Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2014 Gerald and Snake stare down an introvert’s worst fear when they suddenly realize that their best friends, Piggie and Brian Bat, are spending time together. At first, they are happy to find out that their friends have met, but soon they realize that friends as nice as Piggie and Brian might prefer new companions to old. As Gerald and Snake decide to put a stop to the fun they imagine the two having together, their anxiety is exacerbated by a misunderstanding about who’s being referred to as a best friend. Fortunately, Piggie and Brian remain committed to their original buddies, and all ends well on the endpapers where Gerald, Snake, and Pigeon play their own game of drawing pictures of their best friends. Brian Bat’s overly large, oval, sclera-less eyes are just a tad creepy, but his constant smile and expressive mirroring of Piggie assure readers that he is a worthy addition to the crew; the use of blushing as a charming visual indicator of bashful pride is particularly effective in this outing, too. Nervous friends will appreciate the book’s reassuring point about trusting old loyalties and expanding one’s friendship circle. Even amidst the repetition and the simplicity of controlled vocabulary, Willems manages to hit that singular moment where even the most restrained readers can’t help but bark out a laugh (conduct an experiment with friends, and you’ll find it), indicating that the rhythm of expectation and novelty are expertly manipulated, once again, to maximize cognitive growth in this early reader. KC - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2014 PreS-Gr 1—What is friendship? Gerald reveals his pessimistic thoughts when he explores the "what ifs" as Snake tells him about their best friends' blissful discovery of each other. All is joy at first—Piggie and Brian Bat are perfect playmates, and the really fun time becomes a super-fun time. Unfortunately, Gerald becomes convinced that he and Snake are losing their best friends, and the resulting insecurities crowd out all positive thoughts: "'We must do something! We must tell them to stop having fun!'" Piggie and Brian are even playing BEST FRIEND GAMES! Speech bubbles; clearly drawn, simple line drawings; and easily visible facial expressions all provide clues to the inner thoughts of these pals. Gerald worries, while Piggie channels his adventurous side and forges ahead. Another forte for the unlikely pair—text repetition and diversity of font emphasize an overblown situation with a simple solution that demonstrates trusted friendships are not easily erased. A must-buy for "Elephant & Piggie" fans.—Mary Elam, Learning Media Services, Plano ISD, TX - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.