Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/15/2020 *Starred Review* Turtle has a favorite spot to stand in, but his friend Armadillo has a bad feeling about it and isn’t sure why. It may have something to do with the huge rock hurtling through the sky toward that exact spot. In this latest book from Caldecott medalist Klassen, the reader follows three hat-wearing creatures through five related stories as they narrowly escape death (but are really quite zen about it), navigate friendship and jealousy, and imagine the future together (which may or may not include aliens). A savant of deadpan storytelling, Klassen offers a long-form picture book that is high in suspense and humor. Using the wonderful technique of color-coding the sparse and cheeky dialogue so that you know instinctively who is speaking, this book feels every bit as theatrical as the Hat trilogy. Klassen’s recognizable art style, featuring muted hues and speckled watercolors, utilizes sparse landscapes and open skies to keep the reader’s full attention on the story’s quirky characters, while carefully placed, wordless spreads heighten both tension and humor or bring resolution. His ability to create so much dark humor with so few words and to infuse his critters with such a depth of personality is part of why Klassen’s work is so beloved, as this new addition promises to be.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Klassen has developed a cult following among critics and picture-book readers, plus he's promoting this book with a 15-city tour. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 03/01/2021 PreS-Gr 2—Klassen at his droll best, in five short chapters that are outstanding examples of pacing, less-is-more illustration, and comedic timing. Unaware of impending doom from above, Turtle enjoys standing in his favorite spot. His friend Armadillo thinks he has a better spot. Disaster is avoided, but the interplay of text and images as a giant rock falls from the sky will have readers and listeners howling with delight. The subsequent chapters capture other moments in the life of Turtle, Armadillo, Snake, and of course—Alien. Wacky, witty fun, this could be used to introduce a unit on humor, all done in classic Klassen digital and watercolor tones and shapes. Also outstanding for emerging readers with visual support for the minimal text. VERDICT Laugh-out-loud funny; children will be predicting, warning, and laughing their way through any reading and multiple rereadings of this tour de force from a master of the picture book form.—John Scott, Friends Sch. of Baltimore - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.