Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/15/2017 Poppy Louise definitely demonstrates more courage than the average kid, whether she’s facing spiders, roller coasters, or dark basements. Seemingly fearless, she puts her friends and especially her big sister, Petunia, to shame. Examples of Poppy Louise’s amazing exploits accrue, until the day she fearlessly scales a tree to rescue her friend Finn’s rocket. Suddenly, Poppy seems a little reluctant to climb back down. So reluctant that Petunia and Finn need to fetch a ladder and gently guide her back to earth. Lesson learned? The audience (and Petunia) will get the message, even if Poppy Louise doesn’t seem to. The wonderfully rendered illustrations feature facial expressions and posturing that capture the gung ho, flailing enthusiasm of Poppy Louise, her forbearance with the seeming shortcomings of her peers, and the calm, understated rhythms and pirouetting of other characters as they go about their normal activities. This rollicking and reassuring tale with delightfully engaging artwork is a natural for storytime and should appeal to both daredevils and scaredy-cats alike. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—With an understanding of siblings and their often vast personality differences, this book presents Poppy Louise Littleton and her sister Petunia. Petunia, the "careful sister," thoughtfully considers each of her own actions and is irritated at her sibling's irrational impulsiveness, but fearless Poppy Louise leads a life of imagination and spontaneous adventure. Snakes, monsters, bears, sharks, vampires, mummies, alligators, a speeding roller coaster, a skateboard ride on the stairs, or an exploration of the darkest part of the basement—nothing seems to rattle Poppy as she pushes ahead to embrace life. But her exuberance suddenly flags when she climbs to the top of an exceptionally tall tree. "It's very far away. I like it up here," Poppy insists, hiding her reservations about making her way down. A soft pastel palette allows readers to easily view her delight in all things dangerous and her hesitation when she finally discovers something she actually fears. VERDICT A general purchase for all libraries, this book may especially appeal to readers with sibling issues of their own.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.