Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2020 Any child who has broken the rules of a board game, thrown the pieces, or suddenly quit the game can identify with and delight in this Jumanji-lite story of a game that turns chaotic. As a little girl and her dog open a board game and start reading the rules—which make up the entirety of the book’s text—a fuzzy, pink-polka-dotted monster peers through the window. Soon, it joins the game and begins tossing pieces and eating the game board itself, and more of its monster friends join, merrily creating chaos. There are four games here: the original; the second, where the cute monsters carry off the game pieces; the third, where the girl makes up her own game with insane rules for the monsters; and the fourth, in which she and the monsters play the original game properly. The book itself is designed like a board game, with brightly colored panels mimicking game spaces. Ultimately, this is a cleverly zany take on how difficult forming friendships can be. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.