Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2016 A little boy who’s a bit of a slob gets his comeuppance in this dry tale of an unusual infestation. It all starts with one barbarian after some cupcake crumbs. Then there’s another in the playroom—so far, the boy thinks they’re kinda cute and not hard to handle, though his mom is incensed. Before long, though, there are warring hordes of swarthy barbarians building pillow forts, having food fights, filling their house with “snoring, snarling, belching, badgering, grumbling, growling, loitering, looting, and lazing savages.” Fearing’s riotous, richly colored scenes are full of hilarious details—such as a barbarian under the table, getting into the cat food, or another trying (very unsuccessfully) to hide under a couch cushion—which will keep tots poring over the densely packed spreads, hunting for more background antics. The barbarians’ expressive, goggle-eyed faces make them seem almost guileless, in comical contrast to their brutish behavior. The ultimate lesson, that kids should keep tidy, is a touch heavy-handed, but little ones will be tickled by this outlandish tale all the same. - Copyright 2016 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 02/01/2017 PreS-Gr 2—In the spirit of David McPhail's Edward and the Pirates and David Shannon's How I Became a Pirate, a boy learns that his untidy habits have the unwelcome effect of inviting barbarians into his house. At first, the boy ignores his mom's pleas to clean his room to avoid attracting pests. What's the worst that could happen? Ants? Mice? When barbarians, who revel in the chaos and snack leavings, show up, the boy is delighted—until they start using his toys to clean their ears and keep him up at night with battles over popcorn and sandwich leftovers, that is. The family's attempts to oust the intruders fail, and the boy realizes that his only solution is to clean his room. Eaton's text is silly and witty ("But that afternoon in the playroom, I ran into Törr, who'd come seeking glory. And cheese curls!"), but the description of a big-bearded barbarian's use of mom's lipstick as "war paint" could be problematic. Fearing's cartoon illustrations make the Viking-esque barbarians look more ridiculous than frightening. Many of the spreads include funny details, such as the invaders snacking on cat food, building forts from stolen blankets and pillows, and making a fire out of croquet mallets in the garage. VERDICT Purchase for larger libraries seeking goofy read-alouds for older preschoolers and early elementary students.—Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.