Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 10/01/2016 Thursdays have always been fortuitous for Annie. Her birth, wedding, children’s births, the opening of her diner, and the creation of her famous Poke Salad all happened on Thursdays. Sad events—her husband’s passing, and the day she closed her restaurant—took place on other days. It was a Thursday when she found a tiny kitten (soon to be named Thursday) that reawoke her interest in cooking, which led to the reopening of her diner. And it was a Thursday when a mysterious stranger (unnamed but awfully similar to Guy Fieri of TV’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives) slunk in and fell in love with Annie’s amazing food, including Ugly Pasta, a dish accidentally created by Thursday the cat. Annie became nationally famous, revitalized the town, and became a philanthropist—all because of Thursday. As always, Polacco entwines an inventive story with wonderfully expressive and humorous illustrations that fill pages with extra narrative details. The delightful result will not disappoint her legions of fans, while providing an extra bonus for foodies. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/01/2016 Gr 2–4—Each of Annie's most important milestones have happened on a Thursday, including her wedding and the opening of a diner with her husband, Mario. The diner quickly becomes famous for Annie's signature dish, a pasta salad she christens Poke Salad, invented, unsurprisingly, on a Thursday. It is notably not a Thursday when, many years later, Annie loses her dear husband and with him her zeal for Poke Salad, feeding the community, and the diner. Without Mario or the diner, Annie retreats into a solitary, heartbroken life—until the Thursday she discovers an abandoned kitten on her porch. The cat, whom Annie names Thursday, becomes her constant companion and reinvigorates her culinary spirit. Before long, Annie and the townsfolk reopen the diner, which features Annie's Poke Salad and a new feline entertainer. After an accident in the kitchen results in a terrifically ugly but wonderfully aromatic pasta dish, a surprise guest to the diner puts Annie and her new "Ugly Pasta" on the map. Rendered in colored pencil and acetone markers in Polacco's signature style, the illustrations are bold and colorful and teem with activity. However, what begins as a sweet and heartfelt family tale takes an unexpected and outlandish turn with the introduction of a Guy Fieri-esque TV host. Featured is a photo of the author with her cat, Thursday, who inspired the story, as well as Polacco's own recipe for Ugly Pasta. VERDICT Less compelling than Polacco's typical autobiographical or historical fare, this lighthearted selection should still please her most dedicated fans.—Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.