Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2020 Messy homework? He blames his pen. Mud on the rug? He blames his shoes. Unruly hair? He blames his comb. In fact, it's his sheet's fault the bed's not made, and the moon's fault he can't sleep. That is, until the boy's belongings step up and fight back, starting with a lecture from his furious pen. But will he learn his lesson? The premise is funnier than the execution, which is surprising, coming from an author and illustrator who have both proven their comedy skills quite successfully several times over, but it is nevertheless a creative way to start a discussion on taking responsibility for one's actions and learning why one shouldn't point fingers unfairly. There is some mixed messaging with the surprise ending: he apologizes to all the inanimate objects he has been blaming, when, in fact, he doesn't learn his lesson at all. Still, the bright, colorful spreads with growling, angry school supplies are humorous images, and the cavalier messiness of the book will hold definite appeal for a specific audience. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2020 Gr 1–3—A young boy is so incapable of accepting responsibility for his own mistakes that he blames everyone—and everything—around him. When the inanimate objects in his life get fed up with being scapegoats, they stage a revolt, rising up in the middle of the night to tell the boy why his blame-shifting actions are wrong. Human characters have a comics aesthetic to them, while the inanimate objects all have expressive faces. An angry pair of shoes, a furious backpack, and an irate bar of soap show their fury by grimacing and baring teeth at the irresponsible main character. The book employs what is now a John trademark: a character delivers a page-long monologue in which the moral of the story is delivered. While the narrative delivery lacks cleverness, the book's presentation and metatext is dripping with it. The jacket flap is narrated by the buck-passing main character. The dedication features the illustrator blaming the author and the author claiming, naturally, that it's not his fault. VERDICT Recommended for collections in which other Jory books such as Penguin Problems or Giraffe Problems are popular.—Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill Public Library, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.