Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2011 As he did with Otis (2009), Long delivers a story that hearkens to the golden age of picture books, with a style and tone that recall the work of Virginia Lee Burton and Munro Leaf. This time out, Otis the tractor is happily ensconced in the life of his farm, engaging his friends in games of follow the leader—after the daily chores are seen to, of course. Only the terrible bull resists Otis’ friendship, but when a tornado descends, and the bull is forgotten, Otis comes to his rescue. Long’s painterly gouache-and-pencil drawings, contained within hand-drawn black frames, teem with life, from Otis’ disposition to the bull’s fearsome presence, and Long understands the power of the page turn. The bull makes his appearance at the book’s first two-page spread, with formidable antagonism, and the arrival of the tornado is similarly dramatic. With its nostalgic charm, bold illustrations, large trim size, and lengthier narrative, this is a strong choice for sharing with older preschoolers on the brink of reading on their own. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2011 PreS-Gr 2—The tractor with the big heart is back in another adventure. Life on the farm is fairly peaceful, except for a menacing bull, which frightens both the tractor and the farm inhabitants. Otis and the animals keep their distance from him—until the day a storm arrives. The tractor knows "deep down in his pipes" that the approaching tempest is no ordinary storm, so working fast he helps his friends find cover in Mud Creek. But from that safe spot the group can hear the dreadful cry of the bull, locked in its pen and smack in the path of the speeding tornado. True to his nature, Otis rushes to the rescue and together they find shelter from the twister. Long offers readers a tender tale with exquisite artwork. The large, gouache-and-pencil illustrations feature unusual perspective and outlined forms with bold dashes of color that contrast with earth-tone backgrounds. The pictures have a retro quality that matches Otis's vintage perfectly. Children will be delighted with this story about friendship.—Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2011 Following his triumph in rescuing a little calf in Otis (BCCB 12/09), Otis the tractor and his pals around the farm have settled into a happy life of backyard games and frivolity. When they play follow-the-leader, everyone joins in; everyone, that is, except for the bull, who would “snort and snarl and huff hot air” if any of the animals got too close to his private enclosure. When a tornado is spotted in the near distance, the farmer and farmhands run for cover without even checking on the animals. Instead, it is Otis who heads for the barn and unlatches the stalls so that the animals can dash to lower ground. Just then, Otis hears the mournful bellowing of the bull, whose pen is directly in the path of the tornado, and he runs to release the massive creature, who then joins the other animals and, in the aftermath of the storm, becomes a new playmate. The storytelling is particularly effective in this tribute to friendship and compassion; Long builds the plot up to a riveting crescendo, then gently brings it back to a happy and familiar place. The anthropomorphized tractor is an absurd and delightful companion for the farmyard animals, their relationship coming across as perfectly normal under Long’s deft hand. Aside from being a solid friendship tale, this is also a remarkably useful weather story that would fit snugly into early science curriculums. The vivid description of the tornado is well matched in the art, which offers large-scale gouache and pencil interpretations of the changing light and impending danger of the storm, while Otis’ shiny metallic exterior juxtaposes nicely with the threatening backdrops. Listeners are certain to cheer Otis on in this gentle and nostalgic tale of doing what is right, despite the dangers. HM - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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