Bound To Stay Bound

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Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2013 Ah, watermelon-so juicy and sweet, and so laden with seeds that, according to the mischievous, will grow a watermelon plant in your insides. That’s the dilemma faced by our little green hero, who has adored watermelon “ever since I was a tiny baby crocodile” and would eat it all day if he could. But then he makes his mistake: “I swallowed a seed! It’s growing in my guts! Soon vines will come out of my ears!” A hearty burp reveals that his gastric distress had a different origin, and after a brief swearing off of the stuff he’s right back on the melon again. This is simple and punchy, with accessible humor and a modest emotional conflict that youngsters will recognize. While it’s not exactly debunking the myth (in fact, the visuals suggest that the croc is saved because the seed bounces back out of his mouth when he belches), there’s a tacit recognition of the bogusness of the factoid in the amusing hyperbole, so nervous youngsters will find the breezy exaggeration ultimately reassuring. Even the art is watermelon-the three-colored palette (watermelon-pink, rind-green, and seed-black) against matte cream pages echoes the fruity goodness and allows for maximum eye-popping contrast. Screen printing allows for sweet intensity and subtle textures in Ben Day dots and overprinting, while the pared-down simplicity of the spreads and lively incorporation of text into the images provides graphic oomph that will reach the back row of the storytime rug. Watermelon season would be the perfect time to bring this one out-seed-spitting contest afterwards optional. DS - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 04/20/2013 PreS-Gr 1—Children will love this hilarious book. Crocodile has devoured watermelon since babyhood and eats it every chance he gets. One day, however, he swallows a seed. This sends him into a panic. Will it grow inside him and come out of his ears? Will he grow larger and turn pink? The poor crocodile is so worried until he burps up the seed. He vows to never eat watermelon again, but will he be able to resist? The illustrations of the reptile's fear about what might happen to him are very funny and the oversize font on those pages reinforces the emotion in the story. The artwork was created by screen print in pink, green, black, and brown. This simplicity allows readers to fully appreciate the changes in the croc's facial expressions, which artfully contribute to the humor. The story has broad appeal, making it a great first purchase.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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