Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2021 K-Gr 2—Three mischievous blue monkeys are warned to stay away from the mango tree—that's where the tigers live. But their curiosity is piqued—they simply must go to the mango tree! Tigers chase the monkeys away, and they scamper back up their home tree to safety. The text is pleasingly repetitive and the illustrations provide humorous visuals to keep readers poring over the pages. "No tigers here!" the monkeys cheer, but sharp-eyed little ones will spot the striped felines lurking in the bushes. Haughton's artwork is even more bold here than in past titles. The characters have no outlines, but their colors are carefully chosen so that they stand out or blend into the environment as appropriate.The monkeys are composed of cool indigo, blue, and green tones; the tigers in shadow are purple to blend in with the magenta backdrop. When the fierce beasts emerge, the oranges and yellows clash brilliantly with the purple environment, creating a strong sense of drama during the climactic chase. An epigraph from Aristotle appears on the copyright page: "For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing." The story acts more as a celebration of curiosity than a warning about the dangers of misbehaving. In fact, when the monkeys are told about a nearby banana tree at the end of the book, they are eager for another adventure. VERDICT Worth a purchase wherever Haughton's books are popular.—Chance Lee Joyner, Haverhill P.L., MA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2021 The monkeys know what their parent said: no matter what, they must not visit the mango tree, because there might be tigers down there. But maybe they could just go look at the tree. And maybe they could just get one tiny mango. And maybe they could just go back for a few more and—AHH! Tigers! This quick jungle adventure is typical Haughton, utilizing his highly digital art style, retro computer font, minimal text, and clever page-turns that function as a strong narrative tactic for reveals and building tension. The storytelling is wonderfully repetitive for anticipatory participation and lends itself beautifully to dramatization with preschoolers, who will have a blast pointing at the half-hidden tigers on the earlier spreads. The use of roughly sketched, deliberately unsophisticated and amateurishly rendered characters and landscapes created in hyper-saturated reds, hot pinks, and inkwell blues is nontraditional and somewhat disruptive, yet utterly familiar as a cornerstone of Haughton’s artistic style. It’s wholly original and wildly vibrant, and the monkeys are charmingly mischievous. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.