Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 05/15/2022 Frances is a Black girl who lives in the city but feels out of sorts in her bustling neighborhood, where she can’t climb walls or slide down banisters, and the parks are always crowded. All she ever hears is “Look out!” “Stop!” and “Come back right this minute!” But when Frances visits her cousins in the country, she finds comfort in the spaces she can race, leap, and “go go go.” While Scanlon’s poetic text keeps a steady rhythm, Qualls’ stylized collages change along with Frances, the mostly colorless city giving way to golden days on the cousins’ farm. Although it’s hard to say goodbye, Frances returns to the city with a renewed spirit and appreciation, as neighborhood musicians play, “city cats croon,” and “city streets beep” against a backdrop of soothing purples and spiraling music. And when her mother says, “Come here, right this minute!” Frances happily accepts her mama’s hug. In this beautiful, fresh take on city versus country life, readers are the winners. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.