Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 PreS-Gr 3—A quick, silly tale about two friends, Horse and Buggy, on ice skates. As Horse, a big goofy horse, attempts spins and leaps across the ice, Buggy, a furry little bug with long lashes, worries that Horse will get hurt, even though Horse insists he won't. When Horse finally does crash, he quickly recovers, and Horse and Buggy are skating together again. As with all the books in the "Horse & Buggy" series, this one is short and incredibly easy to navigate. There are only about 75 words total, and the texts and pictures work together to move the plot forward. Visually, this is very funny, with Horse's rubber band limbs bending in every direction as he dances—"Shick! Shick! Shick!"—across the ice. But the funniest image is the final scene where Buggy holds Horse high in the air with one hand as the two skate, eyes closed, in full costume. The two friends have already painted, danced, and planted in the "Horse & Buggy" series; now they skate. VERDICT With very little assistance, emerging readers will enjoy working their way through this silly, funny book.—Jennifer Miskec - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

School Library Journal - 09/01/2022 - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 12/01/2022 In the exuberant fourth entry in the Horse & Buggy (I Like to Read) series, the goofy spotted stallion straps on skates and shows off his fancy moves. Proud of his prowess on the ice, Horse asserts: “I am very good.” Geisel medalist Long’s zippy digital-cartoon illustrations, with “Shick Shick Shick” sound effects, humorously capture Horse’s applause-worthy speedy upright spins, long-legged lunges, and show stops. As the choreography gets more complex, Buggy (his cautious horsefly pal) frets from the sidelines: “You will fall!” Full of cool confidence, Horse emphatically avows, in speech-bubble dialogue, that he's not going to get hurt. But even the best skaters fall sometimes, and when Horse lands with an inevitable “WHAM!,” he dusts himself off, puts his toque back on, and says, “Let’s try again!” Resilience and determination come in handy when ice-skating, and also when learning to read. With smoothly executed controlled vocabulary, On Ice supports emergent readers in their solo efforts. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.