Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 11/17/2025 With lyrical, simile-studded prose and crisp, radiant illustrations, Brown-Wood and Robinson craft a powerful portrait of Black hair as artistry, inheritance, and pride. After establishing that "this hair/ grew/ from the scalps of kings and queens," comparative lines liken waves, spirals, and curls to African landscapes, including "rivers that span Africa’s grand land"; winds blowing sands in the Namib, Kalahari, and Sahara deserts; and the albuca plant. Locks’ arrayed traits are described next in text that references ancestors’ actions and experiences ("While it may tangle, tangle it is told that this hair hid grains and seeds later planted to grow and fill our ancestors’ bellies"). Textural jewel-toned visuals portray Black hair as both crown and connection across time: "This hair belongs in the past, the now, the future, in the real and the imagined, in the myth and in the legend." Includes an author’s note and contextualizing back matter. Ages 4-8. (Jan.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 01/16/2026 Gr 1–4—The history of Black hair includes the way white people used it to dehumanize Black people during enslavement and beyond, sometimes by shaving their hair or comparing it to animal fur. Through that horror, however, Black people continue to celebrate their hair and its history. Brown-Wood uses free-verse poetry to tell a compelling and deep history of Black hair, opening with African kings royalty and mythology and making reference to the continent's characteristic landscapes, plants, and textiles. Paired with Robinson's gorgeous illustrations, this ode to Black hair imagines it as a kind of crown, making for a special story. The artwork is exquisite: collage-style with layers of color and texture that mimic Black hair and are wrapped around inspirational messages and historical context. The book flows as one moving story of resilience. The back matter includes further details about African history and hair; there are also paragraphs explaining what hair is and Black hair care. VERDICT A must-purchase for all elementary collections in need of a beautiful ode to Black hair that weaves poetry and history in a meaningful way to educate and empower.—Molly Dettmann - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.