Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 08/01/2013 K-Gr 2—In this excellent look at sibling power plays, Dee Dee dominates Hannah in every way: she's taller, pushier, and able to gain control of a situation before her younger sister even realizes what is happening. When Hannah wears her beautiful new apron, Dee Dee admires it, takes it, cuts it up, and makes it into a purse for herself. When Dee Dee's friends come over to play, Hannah is told to pretend to be the butler and to make cucumber sandwiches, and then Dee Dee dismisses her: "Butsy, that will be all." Preparing to run away after being pushed too far, Hannah gives Dee Dee the cold shoulder and finds that playing by herself is fun. When Dee Dee comes looking for Hannah and asks her to play dress up, Hannah sets some ground rules, and Dee Dee complies-although she refuses to be Butsy. "Well I won't either," says Hannah. The gouache and pen-and-ink illustrations have a homey feel, plenty to look at, and a lot of movement. The text carries the story forward at an energetic pace, keeping readers guessing whether Hannah can figure out a way to solve the problem of her pushy sister. This satisfying story for both older and younger siblings is a real winner.—B. Allison Gray, Goleta Public Library, CA - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/15/2013 *Starred Review* Sisters. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Or can you? Little sister Hannah tells the story here. Dee Dee is five-and-a-half inches taller (where a person’s brains are, Dee Dee informs Hannah) and always one step ahead. She cuts up Hannah’s apron and makes a purse; she’ll let Hannah play tea party with her friends—as long as Hannah takes the role of butler; and without even asking she grabs Hannah’s one-eyed brown bear. But finally Hannah takes a stand—or rather a run—as she decides to leave home. She packs her new apron and a chocolate bar, but where’s her brown bear? She can’t really run away without him. So Hannah enjoys playing alone for a while until Dee Dee knocks and presents her with her brown bear, one-eyed no longer. There’s been something empowering about her afternoon because when Dee Dee asks her to play, Hannah now has a few demands of her own. In both heartfelt words and sympathy-inducing art, Schwartz captures the push-pull of sibling love. Bright ink-and-watercolor pictures juxtapose humor with indignation iced with tenderness, making way for an ending that’s as lovable as its heroines. Any sister will appreciate this one, no matter where she falls in the family order. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 12/01/2013 Young Hannah knows exactly how despotic older sisters can be. Her big sister, Dee Dee, insults her, grabs the extra muffin at snack times, makes Hannah’s favorite apron into a purse, butts her way into Hannah’s playdates, relegates Hannah to the less desirable roles during imaginative play, and takes her beloved Brown Bear. Hannah finally decides to run away, pausing for a snack (“I unlocked my suitcase and ate my birthday chocolate bar. I didn’t have to share it with Dee Dee. I licked my fingers”) and a little solo playtime until Dee Dee shows up at her bedroom door. Sisterly rapprochement occurs as it turns out that Dee Dee took Brown Bear not to be mean but to replace his missing button eye for Hannah; now, when Dee Dee initiates a dress-up session, Hannah firmly negotiates a promotion to the coveted roles of Duchess and Evil Queen, and the two sisters go off happily to play together. Schwartz hits all the right notes in this tale of sibling dynamics, with precise, realistic examples of the ways in which bigger kids try to diminish their younger sibs: “Dee Dee is my sister. She is five and a half inches taller than me. Dee Dee says those five and a half inches are where a person’s brains are.” Lively patterns and decorative details (such as Hannah’s penguin-studded jumper) and clear, soft colors (with brighter accent tones) give Schwartz’s gouache and pen and ink illustrations a cozy, homey feel, while the dot-eyed, childlike figures match Hannah’s youthful narrative voice. Younger siblings will easily sympathize with Hannah while older ones may see themselves in a new light after hearing Hannah’s perspective; this might be particularly successful when read aloud by an older sibling to a younger one. JH - Copyright 2013 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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