Bound To Stay Bound

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Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2014 Thomas the toad hates being ignored, so he decides to become a bully. The trouble with this plan is that Thomas isn’t particularly good at bullying: he’s not strong enough to be intimidating, and his insults merely invite giggles. Even he confronts Gomer, the weakest toad around, it turns out that what made Gomer cry wasn’t Thomas’ insult but a much bigger bully, complete with warts, a leather jacket, and low-slung jeans revealing heart-patterned boxers. After cleverly tricking the big bully into picking a fight with his own reflection, Thomas realizes that he makes a much better friend than a bully. Thomas’ strategies not to be ignored by his peers will be familiar to kids, and Thomas’ change from bully to friend becomes a plot point rather than a lesson. The illustrations, acrylic on gessoed paper, take on a texture reminiscent of fresco painting, and the swatches of tan, chartreuse, and vermilion call to mind fall foliage. The big-eyed toad caricatures capture mood perfectly through dramatic facial expressions (the gulp is almost audible when Thomas cowers in the shadow of the “baddest-to-the-bone bully”). This is a slightly more serious take than Willems’ Leonardo the Terrible Monster (BCCB 2/05), but the similarities are striking, and it might be interesting to pair the two as explorations of the failures of being mean. TA - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 02/01/2014 K-Gr 2—Thomas is new in town, and he tries hard to make new friends. Really hard. He struts his stuff in fancy clothes, and is determined to be the center of attention. Unfortunately, the other toads just ignore him. He hates being ignored, so he decides he'll be a bully instead. Alas, he's not a particularly good one. With his weak voice and flabby abs, he scares no one. Practicing scary faces and telling mean jokes doesn't help much either. Then he meets Gomer, a nerdy-looking toad with large, round glasses. Thomas's tactics make Gomer cry, or so it seems. However, there's a bigger, "baddest-to-the-bone" bully lurking behind Gomer, and he has been after Gomer all day long. Now, the bully has two victims, and Thomas must think fast to save them both. In the end, he learns that he may not be a very effective bad guy, but he is a pretty good friend. The illustrations are done with acrylics on paper prepared with Gesso. This method provides a cracklelike background for the artwork, which is rendered in earth tones of orange, brown, red, and green. This picture book is suitable for an introductory lesson on relationships or against bullying. A satisfactory work but not "toadilly" a knockout.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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