Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 01/01/2010 Salutations to the enthusiastic and energetic Cat the Cat, the next certain-to-be-iconic character from the creator of multiple Geisel Award– and Caldecott Honor–winning titles. In Willems’ signature style of thick outlines, basic pleasing colors, clean layouts, and bold, legible fonts, the story follows Cat across the playground as she starts a dialogue with everyone she sees: “‘Can you fly, Bee the Bee?’ / ‘Watch me!’ / ‘Go, Bee the Bee!’” Bird the Bird and Bat the Bat also take their turns in the air as dotted lines and sounds (“Buzz!,” “Flap!,” “Flutter!”) follow their aerial paths across the pages. The perfect amount of tension comes when the animals discover Rhino the Rhino atop a pigeon-shaped spring rider. Do you think Rhino can fly? You bet, and soon the whole gang is zooming along in an airplane, having a blast, as will the audience. Kids just beginning to be beginning readers will welcome the arrival of Cat the Cat and her friends. - Copyright 2010 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 02/01/2010 PreS-K— Using a repetitive vocabulary with few new words added in, Willems offers successful reading experiences for the earliest readers, complete with fun-loving, friendly characters and surprise story lines. In the first book, Cat the Cat meets her friends as she answers the oft-repeated question, "Cat the Cat, who is that?" with "It's Mouse the Mouse!" Questions and answers are in large, bold type while white word balloons with a clear, dark font are used effectively to further the simple conversation. Cat the Cat continues on as she meets Duck the Duck, Fish the Fish, and a strange-looking alien who, after scaring her at first, becomes her new friend. In Let's Say Hi , Cat the Cat asks Bee the Bee, Bird the Bird, and Bat the Bat if they can fly. They all answer "watch me" as they fly away. The story takes a surprise turn as the friends ask Rhino the Rhino if he can fly, and he takes off in his airplane, taking them with him. The animals are drawn with expressions ranging from wide-eyed innocence to surprise as they learn about the world around them. Drawn on a mostly uncluttered sky-blue background with thick black lines, the characters are illustrated in a brighter and wider range of colors than in Willems's previous works. Fans of "Elephant and Piggie" (Hyperion) may think themselves to be a bit advanced for this newest cast of characters, but they will want to join in on these latest adventures where even Pigeon makes subtle appearances.—Kristine M. Casper, Huntington Public Library, NY - Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.