Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/15/2010 Who says you can’t teach a young dog new words? Looking a bit like Gene Zion’s lovable Harry, Rocket is minding his own business one fall morning when a little yellow bird gets him hooked on a story she is reading aloud. She proceeds to give him leisurely lessons in the alphabet before flying away for the winter. He practices all season long, spelling out words in the snow and in the mud. Hills, best known for his Duck and Goose series, offers up an appealing picture of the learning-to-read process: the bird is an enthusiastic instructor, teaching Rocket to love the sounds and meanings of words. Hills’ oil-paint and colored-pencil illustrations nicely capture both the sweetness of pupil and tutor and the prettiness of the changing seasons. When the little yellow bird returns at last, the two of them settle down to read books together, and it’s clear that a wonderful adventure has begun for Rocket. - Copyright 2010 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2010 Initially no scholar, Rocket, a fuzzy black-and-white pup, “loved to chase leaves and chew sticks,” and that’s pretty much the height of his ambition. A little yellow bird mistakes his proximal napping for class attendance, and she sets forth to teach him. Though at first resistant, Rocket gets sucked in by an absorbing readaloud, and he becomes an eager pupil, learning all about the wonders of the alphabet and the words it builds. That’s a fairly didactic plot, and once Rocket takes to education, there’s not much arc to the story beyond his needing to continue his interest even in winter, when his teacher has gone south. There’s certainly a clear analogue to kids’ experience, though, so audiences will readily understand the challenge of picking up education again after a hiatus; there’s also plenty of opportunity to spell brief words out along with Rocket. Illustratively, Hills may be better known for his birds, but he concocts a pretty puppy here, with Rocket true to his species in his mournful, expressive eyes (his blear-eyed irritation at having his nap disturbed is a deft little comic portrait), and his fur is painted in amazingly fine brushstrokes that render him irresistibly pettable. In fact, the whole look is somewhat softer than in Hills; avian worlds, though the verdant, sunny landscapes are definitely familiar territory. A natural read for seeing kids off to their seasonal breaks, this may encourage listeners to join Rocket’s spelling exploits, and it’ll certainly make them wish for such a bucolic and gentle education. DS - Copyright 2010 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2010 PreS-Gr 2—An endearing white dog with black spots loves chasing leaves and chewing sticks. He also loves napping under his favorite tree. Then his sleep is interrupted one spring day by a tiny yellow bird that designates him her first student. Rocket wants no part of her lessons, but the bird is determined to teach him to read. She returns each day, hangs an alphabet banner from the trees, and gushes, "Ah, the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet." Then she begins to read a story, stopping at an enticing part. Overcome by curiosity to hear more, Rocket eventually enters into the bird's lessons, and the two have a grand time using the "mighty, gorgeous alphabet" to spell out all the things in Rocket's world. The bird leaves as winter approaches, but Rocket continues practicing, spelling everything in sight. And when Bird returns the following spring, a tail-wagging, eager-to-read student greets her with joy. The illustrations, rendered in oil and colored pencil, offer full pages, spreads, and oval vignettes. They depict Rocket in all his various moods, from diagonal brows raised in displeasure to delight at his teacher's return. Adults will love the bird's enthusiasm, her use of stories, and her ability to associate lessons with Rocket's everyday life to win over her reluctant pupil. Youngsters will find this addition to Hills's cast of adorable animal characters simply irresistible.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT - Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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