Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/01/2017 *Starred Review* Though Bunny and Dog have never met, they are neighbors, with a picket fence between Dog’s neatly trimmed lawn and Bunny’s overgrown yard. They never even say hello, but each peeks at the other’s activities throughout the day. Dog knits, eats biscuits, and plays with his ball, while Bunny colors pictures, drinks cocoa, and plants carrots. Late one night, each goes outdoors to look at the sky and decides that the other needs a friend. A shooting star and a shared smile make a connection between them that turns into much more: a shared snack of cocoa and biscuits, followed by an “exceptional” friendship. Hest’s spare, quiet text, with just enough well-chosen details to set the scenes and differentiate clearly between Dog and Bunny, leaves plenty of room for the illustrator’s imagination. With an air of innocence and spontaneity, Desmond’s mixed-media illustrations offer two lovably bashful characters, nicely varied compositions, and night scenes in which familiar things look so different that real change (even friendship) seems magically possible. While many stories about making friends begin with lonely characters yearning for companionship, this picture book introduces two who are content to be alone but find that friendship brings them great happiness. A wonderful read-aloud choice. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2017 PreS-K—A simple, soft, and endearing story of friendship about neighbors who live on opposites sides of a white picket fence. Bunny drinks lots of cocoa, plants carrots, and peeks at Dog, while Dog eats biscuits, plays with his ball, and wonders about Bunny. Seasons come and seasons go, but the neighbors never say hello to each other. Until, on one sleepless night, both Bunny and Dog simultaneously witness a shooting star, and a new friendship ignites. Hest's narrative line is concise and clear and possesses a magical quality matched by Desmond's airy, muted watercolor and mixed-media illustrations. The characters are dynamic, and full-page images and small vignettes alike are playfully imagined with charming details that readers will enjoy viewing again and again. VERDICT Enchantingly fresh, this lighthearted tale of friendship deserves a place in every picture book collection. Pair with Beth Ferry's Stick and Stone or Cynthia Rylant's "Mr. Putter and Tabby" series for stories that inspire kindness and neighborliness and that value the warm comfort of finding a friend.—Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.