Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/01/2022 Black cat, broom, pointy hat—she can only be a witch! Clearing some cobwebs from the corners and from her memories, Hazel reminisces about her star-studded youth, plays the piano with her pet bird, and dances as the belle of the ball. Meanwhile, little Hilda, enraptured, tidies up, provides tea, and keeps the old woman company when she becomes weaker. As the accompanying printed text gets noticeably smaller, Hazel begins to fade away until, eventually, her tale ends. A teary Hilda continues to sweep and dust Hazel’s front porch, remembering their delightful times together. Slight text and a muted palette of browns and whites tell this soft and sweet story about the friendship between a little girl and a special old woman whose witchy abilities are enchanting. The sparkling-white details of the art lend the illustrations a dreamlike quality. Once again, Caldecott Honoree Idle (Flora and the Flamingo, 2013) captivates, infusing realism with fairy tale. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 01/01/2023 Gr 1–3—In this gentle tale, a young girl named Hilda works alongside the much older Witch Hazel. Each season brings a new set of chores—sweeping in spring and dusting in summer and fall—and as they work, Hazel reflects on both the time of year and times gone by. She remembers being a playful girl and later a beautiful young woman. The color palette is simple with a light brown background throughout, graphite drawings of the present-day characters, and swirling, ghostly white figures to represent the past. By winter, Hazel has taken to her bed, and Hilda alone is in charge of tidying the house, as well as stepping into the role of storyteller. The ending is somber, though not heavy-handed. Readers will take comfort in the fact that Hazel's spirit will live on through Hilda, the new keeper of memories. VERDICT A reassuring tale about the power of memory and storytelling to provide comfort for grieving children and a simple life cycle story for a more general readership.—Gloria Koster - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.