Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 03/01/2024 *Starred Review* A colorful picture-book format, expressive poems, vibrant art, and detailed scientific information combine for an engaging introduction to 14 types of wind around the globe. The opening verse sets a lyrical tone, and the following poems, in various styles, present each individual wind accompanied by explanatory text in a smaller font, highlighting the wind’s characteristics and where and how it forms. For example, “Willy-willy” (“A little hot air / rising too fast / sends you spinning / kicking up dust . . .”) appears next to a kangaroo in a sunny, desert terrain, while the smaller text explains that Australian dust devils (called willy-willy) occur when “high surface temperature warms the air, making it spin upward in strong updrafts.” Other poems feature Antarctic katabatic wind, Japanese oroshi (gusts down the slope of a mountain), and the helm in the Pennines (“You’ll hear it first, / the rumbling roar / across the damp / and wild moor”). The poems’ vivid, sensory imagery—like the moani that carries the scent of tropical flowers across the ocean from Hawaii—is echoed in evocative illustrations, the wind’s motion further conveyed in airy swirls across each spread. Supplemental material discusses general wind science and some poetic forms; a map, glossary, and list of further reading bolster the information. While the occasionally complex vocabulary might challenge some younger readers, there is plenty here to illuminate and intrigue on many levels. A stirring addition to poetry collections or to complement Earth Science lessons. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.