Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/01/2018 PreS-Gr 2—Nothing is worse than a bad smell. One day Elliot wakes up to an awful odor and is determined to find the source. He checks everywhere, inside and out. All the people in Elliot's family, the pets, and even the trash smelled good. While he is searching, his mom tells him that it is time to get out of his amazing, super cool skeleton costume, which he did not want to take off. Oddly, the smell goes away after Elliot takes a bath. Appealing watercolor and gouache illustrations accompany this playful story. Elliot will remind many parents of their children who are too attached to an outfit. Kids will see the importance of regular hygiene in a fun way. VERDICT A winning read-aloud selection perfect for storytime and one-on-one sharing.—Nicole Detter-Smith, Homestead High School, IN - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 07/01/2018 This odiferous mystery begins with young Elliot waking up in his beloved skeleton pj’s to an intrusive smell. Determined to discover its source, Elliot sniffs out possible culprits in his bedroom—his hamster, his bird, the remnants of a sandwich, and the area under his bed—but none stink. Next, Elliot suspects his father, but Dad’s recent shower clears him. The boy continues searching for the olfactory offender, checking his little sister (syrup!), the baby (baby powder!), and the dog (bacon!). Even the garbage can and his grandmother’s Gefartzenschnaffel stew come out clean. The fug finally lifts when Elliot’s mother forces him to remove his filthy skeleton pj’s—emitting a green cloud of stink—and take a bath. Depending on the child reading this, the source of the smell will be obvious early on or a deepening mystery. The cheerful, humorous illustrations (a combination of pencil, ink, watercolor, and gouache), featuring one especially amazing cutaway view of Elliot’s house, carry most of the interest here, but readers will have fun following young Elliot as he plays detective. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.