Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2019 When Ed trips over a broom left on the ground, it makes him angry. The young boy takes the rake and his rage and rushes off to create havoc by sweeping up everything in his path. His bad mood takes on a life of its own and, though he realizes he’s gone too far with his tantrum, the bad mood urges him on. With the offending broom in hand, he sweeps up not only leaves but other objects: bicycles, cars, buses, a phone booth, a sports team, and a marching band. It's not until a fresh breeze blows over him that he's finally able to stop. The detailed, digitally rendered illustrations are done in the colors of autumn, and Ed’s mustard-colored jacket stands out, as do a gray dog and black cat that appear in every scene. Ed is downhearted until he finds one special object on the ground that lightens his outlook and elevates his mood in this imaginative, whimsically illustrated examination of the giant effect a bad mood can have. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2019 K-Gr 2—In this creative and enchanting picture book, Greig (The Night Box) does an exemplary job of helping children understand bad moods and their ability to control them. On the first page, readers meet Ed, a young boy in a foul mood who is armed with a broom and is facing down a pile of leaves. He begins to sweep and as his grumpiness increases, his sweeping takes on a maniacal life of its own. Ed sweeps up pedestrians, dogs, buses, and bicycles as his pile of leaves grows exponentially. The poor boy can't stop himself even though, "Ed knew perfectly well when he had gone far enough." The bad mood is so all-consuming and infectious that one spread shows the entire town in darkness littered with huge piles of leaves. Fortunately, a new wind begins to blow and slowly,then suddenly, everything looks different and brighter. This delightful tale ends with Ed and his friends flying kites in the wind and talking about how he might think twice before he lets himself be swept away again. VERDICT Bravo! This winning story with Sarda's intricate and glorious digital illustrations is guaranteed to delight and spark conversation. A definite purchase for all collections.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, MI - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.