Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/01/2023 A child’s invisible dinosaur has gone missing. The trouble begins after the mud-spattered dinosaur gets a bubble bath; the soiled stomach and legs had been the only visible parts of the pet, whereas a squeaky-clean invisible dinosaur could be hiding anywhere! After the child tries to no avail to coax it back with piles of jam sandwiches, “lost pet” posters go up (with the usual photo space hilariously left blank) but get no response. Inclement weather would help, as snow piles or puddled raindrops could indicate where an enormous dinosaur was standing. Alas, it’s a beautiful sunny day in a dandelion-strewn field. But wouldn’t you know it—the seeds floating through the air settle into a dinosaur-shaped outline, complete with a jam-stained snout at one end. The clever premise is carried out with heaps of humor and cheer, and the mixed-media illustrations are expressive and comical, including delightful spreads that appear to be the child’s crayoned diagrams. A sweetly satisfying story with lots of laughs. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/08/2023 PreS-Gr 1—Yoon skillfully spins an adorable tale about an imaginative child, taking readers on a humorous adventure as the child searches for a dinosaur who happens to be invisible. Children with overactive imaginations will easily identify with the struggle. The child explains that the dino got loose during bath time. Dino's favorite snack is prepared and signs declaring that the invisible dinosaur is lost are posted. It's all very valiant, but neither works. Then the child summons all the imaginative powers available. In this story, both detailed with the child's imaginings and intentionally sparse with mixed-media illustrations, readers will absorb a simple yet compelling journey. VERDICT A solid story time pick for preschoolers, or to use as a prompt for a delightful back-and-forth.—Jane Huh - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.