Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2017 A boy’s quest to find the perfect place to read takes him on a fanciful journey. The boy, rendered in black and white, chooses a book from a rainbow-hued shelf and sets out to find a good place to sit and read. His first pick, a bright floral armchair, is too buzzy, thanks to a nearby bee. A toothy monster chair is too “growly, itchy, fuzzy,” and a trash-strewn corner is too “smelly, stinky, grimy.” While the rhyming lines don’t always scan, Hodgkinson’s inventive, well-designed images, composed of whimsical figures on richly textured backgrounds full of warm, eye-catching hues, nicely uphold the narrative. As the boy tries out each location, his chair complements elements of the setting, and characters from each page reappear as the story progresses. After trying out 10 different chairs, the boy considers the friends he has collected, and chooses a whole new approach: “a book is best anywhere . . . a book is best when you share.” A natural choice for group storytime. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.