Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2023 PreS-Gr 1—Counting from 1 to 10 and back again—that's the concept in this never-before-published book from the renowned children's book creator. With pure Sendak whimsy, this simple story will grab readers' attention. At first, a child magician stands next to the podium marked with the letter "M" (for Magician, Maurice, or perhaps for Max from Where the Wild Things Are?). Dressed in striped trousers and tails, the magician smiles confidently as the first rabbit appears. Then the child's facial expressions change as each additional rabbit jumps out of the top hat, landing on the child's arms, legs, back, and head. Will this mound of bunnies overwhelm the young conjurer? Of course, Sendak is a master at showing a child regaining control, and that's exactly what happens as the magician makes the rabbits vanish one by one, an exercise in counting backward. "None," and "All done," close out the book as the child walks offstage. The illustrations are in gray scale with the rabbits depicted in white, yellow, blue, and gray. Useful as a counting book for young children, this charmer also lends itself to home or classroom discussions of strategies for recognizing and dealing with obstacles and frustration. VERDICT A newly discovered treasure from a beloved children's book magician.—Gloria Koster - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 02/01/2024 As proof that even a trifle from the late artist is picture-book gold, this nearly wordless bit of foolery—originally printed by a museum in 1970 and published here in a larger trim size—tempts young children to count up to 10, as rabbits keep popping out of an increasingly annoyed young magician’s top hat, and then to count back down as they pop back in. As the lad becomes positively festooned with variously colored bunnies, his expression of blithe confidence changes to a scowl and then, climactically, a flustered look, before disappearing in the furry crowd. Once the count starts going down, though, his smile returns, and after “2” becomes “1,” then changes to “NONE” and finally “ALL DONE,” he tips his hat with a flourish and strolls grandly offstage. You can practically hear the applause . . . not only from audience members who appreciate the performance but from the legions of Sendak fans who may not have encountered this charming little gem before.High-Demand Backstory: This never-before-published Sendak might be small, but it surely will be of interest to his many, many fans. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.