Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 09/01/1999 PreS-Gr 2 What's to be done? When George's mother tells him to bark, the puppy meows then quacks, oinks, and finally moos! Like any good mother, the canine marches her son to the vet, who sets right to work. Reaching deep down George's throat, the vet pulls out a cat! But this does not solve the problem, and the doc continues his hilarious extractions. Deep inside his patient, he finds a duck, a pig, and even a cow. At last, when all are removed, George utters an arf. Young readers will roar with laughter at this slapstick farce with simple line drawings, set against pastel backgrounds, which convey a full range of emotions. But the loudest laughs will come from the readers who share their lives with dogs. When the pup leaves the vet and joins the crowds of people on the street, his mother proudly tells him to bark. George's answer? Hello! No surprise to any dog owner who knows what's really deep inside that furry body. Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information. - Copyright 1999 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/1999 George is a young pup and his mother is trying to teach him to bark, but to no avail. Every time she says “Bark, George,” George responds with a meow, or a quack, or an oink, or a moo, and George’s mother is, to say the least, distraught. She takes George to the veterinarian, who, donning latex gloves, reaches deep inside George to pull out a cat, a duck, a pig, and (finally) a cow, after which George dutifully “arf”s (at least until he’s out on the street amongst the madding crowd). A plot summary doesn’t do the elegant humor of this simple tale justice; the clean lines of Feiffer’s cartoon graphics combined with the inherent dramatic timing of the text will make this a storytime boon. The character renditions are hilariously expressive, both in their faces and body language, from the innocent bewilderment of young George, to the increasing exasperation of his mother, to the bespectacled determination of the unflappable vet. Feiffer’s cast floats on varicolored pastel pages, set off by black outlines that anchor them to the otherwise undifferentiated space. The illustrations are particularly suited for group viewing, and the humor will tickle preschoolers’ fancy for “Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” type tales. - Copyright 1999 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 08/01/1999 *Starred Review* When measured against some of the glitzy picture books the year has produced, this one looks plain. There are no details to break up the flat colors used on the background. Even the characters are simply drawn, colored shapes determined by thick, black lines. But oh, the expression Feiffer manages to coax out of a few keen strokes. George's mother wants George the puppy to bark. When he meows instead, she scolds him: No, George. Cats go meow. Dogs go arf. But George can't seem to get it right--first quacking, then oinking, and finally mooing, as his mother becomes increasing distraught. Eventually, it's off to the vet, who literally gets to the bottom of things when he pulls an amazing assortment of beasts out of unsuspecting George's open mouth. What happens next is a wonderful surprise. Feiffer's characters are unforgettable, the text is brief and easy to follow, and the pictures burst with the sort of broad physical comedy that a lot of children just love. It all makes for a witty, laugh-out-loud play on the old favorite about the old lady who swallowed a fly. (Reviewed August 1999) - Copyright 1999 Booklist.