Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/01/2023 It’s raining, but instead of hunkering down inside, three parents in the same apartment complex take their youngsters out into the drizzle. The adults stand together chatting while the children and a dog run off some of their pent-up energy. Engaging illustrations, created digitally, show the enthusiasm and joy the children—dressed in vivid orange, royal blue, and pink jackets along with colorful boots—feel as they jump in puddles and run amok. Their antics brighten up the dreary, wet day established in the front endpapers, bolstered by sound effects sprinkled throughout the text, such as “Stimp, stamp, stomp” and “Splish, splash, splosh,” giving onomatopoeic voice to the movements in the gleeful pictures. It’s the children with their muddy jackets and waterlogged boots who finally decide, “Let’s go in!” The large print and few words per page make this title a great selection for beginning readers. Readers will get a kick out of watching, and perhaps envying, the children acting like children and getting wet and muddy to their hearts’ desire. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.