Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 01/01/2017 Turtle Tug’s serene, sunny day spent keeping careful watch over his fellow sea creatures quickly takes a scary turn when “breezes become gusts,” “the surge starts to grow,” and “the tide turns treacherous.” The bright, cloudless day depicted in the first few pages, with blue and yellow pleasantly blending together over the animated seascape, abruptly turns into a tumultuous storm of black, gray, and gloom—it’s up to Turtle Tug to save the animals in the ocean that he serves to protect! The roaring waves, howling winds, and strong storm ahead, however, do not hinder his bravery and heroism in the slightest. From rescuing stranded, panicked puffins to a huge sperm whale tangled in netting beneath the sea’s surface, Turtle Tug gathers all from above and below to safety. Slack’s rhyming lines grow more urgent with the change in weather, echoing the escalating chaos in the colorful, richly textured artwork. Little ones will cheer on charming Turtle Tug in this story that playfully emphasizes perseverance, bravery, and togetherness. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—Next in Slack's hybrid animal/vehicle series is a book about a sea turtle who doubles as an ocean rescue tugboat. As in Monkey Truck and Elecopter, the adventure of this new animal/machine crossbreed provides just the right combination of fun and sincerity. After all, Turtle Tug isn't just out for a joy ride; he's busy rescuing a seal pup stuck in a treacherous surf, a whale tangled in fishing netting, and a squid entrapped in human plastic pollution. The nail-biting narrative chugs effortlessly alongside Slack's bright and bold digital artwork, which helps drive the action. The eye-catching illustrations matched with the clever rhyming verse amplify the tale's read-aloud appeal, and the happy ending ("From stem to stern,/he's loyal as can be./A special sea vessel,/steward of the sea") will have toddlers cheering for this turtle tug. VERDICT Pair this engaging read-aloud with Kevin Sherry's Turtle Island for an exciting sea turtle storytime. Purchase where other titles in the series are popular or where animal or vehicle rescue materials fly off the shelves.—Brianne Colombo, Pequannock Township Public Library, NJ - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.