Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2020 PreS-Gr 2—Three woodland creatures want to put on the perfect show. This means they need shiny tickets, sparkly curtains, and birds with tiny hats. Shy Bear is the scribe, taking notes on all the elements of production, happy to stay away from the spotlight. The night of the production, everything is ready to go, but the critters forgot a major detail: They never wrote a script. Bear, a performer at heart, might be able to save the day with an original song, as the show must go on. From the author of I Don't Want to Be a Frog comes this adorable, theatrical tale of overcoming stage fright. Two squirrels and a rabbit pop off the page, illustrated in bright colors and contrasted with the muted, timid bear, shown with a dainty pencil tucked behind his ear. These little details are what make the illustrations so charming. The exuberant squirrels and rabbit appear all over the page, with large speech bubbles and bolded words, while the bear sits quietly by himself on opposite pages, mirroring the plot of the story and demonstrating to readers that there are different kinds of people in the world and they can work together to make great things happen. VERDICT This playful and endearing story offers young readers a heartfelt message about collaboration and overcoming fear, making it an excellent choice for most collections.—Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2020 Four woodland friends decide to put on a show—but not just any show. It must be big, and it must be the best! As Rabbit, Squirrel, and Other Squirrel plan their stage debut, shy Bear insists that he will remain behind the scenes, acting as the diligent notetaker. It’s no small task: the other animals work themselves into a frenzy shouting out their demands. There must be shiny tickets! Sparkly curtains! Tiny hats for birds! Bear jots everything down in his increasingly jumbled notebook, with his scribbles splashed across the pages for readers to enjoy. It’s not until the curtains go up that the quartet realize they forgot to write a show, and it is up to bashful Bear to save the day. Petty’s playful text is witty and wonderful, and Todd’s detailed digital artwork perfectly portrays the warm tones of the forest and the hilariously feverish brainstorming sessions. A cheerful story, conveying the joy of creation, the fun of friendship, and the beauty of stepping outside one’s comfort zone. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

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