Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 PreS—This large, brightly colored picture book with very few words revolves around a class of preschoolers experiencing the four seasons. The thunderstorms of spring give way to the sun and flowers of summer, then to the fall leaves and winter snowflakes. Pictures have been created from various nontraditional materials, including textured wallpaper, stencils, plastic lace, and vinyl fabric, set against mainly white backgrounds. They show the children exploring the outside world as the weather changes. Text is minimal, limited to the sound of the outside world: "drip drip," "crinkle crinkle," "swirl swirl." Tying everything together is the underlying growing friendship between two of the children—a shy boy and an outgoing girl—depicted wordlessly through the illustrations. A solid choice for the very young.—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/15/2014 A multicultural classroom of preschool children experience each of the four seasons in this appealing picture book. Readers follow two children who become friends during a loud spring thunderstorm—she is thrilled with the turmoil, while he is frightened. Along with their classmates, the youngsters actively use their five senses to understand and appreciate the opportunities for entertainment distinct to each season. Their adventures include experiencing the storm and puddles in spring, blowing dandelion fluff and searching for insects in summer, eating crisp apples and gathering leaves in fall, and throwing snowballs, making snow angels, and listening to the hush of winter. The rhyming text consists of 16 words, mainly onomatopoeic: “BOOM BOOM Flash! Flash! drip drip Splash! Splash!” This also works as a beginning reader, while the bold, clear illustrations make it appealing for even very young children learning about their world. Chodos-Irvine’s use of textured wallpaper, plastic lace, stencils, vinyl fabric, other nontraditional materials, and various printmaking techniques creates intriguing illustrations that are enjoyable to study. An engaging exploration of the seasons. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 02/01/2015 Dark stormclouds move in over a set of playground swings, and then a multicultural classroom of young children is startled by a loud “BOOM BOOM,” followed by a “Flash! Flash!” of lightning. The storm soon subsides, though with a “drip drip” and the children race outside to play in the playground puddles: “Splash! Splash!” This repeated word pattern continues as the children move from what is presumably spring into summer, with blooming flowers, buzzing bees, and the thrills of blowing dandelion fluff. Autumn brings the crunching of leaves and ripe apples, while winter serves up swirls of snowflakes and foggy breath and the silence that is unique to a snow-draped landscape. The simple text is surprisingly effective, with the word choice particularly friendly for reading aloud, while the seasonal depictions offer discussion points for classrooms or story hour attendees about nature and seasonal change. The brevity of the text puts emphasis on Chodos-Irvine’s stunning mixed-media art, which utilizes textured wallpaper, vinyl fabric, plastic lace, and cut stencils. Vivid colors, elegant compositions, unusual perspectives, and the judicious use of white space make the illustrations both highly attractive and bold enough to easily share with a group. Use possibilities abound with this title, and you’ll definitely want to keep it on hand to celebrate the sound of the seasons. JH - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

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