Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 06/01/2017 This picture-book biography skims over the most notable achievements of Lopez Lomong, a Sudanese refugee turned track-and-field Olympian. It only briefly mentions his national track championships and the honor of bearing the flag for the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Readers do learn about his experiences as a Lost Boy of Sudan: fleeing the violence that separated him from his family, spending years in a refugee camp, being adopted by a family in America, and eventually reuniting with his birth mother. The publication was underwritten by the What Really Matters Foundation, with the stated aim of educating young readers about universal values. The text, which reads like a folktale, is heavy on sentiment and a little sketchy on biographical details. The simplistic illustrations evoke folk art, sometimes offering contextual details, but mostly concentrating on characters’ emotional responses. Readers will be moved by Lomong’s eventful story and inspired by his ongoing philanthropic work. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.