Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 07/22/2022 Gr 3–6—Velasquez grabs readers right from the start with a book jacket saturated with color and details of a 1940s family ready to leave on a trip in their blue Packard, against the signature color of the Green Book. It's followed by an equally inviting title page. Bolden opens her story with an introduction to Victor Hugo Green, New Jersey letter carrier. He takes his job seriously, and he believes in tackling problems with solutions. It's the Great Depression and even though times are tough, people want to travel. Black Americans are traveling for business, vacation, family events, and special occasions, encouraged to purchase cars to avoid the hardships and dangers of Jim Crow laws and sundown towns. Green sees a need for better communication to help travelers stay safe, doing extensive research. His first effort is "The Negro Motorist Green Book," a pamphlet published in 1936, with information for safe travel in and around New York City. By 1940, the booklet is 40 pages long and includes major cities in every state. Bolden has perfectly combined the painful story of Jim Crow and segregation with the strength and determination of Black Americans to live a full life. The illustrations are combined with recreated newspaper articles, actual Green Book covers, and photographs. The effect is to pull readers along on this American experience known too well to some and a revelation for others. A time line, notes, selected sources, and specific resources are appended. VERDICT A highly recommended addition to any collection. Pair this book with Alexander Clavin's Ruth and the Green Book for a real powerhouse introduction to this important part of our shared history.—Elisabeth LeBris - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 06/01/2022 *Starred Review* Victor Hugo Green “not only believed in facing a problem but also in doing something about it.” In descriptive text—occasionally featuring alliteration and rhyme—and an upbeat voice, Bolden recalls the Black mail carrier from Harlem who recognized that, following the Great Depression, highways were being built, and Black Americans were going places. But with Jim Crow laws and sundown towns, travel wasn’t always safe. After gathering information about businesses that welcomed Black travelers, Bolden explains, the Harlem mail carrier assembled his tips in a guide published as the Green Book. The informational picture book continues with a brief history of Victor Hugo Green and his travel guide, which ceased being published after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. An early quote by a hopeful Green expresses his foresight for a time when his guide is no longer needed. Velasquez lends a fitting and beautiful scrapbook effect to the story through a juxtaposed blend of vintage scenes in his signature lush oil paints and recreations of black-and-white photographs, color postcards, newspaper clippings, and images from the original editions of the Green Book. Back matter, including a time line and more information about Green, fills in details about the innovator’s life. An effective way to address Jim Crow laws and segregation as well as resourcefulness and determination. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.