Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2013 PreS-K—Every evening Lena counts her sheep to help her fall asleep, but tonight they are afraid of the "round monster" in the window. Lena tries to explain that it's just the Moon, but those silly creatures won't listen, so she convinces them to dress up in disguises to scare it away. When a bit of cloud covers it, the sheep finally line up so she can count them properly. This simple story lulls readers gently toward slumber with a clever heroine and a simple premise. The beautiful gouache and watercolor illustrations are classic Lobel, from the detailed design of Lena's flowered footboard to the clever layout, which maintains separate illustration spaces on the right- and left-hand sides until the final spread-a satisfying, expansive picture of Lena's sheep flying overhead as she drifts off to sleep.—Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2013 The full moon shines brightly through Lena’s bedroom window as she calls the sheep that help her fall asleep. Afraid of the “round monster” of a moon, they mill about until Lena sends them to her closet, where they disguise themselves in her clothes. When the moon goes behind a cloud, she informs the sheep that they have frightened the monster away. In the end, they leap through the air in a line above Lena’s head as she counts herself to sleep. There’s something beguilingly childlike about this simple story, in which the girl takes charge, reassuring her “silly sheep” that the moon won’t eat them, and when that doesn’t work, managing their fears in a playful way. The gouache-and-watercolor illustrations create cozy, yet lively scenes that are full of color, pattern, and movement. A quiet, imaginative tale that is just right for reading aloud at bedtime. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.