Bound To Stay Bound

Publishers Weekly - 04/06/2026 The mortifying becomes miraculous in the entertaining solo debut from Espinosa (Dream for the Land), who details the agony of finding a parent a bit cringe. From pancake-making to pigtail artistry, the eponymous father seems to be everything the child narrator could want. There’s just one thing: Papa’s genial, egg-shaped face bears an "embarrassing" red mustache, while "every other man in the whole wide world" has a black one. It’s an assertion that mixed-media artwork, with the visual joie de vivre of mid-century poster art, bears out in a sly running gag. The child’s unease only intensifies when the pale-skinned duo heads to a much-anticipated soccer match: Papa’s whiskers, to the child, practically glow on the packed train. But when the narrator gets lost in the game’s crowd, there’s only one face unmistakable enough to find. As eye-catching and cheerfully idiosyncratic as Papa’s mustache, this telling bristles with comedy while turning affection with an asterisk into full-stop appreciation. Background characters are portrayed with various skin tones. A Spanish-language edition publishes simultaneously. Ages 4-8. Agent: Elizabeth Rudnick, Gillian MacKenzie Agency. (June) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.

School Library Journal - 05/29/2026 Gr 1–3—Espinosa's latest tells the story of a young, self-aware, elementary-age girl who yearns for a dad with a darker mustache like "all the other Papas." Though embarrassed, she begins to treasure her papa's small gifts, including his vibrant smile, contagious energy, and soccer skills. When the girl accompanies him to her first-ever professional soccer match at the stadium, she loses him in the crowd. What happens next is both humorous and joyous. Readers will understand the young girl's worry and uncertainty about having a parent who looks different than the others. However, different does not mean lesser. Playful and bright images complement the text, with her papa's bright orange mustache at the forefront. The girl and father both have tan skin. VERDICT A powerful elementary picture book that urges readers to see differences as something to be treasured.—Brianna Amoscato - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2026 *Starred Review* Every kid knows that parents can be embarrassing. For the little girl in this story, it’s her papa’s red mustache that does it, making him a veritable Rudolph among all the other black-stached dads. Don’t get her wrong, she adores her papa. He’s amazing at making pancakes and brushing her hair into pigtails, but that mustache always makes him stand out. When he asks if she’d like to go to a soccer game with him, she excitedly agrees. In the bustle of the stadium, the girl loses her papa in the crowd, suddenly making his eye-catching mustache his most valuable feature. Espinosa, who received a Pura Belpré Honor for his illustration of Junot Diaz’s Islandborn (2018), is both author and artist of this simply told yet endearing tale. The mixed-media illustrations are cartoonish with thick black outlines, and they’re filled with energy, humor, and expressive characters that will translate well to group sharing. Young readers will absorb the positive lessons on love and differences without any interference in the narrative. Inspired by his own father’s distinctive red mustache among the black whiskers of Bogotá, Colombia, Espinosa offers up a warm ode to papas of all stripes in this sweetly silly story, which is also available in Spanish (Mi papá tiene un bigote rojo). - Copyright 2026 Booklist.