Bound To Stay Bound

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Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2011 “Fun” is not the word ferrets Einstein and Fudge would initially use when Marvel the cat arrives for a stay in their household and, convinced the ferrets are rats, decides that the pair would make tasty snacks. E&F cunningly stage a kitty smackdown that sends a frightened Marvel running, but finally the trio decides that nobody wants to eat anybody, everybody likes raisins, and they can all enjoy a great game of chase. The plot veers a little off track at times, but the dialogue hits some funny notes, and there’s an essential and recognizable realism to the animals’ actions as they move through mutual aggression to comradeship. The appealing layout, neatly bordered panels with speech balloons for the animals’ dialogue, has graphic-novel overtones; the marker-and-ink illustrations have a gentle goofiness, with the softly rounded shapes of the critters (occasionally punctuated by flashes of sharp teeth) making them cuddly and the shifts between poker-faced mien and exaggerated mugging providing considerable comic contrast. With a sleek format and wry humor that make this suitable as a readalone and an accessible plot that will also entertain the pre-readers, this will please animal lovers, particularly those thrilled to finally see their beloved ferrets on the picture-book stage. DS - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 03/15/2011 Fudge and Einstein, two pet ferrets, must come to terms with Marvel, a visiting cat who has decided they’re (delicious) rats. Fudge and Einstein don’t want to be eaten, but how can they convince Marvel, who can use her claws to open their cage, that they aren’t rats? They can’t tell their human, Andrea, that Marvel wants to eat them, so they’ll have to solve the problem themselves. Their solution and a positive resolution will please young readers and story time listeners. The story is simple and rather familiar but well executed and drawn. Rostoker-Gruber has her characters behave realistically most of the time, while the colorful, simple, and cartoony art add to the fun. The book focuses on the animals; readers never see Andrea’s face, only parts of her, such as shoulders, legs, and back. The comic-book panels are big enough for small groups, but there are enough details in the art to beguile individual readers into repeated readings. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2011 PreS-Gr 1—The pair who created Rooster Can't Cock-a-Doodle-Doo (Dial, 2004) highlight the antics of two pet ferrets in graphic panels. When a friend of their owner drops off a cat, Marvel, to stay while she's away, Fudge and Einstein hope that the feline brought raisins. Instead, they huddle fearfully in their ample cage as she narrows her eyes and keeps hungry watch on them, promising, "I've opened a few cages in my day." When she's successful, the ferrets mull over the best course of action, and decide to literally stand up to the bully, baring their teeth and hissing to "scare the hair balls out of her." Their pedestal of boxes tumbles onto the cat, bonking her head. Truce is finally called when Marvel demonstrates her ability to open a raisin box at their request, and the happy ending calls for a friendly game of chase. The creatures' conversations are hilarious: "We could run away." "Then who would feed us raisins?" and de Tagyos's extraordinary cartoon paintings amplify the mirth. Picture giggling ferrets, the pair supine on an orange mat, Fudge gently tagging the cat's paw, saying "You're it!" Not just for those fond of ferrets.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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