Bound To Stay Bound

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Full Text Reviews:

School Library Journal - 03/01/2012 K-Gr 3—A boy's tips for babysitting a grandpa include hiding when he arrives; fixing snacks such as "anything dipped in ketchup"; looking for "lizards, cool rocks, and dandelion puffs" on walks; and so on. The endpapers have eight childlike drawings of child-grandparent interactions, and the book opens with a digitally rendered cartoonlike illustration of a spindly legged man sporting tufts of gray hair and carrying a small purple duffel bag. The parents leave, and the boy assures his grandfather, "Don't worry. They always come back," and the fun begins. In preparation for outdoor activities, the child advises bundling grandpa from head to toe in winter and slathering sunscreen on his bald head in summer. For indoor activities, "have him read a looooooooooong book" several times, guaranteed to put him to sleep. Of course, the house becomes quite messy and a hurried cleanup is in order before Mom and Dad return. The humorous illustrations include a snoozing grandpa with a meowing cat atop his head to wake him up. Youngsters will recognize some of the sayings they've heard from their own grandparents and will thoroughly enjoy the tongue-in-cheek role reversal.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/15/2012 While his mom and dad are away, it’s up to one young boy to supervise his visiting grandfather, and the first course of action is to hide. He employs several techniques to keep from laughing and giving away his location, which are captured in amusing, lightly colored digital artwork, as are recommendations for feeding one’s elder deliciously unhealthy snacks (anything dipped in ketchup), taking him on a walk, entertaining him, waking him up from his nap (the best strategy is singing ‘On Top of Old Smokey’ softly, then LOUDER and LOUDER), and getting everything cleaned up before the parental units return. The biggest challenge is saying good-bye—but only until the somewhat addled but great sport of a grandpa returns again. The scenarios are familiar yet there aren’t many audiences who won’t appreciate and relate to these two family members who clearly love each other and enjoy spending time together. So who is really in charge here? Does it matter? - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2012 This how-to manual, narrated by a knowledgeable and affectionate grandkid, provides step-by-step directions for other youngsters on babysitting a grandpa. It starts with Grandpa’s arrival (apparently grandpas like it if you hide behind a chair and then jump out and surprise them), then describes grandparent-friendly activities such as noshing on special snacks, taking walks, and playing pirates. Suggestions (“What to do on a walk: Step over sidewalk cracks. Look for lizards, cool rocks, and dandelion puffs. If there’s a puddle or a sprinkler, show him what to do”) will sound pretty appealing for kids, too, and the narrative is particularly effective in converting childish concern into caretaker reassurance (“When your mom and dad leave, pat your grandpa’s hand and say, ‘Don’t worry. They always come back’”). The grandfather/grandchild pairing takes center stage in each humorous spread of the line-and-watercolor-style digital art. Grandpa, a rotund fellow on spindly little legs who wears rectangular spectacles, looks ready for just about anything, including physical comedy (the moment when his grandson dumps a bottle of sunscreen on his bald spot is particularly funny). While grandpas will obviously enjoy sharing this story with their little ones (and parents will enjoy purchasing it for a Father’s Day gift for said grandpa), there is enough playfulness here to broaden the appeal to a wider audience. HM - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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