Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2017 PreS-Gr 3—Munro introduces children to fine art using a search-and-find game and a fun framing device. A fictional artist, possibly modeled after the author/illustrator herself, is gathering her tools and supplies and deciding what to paint. She considers still lifes, landscapes, portraits, sport scenes, and more. The illustrations integrate Munro's colorful ink drawings of the artist's studio and town with reproductions of famous artworks, selected from the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, by painters such as Judith Leyster, Robert S. Duncanson, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Peter Paul Rubens, and Johannes Vermeer. The ending unveils the cityscape the artist has created, which incorporates all 37 masterpieces she had previously admired. In the back matter, thumbnail descriptions of each of the masterworks yield interesting tidbits for those who delve further: Winslow Homer illustrated 13 children's books; Mary Cassatt, famous for figure painting, was barred from life drawing classes because of her gender; and Claude Monet did more than 250 paintings of the same pond. This simple story covering the basics of painting and drawing—materials, subject matter, and art history—can be absorbed in a few minutes by preschoolers, but the searching game and the intricacy of the artwork lend themselves to more thorough investigation by older children and those with longer attention spans. VERDICT Recommended as a versatile introduction to fine art for elementary schoolers.—Suzanne LaPierre, Fairfax County Public Library, VA - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 08/01/2017 Munro shares her artistic process in this eye-catching picture book about creativity and inspiration. After building her canvas and gathering her tools, she’s ready to go, but a big questions looms: “what should I paint?” She then searches for inspiration among some of her favorite pieces of art, and reproductions of paintings or sculptures appear in the scene. Sometimes it’s a poster or print; other times it’s a page in a calendar, image on a mug or tote bag, or an illustration in an open book. Fueled by the great masters, Munro looks at the city outside her window and lands on the perfect idea for her own painting, but the resulting artwork has some familiar images cleverly concealed within. This genial picture book does double duty: it introduces famous artworks while emphasizing the importance of looking at both great art and one’s surroundings for inspiration. Munro’s ultimate painting is filled with teensy details, which will be fun to hunt for, and an answer key identifies each inspiring artwork in more detail. Aspiring artists will be captivated. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.