Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2012 K-Gr 2—Duckling, familiar to readers of The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! (Hyperion, 2004), asks politely and receives a cookie with nuts. Incredulous, Pigeon rants about the many things that he has asked for and failed to receive—a chance to drive the bus, hot-dog parties, a walrus, one more story, his personal iceberg, etc. In classic Pigeon fashion, the lovably emotional bird relates the unfairness of it all through a hilarious monologue until finally exploding in clenched-fist (or, rather, clenched-wing) anger. But every pigeon has his day, for the duckling offers him the cookie (never mind that Duckling doesn't like nuts), and he accepts the gift with gracious humility. Confident, un-ornamented strokes characterize Willems's seemingly simple illustrations. Postures and expressions are spot-on, conveying the nuances of Pigeon's feelings and the comedy in his passionate behavior. While just plain fun to read aloud, this book is an excellent conversation starter on the topics of politeness and making reasonable requests. This meta-tale that references the gamut of the Pigeon oeuvre will please fans and newcomers alike.—Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 04/01/2012 Pigeon is back, in all of his indignant, passive-aggressive glory, overwrought this time at one gross injustice: a cute little duckling is now on the scene and has been rewarded a cookie (with nuts) for doing nothing more than asking for it politely. Pigeon pulls out all of the usual pigeon stops—coy glances, cartwheels, and crocodile tears—in the hopes of securing a cookie for himself . . . and it works! The duckling shares. As with the other titles in the Pigeon series, simple pencil drawings on pale, blank backgrounds focus our attention on the characters’ interactions. Willems has an extraordinary ability to convey immediate, deep characterization with a few deft strokes. He knows, too, how to spread the action across a picture book, carefully managing the panels and page turns to ramp up the drama. Fans will delight at another outing, and the protagonist’s indelible pigeonality will welcome newcomers to the club. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Pigeon is a beloved character, and his legions of fans will clamor for this, the seventh Pigeon book from hugely popular, award-winning Willems. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2012 Who could deny a sweet little duckling anything? Certainly not the universe, which readily gives the duckling a cookie (descending from the top of the page) when she asks politely. This incenses the pigeon, of course, who has a history of being denied pretty much everything he’s ever asked for-to drive a bus, to stay up late, one more story, to name but a few of his prior requests. This time, though, the duckling, who has a history of her own of sharing with the pigeon, happily gives him her cookie; she doesn’t like cookies with nuts, but the pigeon doesn’t need to know that, and the duckling gets props for being kind-hearted and generous. This sly turn of events offers a gratifying if slightly cynical lesson in playground politics; giving up something you don’t particularly like anyway can garner more goodwill than you intended, as long as you don’t brag about it. The pigeon runs delightfully true to form, masterfully working the complaint soliloquy genre in both word and expression, even to the point of mustering up tears for dramatic effect. His litany of woe conjures vast and varied curricular potential, from readers theater to creative writing to comparative-literature lessons with books that touch on similar topics and themes. Just remember, if you give a duckling a cookie, be sure to have a few extra on hand to prevent ruffled feathers. KC - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.