Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 02/01/2019 PreS-Gr 2—When young Noah notices a large storm heading his way, he begins to prepare an ark for the creatures of his backyard. While the storm rains down, Noah and his family stay safe inside their house, as the animals are nice and cozy in the ark. After four days, the storm passes, and the creatures come out of their shelter and bring life back into Noah's backyard. This is a refreshing new version of an old tale. Banks has created new twists and visuals in the familiar plot, making it simple to understand and intricate in previously unseen details. The pencil, watercolor, and digital illustrations by Rocco assist in creating the world of Noah's backyard, bringing the importance of life to the forefront of the tale. Together, the text and images create a detailed tale of life and renewal that is fun to explore and contemplate. VERDICT A non-religious retelling of Noah's Ark that would be a lovely addition to most picture book shelves.—Margaret Kennelly, iSchool at Urbana-Champaign, IL - Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2019 Young Noah spies a big storm coming. Dad boards up the windows of their urban house, while Noah fashions an ark (from his wagon and some boards) to shelter the back yard fauna. Inside Mom prepares food, water, and candles; outside Noah gathers nuts, berries, and a flashlight for his crew. The animals arrive (two by two, of course), and the family retreats to their house to wait out the deluge. The humans play games, tell stories, and rest, while the ark residents cluster, nibble, and sleep. Finally, the downpour subsides, the animals leave their shelter, and all is right again. Banks' contemporary adaptation of this biblical text gets to the essence of the story (protecting lives) without directly mentioning religion. Rocco's digitally enhanced pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are realistically rendered, appropriate to the story's style, and feature rich earth tones. Most effective are the paired illustrations contrasting human and animal storm activities, including one scene in which the ark floats. A reassuring look at riding out the intense storms that seem to occur with increasing frequency. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

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