Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2022 PreS-K—A young Black girl learns to ride a two-wheeled bicycle with her father guiding and cheering her on. She rides, falls, and bravely tries again. When she's steady, the whole family goes out for a ride: the girl and her mother on their own bikes, while Dad tows the little brother along behind and holds the dog's leash (everyone wears a helmet). Accompanying the spare, rhyming text that echoes the cadence of Stick & Stone by Beth Ferry, the illustrations bring the story to life in detail, setting it in the Bay Area of California with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge on a sunny day. The moment of drama ("slip, slide, tossed aside") is depicted with compelling sequential illustrations of the girl wobbling and crashing with wavy lines around her bike tires, but on the following spread, her father hugs her and waits for her to calm down and decide what to do. Even without dialogue, it's clear he is as pumped as she is ("what pride!") about her perseverance in acquiring a new skill; even the dog jumps for joy. VERDICT A positive portrayal of a father/daughter relationship on the day of a milestone; a good addition for all picture book collections.—Jenny Arch - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/15/2022 *Starred Review* Learning to ride a bike is a common but monumental childhood experience, and in this adorable story, a father teaches his daughter. First, he pumps her bike’s tires while she buckles a stickered helmet beneath her chin. They then walk out to their empty cul-de-sac where Dad steadies her atop her bike, helping her glide slowly forward until she is riding on her own. But then—“Slip, slide, tossed aside”—the girl wobbles and crashes into a bush, her dad quick to sweep her into a comforting hug. Tears dried, the girl climbs back on her bike and, after a push from Dad, flies along the sidewalk with her father proudly cheering her on. Written in spare, rhyming text containing plenty of sight words, the story is told largely through the book’s beautiful mixed-media illustrations. Juanita, a Coretta Scott King Award Honoree, creates watercolor-like scenes accented in candy-colored hues and filled with thoughtful details, from the garage, where a plush rhino sits at a tea party, to the San Francisco Bay Bridge in the distance to the celebratory final scene where the entire family takes a bike ride together. Featuring a young Black family, this book is a wonderful choice for every collection and an asset in the area of #RepresentationMatters. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.