Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 02/01/2015 Set in early twentieth-century London, this large-format picture book tells how an “exceptionally bright” girl makes her start in life. It’s a sad day for Daisy when her mum tells her that she must leave school and go to work as a scullery maid in the household of two elderly ladies. Daisy works hard, but she feels lonely and homesick. When her quick wits and courage save the house during a fire, her grateful employers offer to send her home and pay for her education. A beloved English illustrator best known in America for the Alfie series, Hughes creates a sympathetic character in Daisy, who lands in trouble for stringing blue dishcloths, white pillowcases, and her mistresses’ red flannel bloomers together and hanging them out the window to celebrate the king’s coronation. While the text is somewhat longer than readers may expect in a picture book, it offers children colorful glimpses of the period, as well as a well-told story and engaging artwork, created with ink, gouache, and watercolor. Satisfying historical fiction for primary-grade children. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.