Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 01/01/2016 PreS-Gr 1—Having a playdate can be the best, but agreeing on what to play is another story. Two children exchange ideas, but neither one is willing to compromise and accept the other's suggestions. When the girl posits that she is a wizard and that the boy is a frog-turned-pony on which her doll can ride, the boy is frustrated imagining himself a frog. When the boy suggests they both be race cars competing for the title of Champion of the Universe, the girl imagines covering her ears at the deafening sound. The story continues back and forth, until the action reaches a crescendo and the children resolve to play alone. That is, until they find a way for their ideas to coexist. The art is consistent throughout, showing each child in black pencil outline with single-colored clothing and their ideas illustrated to life in the corresponding color of their clothes. There are no background illustrations, so the eye focuses directly on the images each child is conjuring through his or her ideas. Often the imagined self of the child is taking on the same pose as the real-life child while they are going back and forth. VERDICT A clever story of dueling imaginations.—Matthew C. Winner, Ducketts Lane Elementary School, Elkridge, MD - Copyright 2016 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/01/2016 In squiggly colored-pencil and ink drawings accentuated with charming thought bubbles, Torrey captures the sprite antics of a mismatched play date. The story opens with a seemingly easy question—“What do you want to play?”—and a boy and girl propose games (which are quite gendered) on facing pages, foreshadowing their ensuing drama. The boy and girl alternate suggesting and rejecting ideas, and as their ideas escalate in intensity, both of the kids, in their color-coded, scribbled thought bubbles, creatively imagine the destructions of the other’s idea, which imbues the conflict with wit and charm. “What if I’m a ballet instructor and you’re in my ballet school?” asks the girl, while the boy imagines himself frowning while wearing a tutu. The boy’s suggestion elicits a similar response from the girl, and so it continues until they wonder whether they can play together at all. Playing alone is not as much fun, however, and as the story progresses, they learn a valuable and entertaining lesson about compromise. A playful and accessible introduction to cooperation. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.