Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/15/2016 Lion, Tiger, and Bear live in the bucolic Green Hills Hollow. Bear and Tiger want to play tag, but Lion prefers to work on his painting. His fun-loving companions refuse to accept his assertion that “artists need peace and quiet,” so Lion attempts to find a private place to paint by building a fence, digging a hole, climbing a tree, floating on a raft, and so forth. Eventually, he is so desperate he goes into the deep, dark woods, which, while private, turns out to be to scary. His friends finally agree when he promises to play with them as soon as the painting is finished. The masterpiece turns out to be a group portrait of Bear, Tiger, and Lion, and the conflict is resolved peacefully. Long’s digital illustrations are rendered in cartoonish, sunny pastels, and the simplified scenes will make group sharing a breeze. This cheerful friendship story reminds readers that sometimes we love having company, other times we value solitude, and real friends should be understanding either way. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.