Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 11/01/2018 With sweet, lively touches in the text and art, this sentimental picture book features a mother mouse addressing her son, recalling his varied, developing relationship to books and reading. The book opens with the mother mouse cradling newborn Mousie and reading him a book about acorns, and she then describes, in often lyrical prose, sharing lullabies, poems, and stories with him as he grows and progresses from listening to talking (“Your first words fall out of your mouth like treasures”) to independently reading to his toys to studying on his own (“You will read about things / I’ve never known”). All comes full circle as she imagines Mousie reading to his own child in a charming concluding scene. Soft, colorful multimedia illustrations depict the cheerful characters in a variety of settings, such as hearing stories at bedtime, visiting a library, and discovering nature’s wonders. While some scenarios, like those featuring Mousie when he’s older, may not resonate with younger kids, this is nevertheless an affectionate celebration of literacy, books, and the ways adults can help foster a rewarding love of reading. - Copyright 2018 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2018 Toddler-PreS–Cole teams with debut illustrator Crowton to chronicle methods of encouraging a wee mouse to fall in love with reading. Speaking in free verse, Mama explains how she will read simple stories to her infant, sing lullabies to the toddler, practice talk enrichment, and share visits to the library as her child grows older. She vows to listen to her child read and will sneak a peek as Mousie reads to his stuffed animals by flashlight. She promises "…one day before you know it, on a blanket in the forest, you will read a story to your baby." Crowton's digital spreads are cozy in detail, with big-eared mice in preppy clothes, and have tranquil palettes to reflect each setting. The final page offers tips for raising readers by a developmental-behavioral pediatrician. VERDICT The calming cadences and loving domestic scenes will please listeners, and adults will be gently guided in methods of inspiring lifelong learning.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.