Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 04/01/2014 PreS-Gr 2—Black and Ridpath Ohi follow up on their I'm Bored (S & S, 2012) with another humorous picture book that taps into children's emotions. After soaking in a bubble bath, a rambunctious little boy runs through the house in his birthday suit. His parents' initial facial expressions suggest that they do not share in their son's enthusiasm, but eventually Mom lightens up. The exuberant youngster imagines the fun of attending school, playing on the playground, and dancing the Hokey Pokey, all in the nude. Each time he stops for a cookie snack, he settles down a bit. When the lad puts on a cape and starts to feel cold, he changes his mind about the value of clothing. In the end, the exhausted boy falls asleep in his dinosaur hooded pajamas. Black's peppy writing style sets a fast pace for the story, and the child's behavior is believable. There's also a lesson here about one practical reason for wearing clothing. The whimsical digital artwork adds energy and color to the story. Characters' moods are nicely shown through their changing facial expressions, while the illustrator's choices of poses for the child leave anatomical details to the reader's imagination. Images of the boy are replicated on the brightly colored endpapers. Parents sharing this story one-on-one with a child will find the picture book humorous on both a child and adult level.—Lynn Vanca, Freelance Librarian, Akron, OH - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2014 From the opening spread (“Naked!” cries a boy in a bubble bath), this latest offering from the partnership of Black and Ohi (I’m Bored, BCCB 10/12) is an all-out celebration of the joys of being a kid. The initial jubilation comes as the post-bath boy gallops around the house stark naked, speculating on other ideal spots for nakedness (“I should dress like this all the time. I could go to school naked. Play on the playground naked”). When Mom approaches with an armful of laundry, the boy resists-“Who needs pants? Or shirts or shoes or capes”-before realizing the potential of that final thought-“Wait. . . . Capes???” He then rejoices in the perfect combination of nakedness and capedness (“Eating another cookie mostly naked but also caped!”), before inevitably ending up cold and all-out exhausted, noodled on a very patient mother’s shoulder as she carries him to bed. The point of view is spot-on here, and the little boy protagonist is entirely lovable in his unadulterated elation. The text, all in our hero’s voice, effusively conveys his energy, and the progression from bursting at the seams (or absence thereof) with enthusiasm to being completely, undeniably beat will be familiar to parents of animated little people. The digitally rendered illustrations, thick linocut-like borders and smooth planes of color with occasional texturing, match the energy of the story, and the mop-headed boy’s expressions are sweetly effervescent. Full frontals are cleverly obstructed throughout, and the variety of angles and perspectives (viewed from above, behind, at a distance, up close) lend visual interest. This is a story that begs to be read aloud and delighted over by young and old alike. HM - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.