazzy, infectious beat to Eggers's lines. Each stanza begins with the phrase "Tomorrow most likely" and rhymes, with the laughable exception of "Tomorrow most likely/something won't rhyme." Perspective plays a tremendous role in the art and text, which helps both the flow and repetition to stay interesting even for older readers. At times, Smith reveals only part of what is happening in a picture or shows the cityscape and then abruptly adjusts to reveal the full picture or zooms in on a detail in the verse. Playful metaphors, such as "you could eat a cloud," are simply fun when combined with the art. Ultimately, the zaniness wraps with the core message: "Tomorrow most likely/will be a great day/because you are in it" and encourages originality and creativity in children. VERDICT Highly recommended for all collections; an outstanding storytime selection.—Rachel Zuffa, Case High School, Racine, WI - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/01/2019 As a child with brown skin and curly black hair settles in bed at the close of day, he and his mother think of the possibilities tomorrow may offer. Some thoughts are realistic: “Tomorrow most likely there will be a sky. And chances are it will be blue.” Some ideas are fanciful: “Tomorrow most likely there will be a squirrel. And chances are his name is Stu.” Illustrations using oil paint, paper collage, and pen and ink with digital assistance show the boy imagining himself in the new day, wearing his yellow hat and jacket, experiencing all that his parent describes. The brightly colored illustrations, which employ various perspectives, range in size from vignettes to single and double spreads. Each section of rhyming text begins with the words “Tomorrow most likely,” suggesting what the following day might bring. Eggers’ words could offer hope and reassurance to a youngster after a not-so-happy day. As a bedtime book, this positive paean could help a child think pleasant thoughts before drifting off to sleep.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Novelist Eggers has been making a splash in kidlit; paired here with Caldecott honoree Smith, he'll make waves. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

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