Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2019 *Starred Review* With the 2020 election around the corner, this simple yet edifying book will help younger kids understand what all the excitement's about. It begins with the most basic case for choice—Which do you like better?—and goes on to explain that while some choices are easy (ice cream or onions), others (ice cream or cupcakes) might take more thought. From there, the book widens its scope to show voting for a classroom pet. You make your choice, but if too many people choose differently, you lose. Yet there are ways before the vote to change people's minds. The focus then goes even wider, explaining how governmental voting works, and though everything gets just a sentence or two, they are crisp enough to get the basics across (notes at the end extend the text). Adding punch are the ink drawings, highlighted with dabs of design and bright color. The clever cartoons add tons to the text, perhaps especially on the page where class pet arguments abound, with balloons over the kids' heads featuring the pet of choice. One tiny criticism: at the conclusion, a boy tags along to the voting place, and the final spread features him covered with stickers: I Voted. Well, he didn't this time, but hopefully the importance of this will stay with him until he's 18. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 01/01/2020 Gr 1–3—This delightful picture book introduces young readers to the process of voting. Readers learn that voters must gather information, have conversations with people who hold opposing views, and collaborate with others who want the same outcome. But win or lose, it's important to take an active part. Shulman's text compares voting for local, state, and national officials to more kid-friendly examples such as choosing an ice cream flavor or deciding on the class pet. Young voters are instructed to "Listen. Read. Talk. Ask. And tell someone who's old enough…to bring you along on Election Day." Bloch's cheerful red, white, and blue illustrations pair perfectly with the text, producing a joyful, engaging book that encourages responsible citizenship. Back matter makes these concepts even more concrete. Specific examples of how all three branches of government work are featured. Shulman reminds readers that civic engagement starts well before the age of 18. VERDICT Purchase for classroom and library collections to encourage the next generation of decision makers.—Jen McConnel, Queen's University, Ont. - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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