Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2022 PreS-Gr 1—A very pale, red-nosed witch, clad in burgundy rather than the traditional black, hosts her TV show entitled "Bewitching Kitchen." Today's episode involves a demonstration on how to make Frog Soup. Step by step she takes "viewers" through the recipe from placing the cauldron on the fire to attempting to put a frog on a spoon in order to add it to the pot for "a kick of flavor and a pop of color." At this point in the story, which is told in absolute deadpan but with an underlying and expanding sense of mischief, children will begin laughing at the antics of the poor witch as she attempts to complete the recipe for her audience. Expecting the frog to stay on the spoon is her undoing as she tries to remain professional and keep her cool. Brosgol's engaging digital illustrations show a fitted-out kitchen with a large stove, hanging pots, drying herbs and jars of unspecified and indeterminate contents. The army of frogs the pink-aproned witch keeps in an aquarium are full of energy and bounce and, though they are trying the woman's patience, their faces remain serenely calm and innocent. VERDICT This entertaining tale is a humorous look at how well-laid plans can sometimes go awry, and it will tickle children's silly bones.—Maryann H. Owen - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2022 *Starred Review* An attempt to make frog soup, a witch’s favorite treat, spells disaster during a cooking show when a key ingredient refuses to cooperate with the enchanting chef. A perfectly poised witch, pink-nosed, with her apron and pointy hat just so, beams for the camera as she adds a cascade of ingredients to her cauldron. The final, critical ingredient is “a spoonful of frogs,” ideal for imparting “a kick of flavor and a pop of color” to the soup. The frogs, however, have other plans. The determined witch’s increasingly frustrated attempts to “put them on the spoon” deliver slapstick laughs as the minimal, deadpan text plays against the ensuing amphibian chaos. Lyall (Inky’s Great Escape, 2017) paces this mischievous story deliciously with well-timed page turns and repetition; a subtle element of foreshadowing rewards keen-eyed readers in the end. Brosgol (Memory Jars, 2021), meanwhile, makes excellent use of both white space and multipanel pages to enhance the comedic experience. The digital artwork is jewel-toned and saturated, wonderfully expressive, and rewarding in its small, illustrative details, including differing endpapers that showcase the “last and most important ingredient.” An all-seasons recipe for storytime success as readers will root for the frazzled witch to work her way out of a hilarious pickle. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.