Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2021 Gr 2–5—A cheerful, browsable overview of Africa's 55 countries (including Western Sahara). The brief introduction highlights the continent's vast diversity of cultures, languages, climates, and geographies, as well as the major discoveries of its ancient civilizations. Divided into five sections by geographic region (north, east, west, central, and southern), each country gets an illustrated page with a paragraph-length description focused on key aspects of its history, economy, or cultural traditions. There are also two to three bite-size, bullet-point facts about topics ranging from wildlife to geography, mythology, or national pastimes. Information is too broad for research assignments but will delight curious browsers with its joyful, energetic illustrations and appealing assortment of trivia—for example, that there are more pyramids in Sudan than Egypt, the beaches of Namibia are home to more than a thousand shipwrecks, and Lake Tele in the Republic of the Congo is the rumored home of a mythical monster called the Mokele-Mbembe. Contrasts are a cross-cutting theme, from the intersection of traditional lifestyles with contemporary ones (e.g., Eritrean nomad communities using GPS and cellular apps to track rainfall patterns) to the wide class differences within many countries. The facts are complemented by vibrant, wonder-filled renderings. Back matter includes an index and recommended websites for further reading. VERDICT Atinuke's first foray into nonfiction admirably presents an accessible and engaging narrative with its nuanced treatment of a continent too often depicted in relation to its extremes.—Elizabeth Giles, Kansas City P.L., MO - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 11/01/2021 In her first nonfiction work, Nigerian storyteller Atinuke (Too Small Tola, 2020) presents the beautiful diversity and contrasts of a continent of more than a billion people. As her introduction explains, nobody can say how many African countries there are because some are unofficial, but 55 are joyfully introduced to readers here, with the individuality of each especially emphasized. Tired images of acacia trees in the sunset are eschewed here, with the author explaining that the countries of Africa offer so much more than readers may imagine: scorching heat as well as snow, cities with skyscrapers in addition to rural places, and all sorts of other opposites— “donkeys and diamonds, camels and Coca-Cola, lions and Lamborghinis.” Maps and colorful, stylized artwork—both large images and attractive page borders—accompany brief narratives about each country. Bulleted tidbits closing the entries cover such topics as dinosaur footprints in Lesotho and Liberia’s finger-snap handshake. Numerous words in various African languages are introduced, too. A great companion to social studies classrooms and an attractive and informative browse. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.