Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 08/01/2013 PreS-Gr 2—This picture book gives a glimpse into the world of the Second Avenue Yiddish theaters of 1920s New York. Young Rifka's parents are both actors, and the child loves everything about their work, from the dark backstage area, to the stored props under the stage, to the glamorous chorus girls in the dressing room, who laugh and joke and sometimes let her wear their makeup. The stylized illustrations give an air of memory and fantasy with elongated figures and confettilike shapes floating throughout the pictures. Details such as a trip to the Automat and Rifka's mother's bobbed hair add more historical context. The child's moment to shine comes when she accidentally walks onstage through a balcony door. In the family spirit of the Yiddish theater, she is welcomed by her parents and the audience alike and invited center stage for her bow in the spotlight. Perlov, herself a child actor in the days of Yiddish radio, paints an affectionate and nostalgic picture of the era with her words. A nice addition to collections wishing to highlight the American Jewish experience.—Martha Link Yesowitch, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 09/15/2013 Children won’t know what the Yiddish theater was (until they read this title’s informative afterword), but that doesn’t matter much. Here, the focus is on the magic of performing and the wonder a little girl feels when she is—accidentally—on stage. In a direct first-person voice, Rifka begins by telling readers how Papa pastes on a mustache, and Mama puts on a white wig; suddenly they are old. Life can be fun for the child of thespians—stopping at the Automat for snacks and wearing makeup for fun. But when Rifka hits the boards, she is the one who gets the applause. Author Perlov, now in her late 90s, is the daughter of Yiddish theater thespians, so much of what she writes is from her own memories. Kawa’s imaginative mixed-media artwork, reminiscent of Pamela Zagarenski’s stylistic pictures, captures the fantasy world of the theater. A few photos at the end give a better idea of New York’s Lower East Side. As the old rye bread ad used to say, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.