Bound To Stay Bound

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Booklist - 08/01/2019 Alfred is happiest locked away in his study, where he can read his book of monsters. Care to take a peek? A turn of the page shows readers the spread Alfred, himself, is examining on Nixies. Sensitive youngsters should return to the shelves before this, perhaps for something charming like Jessie Sima’s Not Quite Narwhal (2017), because the slimy, black-ink creature staring from the page with acid-green eyes might not be their cup of tea. Speaking of which, Alfred finds few things more annoying than having his reading interrupted by his aunt calling him to tea, which is always—shudder—delightful. Over the next few days, Alfred gleefully reads about the beastly Black Shuck and the sinister Lantern Man and decides to jazz up his daily tea by inviting these three monsters to a tea party. Whether the event is a success is debatable—pan to Aunty slumped in an armchair—but it’s clear that Alfred had a terribly good time. And readers who go for mildly scary stories will, too. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 08/01/2019 PreS-Gr 1—Alfred's aunt wants him to join her for tea each day so that the pair might have a delightful time. However, Alfred does not want to have a delightful time and instead prefers to have a terrible time poring over the pages of his monster book. One day, Alfred has an genius idea to be able to combine both teatime and monsters and sends out a few invitations. The result is amusing, though certainly not the usual teatime. Streed's illustrations are dark, with sepia tones, giving the book an endearing old-timey and eerie feel. The narrative is broken up with close-up views of Alfred's monster book, giving readers a firsthand perspective and a glimpse at some inventive monsters, including the soul-stealing Lantern Man. The monsters are creepy and might be scary to some children, but are not overly graphic in depiction making them slightly more accessible. For example, one looks like a black dog with glowing red eyes, which might not be as frightening as some images could be. The story itself is relatable and funny, as there are often adults who want children's attention when they would much rather do something more personally enjoyable. VERDICT This is a wonderfully creative and silly story for readers who enjoy spooky and quirky tales and may be an early introduction to some future horror fans.—Kaitlin Malixi, Kensington Health Sciences Academy, Philadelphia - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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