Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 12/01/2019 Using rhyming text and full-color photographs, Silverman introduces young listeners to the many signs that spring is arriving. The first three spreads declare, for example, On a drip-droppy, / slip-sloppy, / snow-melting day . . . / Squirrels cuddle. / Snakes huddle. / Clouds break. / Salamanders wake. / Icicles drip. / Chickadees sip. Each phrase is illustrated with an appropriate photo, and many contain dripping ice or melting snow, appropriate to this changeable time of year. The well-crafted verses include expressive (sometimes invented) language that highlights the sights and sounds of late winter. The (mostly) stock photos are crisp-edged and well chosen; some, such as the chickadee sipping from an icicle, will amaze. As the story progresses, the photos depict more and more green, leading to the final spread, Welcome, spring! which includes blooming flowers only. An author’s note further clarifies details about the illustrations; a glossary and further reading are also appended. Pair with April Pulley Sayre's Bloom Boom! (2019) to delve further into spring. - Copyright 2019 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 02/01/2020 PreS-Gr 3—Spring arrives with melting snow, and plants and animals begin to come to life in a series of detailed photographs. Silverman's readable verse covers a wide array of familiar animals in their natural environments. Brisk rhymes and a musical refrain make this a lively nonfiction read-aloud. For example, in a two-page spread, Silverman writes, "On a plink-plonking, marsh-mucking, duck-dabbling day…" The accompanying photos show a raindrop making ripples in a puddle, a snowy marshland in the process of unthawing, and two ducks sitting on top of an unidentified body of water. A section in the back matter covers scientific explanations for each animal or an event mentioned in the text. The glossary is extensive, and the list of further reading features several similar books, all published within the last five years. VERDICT A welcome addition to school libraries. Perfect for answering nature-related questions or crafting lesson plans.—Savannah Kitchens, Parnell Memorial Library, Montevallo, AL - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.