Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2024 K-Gr 1—Early reader titles have the important job of helping children move from enjoying picture books to becoming independent readers. Good ones are engaging and appropriate for the specified reading level. This book features a mixed-race family and is chock-full of colorful illustrations that draw readers in to the daily activities and experiences of parent and child. The child and parent visit the park, an art fair, the farmer's market, and then head home where they cook dinner together. As they travel through their diverse community, the child and parent are surrounded by their neighbors out enjoying a lovely day. There is much to look at, study, and enjoy in every spread. The text, however, is a bit baffling at times. There are many two-word sentences that sometimes make the book feel simplistic for the intended audience. With the text accurately detailing what is being shown in the illustrations and its simple sentence structure, this might make a good choice for ESL students. VERDICT The illustrations tell a much richer story than the text. Not a necessary purchase.—Cassie Veselovsky - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.