Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2018 K-Gr 2—Huggie, a blue stuffed rabbit, and the appropriately named Stick spend most of their time in Reese's backpack. But an unfortunate circumstance sends them both tumbling out of the satchel and into the ocean. Now the pair must travel across all of the continents to get back to their owner. Much like Daywalt's wildly popular The Day the Crayons Quit, this story is told through a series of letters or journal entries, with Stick giving an overly optimistic view of their day's adventure, followed by Huggie's less glowing take on what really happened. For example, on their stop in Africa, Stick comments on how much fun it was to be in a race, and how nice it was for a giant fish to offer them a ride in its mouth. Huggie clarifies on the following page that they were chased by a rhino, they jumped into the ocean to escape, and then were swallowed by a shark. This pattern is followed throughout, which may make it feel repetitive, though it is hilarious to see what new calamites have befallen the two. Spencer's illustrations are sharp and polished, while his cartoon-heavy character design keeps the tone comedic. VERDICT A strong addition.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2018 *Starred Review* Odysseus had Homer, but Huggie (a grumpy stuffed rabbit) and Stick (a happy-go-lucky, well, stick) document their own larger-than-life adventures. Beginning endpapers of a world map hint that their journey may be global. The two friends belong to a little boy named Reese, who lugs them around in his backpack while riding his bicycle. But an accident caused by a bump and an open zipper begins their story, and “it isn’t pretty.” The narrative is told in alternating viewpoints through diaries kept by the two characters as they relate their various escapades. Floating across the Pacific and captured by pirates, they eventually jump into a “giant mouse’s” (aka kangaroo’s) pocket in Australia. Hopping on a plane to China, a panda mistakenly tries to eat Stick, so Huggie saves him and is subsequently knighted by the queen in London. After leaving Africa in a shark’s mouth, they are nibbled at by penguins in Antarctica, and chomped by piranhas in the Amazon. Each diary entry humorously tells a different story about who saved whom in heroic rescues. “Weirdest Trip. Ever.” (Says Huggie.) “Best trip ever!” (Says Stick.) Speech bubbles in various fonts and hilarious, colorful pen-and-ink illustrations make this a surefire read-aloud for any wannabe hero. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.