Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2022 At the carnival, big Bear hopes to win an enormous teddy bear. Instead, she takes home a little fish in a bowl. Fish tries to converse with Bear, but Bear, afraid that her booming voice will frighten Fish, says nothing. Bear eats lunch; not knowing what to prepare, she makes nothing for Fish. “If only Fish were a teddy bear,” she thinks, she would know what to do. After taking a lonely walk, she decides to return the little fish to the fair. She breaks the news to Fish, who counters Bear’s arguments by pointing out what they have in common, providing new perspectives on supposed problems, and concluding that Fish should stay. The expressive, stylized art makes excellent use of color, and, like the well-worded narrative, it contrasts the small but confident fish with the large yet tentative bear. While both characters are endearing, kids will particularly appreciate Fish’s observation that “no matter how small we might be on the outside, we can still be big on the inside.” Fun for reading aloud. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.